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A blown lead on an absolutely embarrassing mistake, A 2-0 loss to a USL-2 team AND a 4-0 blowout loss on the 4th of July. These three events took place in a seven-day span, leading me to wonder if there is any way this wasn’t the worst week in the history of the club.
As if the abused fan base wasn’t already beat up enough following 12 years of disappointment, the Claudio Reyna DP contract and Jozy Altidore’s transfer departure, along came a week bad enough to shake the faith out of even the most die-hard of fans.
Yes, there are some new signings on the way, but the inept recent performances make you feel as if these new players are like band-aids on a gun shot.
So how did this week go so terribly wrong? Here are some possible excuses explanations:
The Red Bulls were tired: You can’t ignore the loaded schedule they played and while it is true that other teams also had to deal with loaded schedules, the heavy load exposed the Red Bulls as a thin, overachieving team very light on high-impact talent.
The Red Bulls were distracted: Your coach tells the world that he is planning on bringing in a boatload of new signings when the transfer window opens, meaning almost a quarter of the senior roster could be out the door soon. Anyone who doesn’t think that can have a negative impact is fooling themselves.
The Red Bulls are just that bad: Yes, the Red Bulls are lacking in talent and the injuries to Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna, as well as the transfer of Jozy Altidore mean that almost a million of the team’s 2.3 million in salary was tied up in players who weren’t playing. That left a team short on star power and low on talent. They were able to put some results together playing at the top of their game, but as soon as fatigue set in, they were exposed badly.
What do you think led to this awful week in what is turning into another forgettable season? Do you still hold out hope that new acquisitions will turn things around, or have you given up on 2008 and started thinking about waiting until Red Bull Park opens to start caring again? Was last week really the worst week in club history, or have there been too many of these kind of weeks to remember?
Share your thoughts on the Red Bulls week to forget in the comments section below.
Yes, the RedBulls are bad. Yes, i agree- the worst week in franchise history. I have even considered asking for a refund on my season tickets as this season has been awful (record notwithstanding). Still I will subject myself to the abuse and ridicule of other NY sport fans because I love the game of soccer and this is the franchise of New York (new jersey). I truly hope JCO has a plan to turn this team around and I agree with his comments that few players have made the most of thier time on the field. None of the players seems to want to step up and show some heart. How can we (the forgotten fans), when the team doesn’t?
To me, it seems, that the ineptness in this franchise comes from the top down. At least when we were the MetroStars we had an identity instead of brand.
New York sounds like LA last season before Beckham arrived.
The best thing that Red Bull can do right now is to commit long term to JCO.
Red Bull/MetroStars have gone through more changes than Michael Jackson. To rebuild the franchise they need to start with a stable foundation.
DC, San Jose/Houston, and
New England have had stability in their head coaching positions and have been some of the more successful clubs in the League.
manny f: i agree they are professionals and should be able to take criticism but to say you cant wait to bring in new players is not professional…. saying to the media that the team is playing like crap and that they are blowing opportunities to make a name for themselves wouldve been an smarter route
It says volumes about Osorio’s inability to surmise talent and output that two of New York’s current four backliners were starting defenders for TFC last year, which had the worst defensive record in MLS history. TFC got rid of Goldie (for Dunivant and Wynne? Uh, OK, thanks New York) and cut Boyens because he just can’t hack this level. New York signed them; and people are wondering where the problems are?
Ives,
You keep bringing up Claudio being hurt as if that’s a bad thing — it just ain’t! When Claudio is not on the field, someone else who runs faster, tackles harder, takes a shot on goal, and isn’t going to get hurt in a matter of minutes, is.