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Red Bulls fans want blood, and you can't really blame them.
Sunday's 4-0 loss to New England, the team's fourth straight (fifth counting the U.S. Open Cup loss to D.C. United), dropped the Red Bulls even deeper in the East basement and increased the pressure on head coach Juan Carlos Osorio to start producing results. Now the chorus of "Fire Osorio" chants grows louder among fans, even as the club attempts to stand by the head coach who guided the team to an MLS Cup final seven months ago.
Is Osorio being fired? If you believe the breathless rumors and flimsy reports that have made the rounds in the past few weeks, Osorio's fate was already set in motion weeks ago, or about to be decided this week. The reality is that the Red Bulls aren't in a hurry to dump their coach, but a continued string of losing will very likely be enough to lead Red Bull ownership in Salzburg to step in and ask for a change to be made.
What needs to be realized is that the team's problems aren't ones that will simply be solved by replacing the head coach. There are issues that need to be addressed, no matter who is in charge. Here is a closer look at some issues facing the team, and some of the steps that can be taken to help turn things around:
Where is the Angel of old?
Lost amidst the costly mistakes and constant lineup shuffling is the fact that Juan Pablo Angel just isn't getting it done. Even when chances have come his way the Red Bulls' Designated Player has failed to convert them. My initial thought in making this observation a few weeks back was that Angel must be hurt, but there seems to be no evidence of this being the case. Could Angel just be past it? Was his strong second-half performance last season the last hurrah for his days as a dangerous goal-scorer? Or is he still capable of returning this his old goal-scoring ways? Seeing him try to place a point-blank chance against D.C. United rather than blasting it him like the old Angel would provided perhaps the best evidence yet that something is very wrong with the Colombian striker.
The Red Bulls need Angel to figure things out quickly because the Red Bulls are finding themselves in too many tight defensive match-ups for a squad already lacking in confidence. It is clear that the back-line (and team as a whole) struggles with the pressure of trying to keep the team in games while the unproductive offense struggles to find the net.
Time for a new goalkeeper
When Jon Conway put forth a good effort in a tie vs. Houston a month back, the match looked like a good case for him keeping the job and being the club's go-to netminder. In the time since (and in the time before that) Conway has proven indecisive and incapable of being a reliable goalkeeper. He has lost the confidence of his defenders and is now playing some of his worst soccer since joining the Red Bulls. The club will have no choice but to start looking at goalkeepers to bring in. Yes, Danny Cepero has potential, but he showed earlier this year that he is still a raw prospect.
Who could the team turn to? Greg Sutton is out of work now but the better bet is free agent Bouna Coundoul. Raised in New York, the Senegalese national team goalkeeper has a proven MLS veteran and has the athleticism and confidence to help restore some swagger to a shell-shocked Red Bulls defense. And for those asking, NO, Coundoul did not "sign with Philadelphia". There was a report stating that Philly was in touch with Coundoul about signing him. My sources have told me there has been no such contact. People should remember that if any team wants Coundoul, they will have to trade with Colorado for his rights.
No more moving of Mac Kandji
Mac Kandji is a striker. He isn't a winger, nor is he an attacking midfielder. In an ideal world, Kandji would be versatile enough to move around, and he's actually shown a capability of making things happen if slotted behind two strikers, but the Red Bulls don't have any other reliable strikers and the Red Bulls have been at their best with Kandji up top with Juan Pablo Angel. It has taken Juan Carlos Osorio some time to realize this, but I have a feeling he has finally figured this one out. Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, Kandji has been sidelined by a hamstring injury. He will play vs. Toronto (barring a setback) and Kandji's permanent residence up top just might be able to help Angel get out of his own slump.
Goodbye Dane, hello Zimmerman
No player has been given more chances, and wasted them, than Dane Richards. One of the stars of the team's 2008 playoff drive, Richards has been frustratingly ineffective this year, whether on the right flank or up top, where he has seen time lately. He does have ability, but his form is clearly way off and at this point he shouldn't be seen as much more than a super-sub.
Enter Nick Zimmerman, the rookie right winger has shown a confidence and swagger since he started getting playing time a few weeks ago. He's good on the ball, can cross, and perhaps most importantly, he's willing to take shots from distance. The Red Bulls haven't gotten goal production from the middle of the field since Amado Guevara left town and while ZImmerman hasn't scored yet, he has at least shown a willingness to take shots.
Sign Dilly Duka
Red Bulls fans are running out of things to be optimistic about, and one of the few things that could provide some reason for optimisim is if the team FINALLY signed an academy player. Dilly Duka is the most MLS-ready of the players the Red Bulls are considering and may even be good enough to see some minutes in 2009. Sources tell me he's open to signing a Generation adidas deal. If the Red Bulls don't make that happen then they will have dropped the ball yet again.
Cut the dead weight
There are some players on the Red Bulls roster who just aren't going to, and should probably never, play again for the Red Bulls. These players need to go. Khano Smith, Andrew Boyens and Juan Pietravallo need to be let go ASAP, as in before the July 1st date when all contracts become guaranteed. Smith has already worn out his welcome and it remains unclear why he's still around. Boyens' situation is a bit trickier because he is currently with the New Zealand national team at the Confederations Cup.
The one move the Red Bulls need to make is finally moving Juan Pietravallo. The squad failed to find a home for him this winter, but with the summer transfer window coming, the Red Bulls must find a home for the Argentine midfielder and his guaranteed contract. You would think he would welcome a move somewhere considering he has a better chance of winning a Fair Play award than he does of actually playing anymore this season for the Red Bulls.
Who would replace these players? Duka would take one spot, and the Red Bulls could fill the rest with USL players. Bringing in some players eager to make the most of the chance to play in MLS could not only help light a fire under the current squad, it could help uncover another quality player like Kandji.
Don't lose touch with the team
if Osorio isn't careful, he could be heading down the same road Octavio Zambrano took just before he was eventually let go as MetroStars head coach in 2002. After Osorio left his job as Zambrano's top assistant fora job with Manchester City during the 2001 season, Zambrano slowly began losing touch with his team. Things came to a head in 2002, when Zambrano stopped communicating with the team, including the squad's leaders. The team eventually fell apart toward the end of that season, leading to Zambrano's departure.
There are rumblings that something similar is happening now with the current Red Bulls, although Osorio hasn't taken to locking himself in his office like Zambrano did, there are concerns that his desperate attempts to try and stop the bleeding are actually making things worse and making the team even shakier. Osorio still has some time to turn things around, but the only way that will happen is if his team is still willing to listen to him. Sources tell me he hasn't lost the team yet, but very well could unless he starts changing his approach.
2009 is far from 1999
The comparisons between the 2009 Red Bulls team and 1999 MetroStars team were inevitable, but are a bit off. Yes, both teams were last-place teams, but the 1999 Metros team was awful beyonds. As much as Red Bulls fans (and opposing fans) want to pile on the current Red Bulls team as being horrendous, the team has actually been competitive in most of the games it has lost. The same couldn't be said for the '99 MetroStars, which didn't have talent and didn't play anything close to entertaining soccer. Of course, if the 2009 Red Bulls keep losing at the 1999 pace, you are sure to see just as much roster and front office turnover after this season as we saw after that season.
Is replacing Osorio the answer?
If you had Red Bulls fans vote right now, Osorio would likely be voted out of office today, but as it stands the only vote that counts is that of team Managing Director Erik Stover, who is trying hard to stop the team's track record of hiring and firing coaches.
What do I think? I think Osorio is deservedly under pressure and will have to go if the team keeps losing, but I have never been a "Fire the coach in mid-season" guy. The last coach I lobbied for firing in the middle of the season was Steve Sampson in 2005, and he went on to win an MLS Cup title. This isn't Europe, where the fear of relegation or the potential loss of revenue from European competitions leads teams to fire coaches after one bad month. Yes, the Red Bulls have had a bad few months, and right now the playoffs look like a pipe dream, but three months just doesn't seem like enough time to give a coach who just led the team to its first MLS Cup final appearance in history. As much as critics want to write off that playoff run and MLS Cup appearance, it did happen. Red Bulls fans did get to experience that, and those were Red Bulls fans who enjoyed some of their best moments as fans in Houston, Salt Lake City and at Home Depot Center last November.
All that said, if the losses keep coming, and the club goes from losing competitively to losing badly like it did vs. New England, Osorio will have to go.
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Can the Red Bulls still make something of the 2009 season? They still can, but a lot needs to change and change quickly if the club is going to avoid a truly nightmarish campaign. Red Bulls fans are unlikely to have to endure a summer's worth of losses to see things change (which is what fans of the '99 Metros team endured). If the Red Bulls don't win and win soon, the staff and player turnover will begin before the fall, and nobody will be able to argue if that happens.
Sorry Ives……but JC OSORIO is a fitness coach, not a head coach, he is an insecure guy.
I know him well and work with him..
Saludos paisano
Why not sign Hanneman as goalkeeper? Isn’t he out of contract right now?
bring in Zidane!!!
Thanks for speaking out, Ives. The fans have been howling about the Red Bulls problems for months, but no one connected to the team seems to get it. You definitely got it. I’ll add the need for a strong CB to your laundry list — which is spot on.
From a continuity point you have to keep Osorio till the end of the season. Having said that though you have to take the final authority away from him on who the team signs and doesn’t sign. His record STINKS and that is being kind. Jeff Agoos is supposed to be the director of soccer and he has allowed Osorio to make these selections so good bye Jeff. When it comes to some of the youth players I don’t know why one would want J. Exantus when no one wanted him during his European tyrouts. I understand that he has quickness but again no soccer brain. M.Kassel I believe lacks the pace and quickness along with strength for this league. He may improve on all of them in time but why waste the dollars now(he won’t sign for the min. so why bother).
JC OSORIO HAVE TO STAY………….HE IS A GREAT HEAD COACH.heheheheeeeeeeeeee.in dreams
I have over a year telling you guys he is not a Coach……….he is stupid.
Ives – any idea who the 3rd keeper was at pracitce today, wearing # 60?
KANDJI IS WELL UNDERPAID
Red Bulls would be foolish to fire JCO!!!
He a great coach. He is always in a suit and tie,…he takes copius notes and he is always trying to find the right combos on the field,…constant tinkering. It is plain to see that he is a tireless worker. Kind of reminds me of Octavio Zambrano.
And don’t forget his eye for talent! Pietravallo,…this guy is coming in cheap at $205K. One look at this guy play and it is obvious why JCO signed him. He oozes class on the pitch. Same goes for Smith and Rojas.
Hey,…who needs talented young American players who will play for $30-50K when you can get players bursting with talent like Pietravallo and Rojas. THAT IS THE OBVIOUS REASON WHY JCO SIGNED THESE GUYS.
Just my opinion of course.
How can firing a coach set a team back 2 years? The great thing about a salary cap is that everyone is equal so building a team can easily be down over a year’s time. Just look at the Sounders and see the very successful team they put out there in year 1 of their existence! There should be no excuses that a team can’t re-shape itself in a short time with the salary cap rules that exist for each and every team! Stability is an extremely weak argument to keep a terrible coach!
I would say use the darn DP slot we have but then again, I thought all along Osorio was a poor choice and he has proven it with both the player he’s brought in and with his tinkering style, so to depend on this guy to get a DP is dumb (he might bring back Wanchope based on his track record).
The New Zealand National Team must really suck if they have to call up Andrew “The Joke” Boyens
well sutton, hahnemann and Bouna Coundoul and others are available… pick one, quickly!
any chance of c. reyna taking over as manager?
I think NJ Guy…is spot on. JCO’s coaching MO is about instability. He constantly changes schemes, changes roles and turns over the team.
I was a bit surprised he didn’t make more changes at the start of last year but I guess he couldn’t get the guys he wanted. Then he made whole-sale change during the transfer window. Except most of those players didn’t work out. So he made more changes this offseason. If he’s still around come August, is there any doubt he’d make more changes?
There is really only one argument for keeping JCO: if you believe the team’s record is in SPITE of his coaching, that the team record would be worse except for his switches and tactics and changing roles and acquisitions. It’s the players who play and coaches get blamed far too often. But in this case, I believe that JCO provides no stability as a coach. For a new player or a youngster, that’s deadly.
Have to say that those arguing for Osorio to stay under the “stability” rationale is kind of weird. If Osorio can be said to have a coaching style, it is based on instability and inconsistency. Do you think any of the players feel like they understand where they stand with the coach from week to week, nevermind what position or gameplan is in the cards when they lace up the boots?
Do you think management understands an Osorio vision? It seems to be, “Look forward to the transfer window and we’ll get hot at the right time of the year.” It worked last year when DC folded but lighting doesn’t look like it will strike twice.
To imply Osorio means stability is a joke.
Red Bull should definitely fire Osorio. It has worked wonders for Dallas and Toronto. It’s always the answer.
to C,
That inexcusable loss to DC at Giants Stadium was Conways fault. It was, plain and simple. Also, Conway let Connor Casey get something like 4 headers in the 6yd box, where two of them led to goals. He should have taken Casey’s head off the first time he tried to do that. I can’t believe we had Thorton and Rimando with us, was it last pre-season? I’d take any one of those two guys right about now. That’s goalkeeping bread and butter. Also, Cepero sucks even worse.
Ives,
Great article! Being a Columbus fan, we have gone through the ‘fire the coach’ a couple of times, but we have been lucky really with coaching staffs.
To all you NY fans, it took Sigi three years to get a team to gel and play what he wanted, be patient and let the man have at least a couple of years. You were really happy with him last Oct.
You know – Ives is right on with just about everything in this post. Looks like most people here agree with him too. That makes me wonder how the average pundit, sports writer, or even avid fan would do in the job of General Manager. I think so long as that person had people around him that knew how to implement the vision, and as long as that person knew how to work well with others in an organization, they could do pretty well.
I really liked Shep Messing’s rant on the Red Bulls in the Four in the Back podcast a few weeks back. He actually advocated trading a few of these players for a bag of soccer balls, and he was naming names.
Richard, those are hardly contradicitons. Things change. You’re obviously referring to Conway with the player X example. I thought Conway looked good in the Houston game, and looked more prepared to be the regular starter than Cepero, but that game was clearly the exception to the rule. He’s had too many bad games and is costing the team points. No, he’s not the only one to blame, but he is clearly a liability and needs to go.
As for “giving up on” Cepero, who said that exactly? I don’t think he’s ready to start. Now, if you can’t land someone like Coundoul, and the team keeps losing (and goes out of Champions League), then I can see handing the reins to Cepero. I think he’s a good prospect, but not ready yet.
As for comparing Duka and Cepero, how is that even the same thing? Nobody said waive Cepero.
So Ives, in your opinion, we give up on a raw prospect (cepero) and go for another (duka)? No offense, but you’ve been contradicting yourself for a while now (player x plays well game one…”Start every game!” player x plays bad game two…”Off the team!”)
Get the young local talent, and build a TEAM… not a bunch of players thrown together.
You’re right about everything, Ives, except the last item. Osorio must go. Now. All he has to show for all of his player moves and lineup tinkering is a couple of good games in the playoffs last year. As both the architect of this roster and the team’s head tactician, he is entirely responsible for this mess. I just wish the team were run by some real football people, not a soft-drink mogul thousands of miles away and his local designee who might know how to build an arena but is clearly clueless about running, or marketing, a team.
This Revs fan is certainly not complaining about Sunday’s game, but it is no fun watching such a perplexing opponent. I saw a Red Bulls team with individual talent, but didn’t see a real team. Very little cohesiveness and no confidence. I loved Jay Heaps’ goal in stoppage time, but it was only one goal…usually the team behind comes out firing in the second half. RBNY just….folded. Several players tried their best, but there didn’t seem to be a team strategy, so nothing seemed to work. I’m wondering if they just can’t or won’t work for Osorio.