Photo by ISIphotos.com
The New York Red Bulls are enduring one of the worst seasons in Major League Soccer history, a season so bad that the normally uninvolved Red Bull ownership in Salzburg, Austria has taken notice.
In fact, Red Bulls owners are so concerned with the club's disaster of a season that they have called on the team's decision makers to explain themselves. Sources have told SBI that Red Bulls managing director Erik Stover (pictured) and technical director Jeff Agoos are in Austria, having been summoned there to explain the team's horrendous season in meetings that could lead to a major shake-up as soon as the end of this week (a bye week for the club).
One person not in Austria is Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who looks like a candidate to be fired this week, some eight months after leading the club to its first MLS Cup final appearance. That appearance may not be enough to save him from a 2009 season that has turned into a distaster, with the club holding a league-worst 2-13-4 record.
What do you think of this development? Are you hoping for a major shake-up or have you already given up on this season and don't really care if the team's management sees out the year?
Share your thoughts below.
This has just been a horrible MLS season. It’s been plagued with injuries and international call-ups. Plus I can’t say NY have that great of a squad right now either. There’s no way it is all JCO’s fault, although he must be blamed a little as must any manager of a team doing this horrible. Hopefully RB fire Osorio and find a good coach who can atleast compete with subs and reserves and not just lose all the time.
steve j i agree on some sense of your ramble. i wanna form a petition to be called the Metro Stars again and have Redbull simply as a sponsor and has anyone tried to drink redbull while playing football ugh i think ill stick with good ‘ol H2O.
Well we can blame osorio or Stover or even Agoos but the real people who have failed is REDBULL ownership. Let’s recap their ownership moves. First they pay way to much for the team and stadium rights (Poor Business from the start) Then they make the the move to brand the team like saoda pop with 2 glorified salesmen DeGrandpre and Lofiasco at the helm. We saw how great Degrandpre was and Lofiasco has single handed ruined every business relationship the team ever had which has led to poor ticket sales and poor community relations. Then they got rid of Alexi, not a bad move but you need consistancy in the league. Then Lofiasco and degrandpre could not negotiate with Mo and now he has had a 3 year tenure with a competitive team as GM and has one of strongest fan bases in the league. The 2 soda salesmen then got rid of anyone who knew what they were doing, Chris Connetti who has been a great leader and MLS champion in Houston. Along with Operations guys like Paul Byrne and Frank Perrone. Paul is recognized by the league as top operations guy and has one 2 championships and Frank runs all operations for the huge Prudential center. Mike Q has more season tickets sold at the Philly Union then red Bull has sold in 3 years. Many other good ticket guys were pushed out for non experienced people who have no relationships to sell tix. The trainer John was so good the league hired him in a second as their medical coordinator and he owns a huge rehab company. They kept Richie and Des nice guys but can’t lead girlscouts but are great yes men which is what the soda salemen liked. Oh Yeah don’t forget the Bruce disaster and juan carlos, who never had a full time full year head coach job anywhere and you think he can build a team and win. So the blame falls on ownership to lose all these quality people and be a complete disaster. The 2 salesmen killed this team. Degrandppre who thankfully got the hint and ran but this lofiasco guy is so intrenched with red bull ownership that he continues to fail and still has a job….please go back to soda sales…Oh I forgot Agoos we love you as a player but come on buddy you need experience to be a businessman and a GM..you have none, You can’t learn on the job please move on into coaching or something like that. Hey Red BULL, Soccer is not soda, you need professionals running the team not soda salesmen. Sorry for the rant, but things are bad, come join me at the Philly Union cause this redbull team is a dead dear with ownwers who do not care.
As a DC United fan, I can say I actually feel bad for you guys. Usually, I would just laugh, but this is just an embarrassment. This team would be mid-table (at best) in the USL. And with names like JPA and Rojas, this is something that should never be true.
I hope you guys can right the ship- but not too much, because I will always enjoy beating the crap out of you. 😉
I find it difficult to passionately support a team with a corporate name