The biggest problem is the mandate from RBAG, buy young. It's a crapshoot finding young talent that can start right away, let alone within the constraints of MLS and without breaking the bank.
Red Bulls Add Paul Fernie as Head of Scouting They hired a new head scout. It would be a good time to jump right on it.
So far this off season, MLS has awarded more expansion teams than RB has signed players. But hey, safe standing lol
THREE SIGNINGS: Red Bulls’ Meara, White, Tarek agree to new contracts Dec 20, 2019 https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019...lls-meara-white-tarek-agree-to-new-contracts/
Oh god. Nothing against Ryan but he's nowhere near the class of Robles, or the class of keeper we need to be competitive. If he's our new #1, maybe he'll prove me wrong. I'm really bummed they cast off Robles. I think that's a big mistake. I'm taking that harder than any other player we've ever let go or who's left.
It's the Red Bull way. There's no animosity in it, but they don't rest much on sentimentality. Meara is good. He'll need a half season to really acclimate, but he was the #1 before getting hurt opened the door to Robles.
Underwhelming to say the least. Lose 2 faces of the franchise in BWP and Robles and replace them with no one. MLS is still a league where you need a name for people to show to the games and we don't have any of that. A.Long will be shipped off to Europe in the summer and we'll be left with Kaku and a bunch of homegrown guys. Hopefully we bring in another DP before the season begins.
Anyone hearing anything about Brian Saramago ? We drafted his Loyola setup partner, Barry Sharifi today. Tough to imagine they don't sign the HG.
looks like this kid could be worth watching... https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2020...25th-academy-product-signed-by-the-red-bulls/
He's another skillful, quick-starting and versatile player for a club that prizes those traits. He also provides depth in two positions where they can use it most.
The window is still a ways off from closing. They've been quiet so far, but may yet provide some pleasant surprises. Management has to know they are down at least one DP-level talent, with only Kaku in that category. If they don't address the need before the season starts, it's going to be on Hamlet and Armas for falling off the pace. RB AG may be holding them back. It won't mean much for the fan base. This league is no longer one where teams can skip signing at least 2 or 3 high level talents.
NYRB Announce Roster for First Preseason Camp January 19, 2020 https://www.newyorkredbulls.com/pos...tiecfF3BZAnd-m12NPTarwcs_XWveZiDxSs6he9V5ToCI
https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/ne...nish-gk-david-jensen-english-rb-mandela-egbo/ Red Bulls sign two, a goalie and a fullback.
Great, while they're getting rid of many of our best players, especially in defense (do we still have A.Long??)... how do they expect us to keep wanting to come watch at RBA?
I think we're seeing one of the drawbacks of MLS with RB's planning this year. There's no fear of relegation and they're entitled to all of the TV rights regardless of where they finish. We also might have the first MLS Starting XI to all play for the reserve team at some point this season. Really disappointed with ownership on how they went about this offseason
My first reaction upon seeing the news about Lawrence was not surprise, but bitter disappointment. Maybe they are trying to fully depreciate the RBNY asset, and sell it for a tax write-off. But in the cold light of morning, perhaps there are some other possibilities. Without lending any shine to the shit pile, I'm just trying to suss out what they may be thinking. What was true even a few years ago is certainly not true now. Gone are the days when Ali Curtis and Damiani Ralph were collaborating to bring in players from the Caribbean and Latin America. And Bob Montgomery was out a year ago, but there is now a new academy director, as well as in house scout who seems to have more connections around the world. What bothers me the most is the disconnect. The hiccups tend to be big ones. It doesn't help that some of their identified players have missed so badly, Derrick Etienne, Jr. seems the most glaring one. If he had raised his game to even a good MLS level it would have made a huge difference. But, the mandate from AG largely eschews the sugar high of buying 28-32 year old foreign vets. It's just hard to field a team that is competitive and interesting, at least in the short run. Players coming through the system from the Academy and RB2 are going to have chances to move up. It's just those players tend to be more miss than hit, that is the nature of the pyramid. What is of more concern is having enough quality in the system to boost those efforts. A player like Jorgensen has a big opportunity to see time alongside or ahead of Brian White, and if he brings a high level performance, then everyone looks like a genius for parting with BWP. I just don't have much optimism for the second team if it is mostly stocked with college draft picks. There's a report of the club bringing Caden Clark, a Minnesota native who was recently at the Barca Academy, presumably with an eye to put him on the second team. But they need six of these guys, or it is just hit and miss. If they have six college players, they need six American youth prospects, and another six from the hemisphere. The other problem here is it's going to take 2-3 years for enough of these players to have succeeded to field a team of Red Bull guys.
After watching the USMNT yesterday I think we also need to take a look at our academy system as well. I think with an emphasis on youth, we're not producing the quality of player we should, while FC Dallas and LAG keep producing USMNT prospects (I get that we had Adams/Gloster and technically Weah too). I understand that we want to build a young team but if we're going to go that route then lets go all in on getting the best NJ/NY prospects into the club.