New York Red Bulls: A dearth of talent

This week, the New York Red Bulls announced that Bradley Wright-Phillips and Luis Robles would leave the club. The decisions leave the squad with a dearth of high-end talent.

There have been very few teams in Major League Soccer that have enjoyed more success over the past decade than the New York Red Bulls. They may not have ever won MLS Cup, suffering heartbreak after heartbreak in the playoffs, but three Supporters’ Shield wins in a decade is more than most clubs can claim.

At the heart of this decade of dominance was a collection of superb talent. From Dax McCarty and Sacha Klejistan in midfield to Thierry Henry up-front, the New York Red Bulls had leading players in MLS throughout the team.

But this offseason, they are set to say goodbye to two more critical pieces of their recent puzzle, two pieces that have arguably been the club’s greatest-ever players: centre-forward Bradley Wright-Phillips and goalkeeper Luis Robles.

The New York Red Bulls declined a contract option on Robles for the 2020 season, while Wright-Phillips’ present deal expires this offseason and the Red Bulls will not be offering a new contract for next year and beyond. Two great players, both leaving.

And they are not the only Red Bulls greats to leave in recent years. Tyler Adams’ European adventure left Chris Armas’ side bare in central midfield this season, the USMNT star a critical piece of the historic Supporters’ Shield-winning team in 2018. Centre-back Aaron Long might also be on his way to Europe, if reports are to be believed, while shifting back through the year, crucial stars like the aforementioned McCarty and Kljestan have also moved on.

Because of their consistent success, it is almost expected that the New York Red Bulls will be one of the premier teams in the league. Even when they have lost substantial pieces to the puzzle, it is almost assumed that they will figure it out. A little like the New England Patriots, it does not matter what they look like, there is just an assured confidence that they will be good.

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Most of the time, such staunch belief is usually justified and rewarded. Even after a tough start this season, Armas and his players eventually figured it out and soared into the playoffs. They were not the elite team of 2018, but they were perfectly decent, which is more than can be said for many teams throughout the league.

However, turning the gaze towards 2020, there must be an acceptance that the New York Red Bulls squad looks extremely bare. Brian White and Tom Barlow are intriguing striking options, but they are not close to the quality of a peak Wright-Phillips. Who will play in goal with Robles’ exit? And what of the central midfield, which is still lacking in the aftermath of Adams’ departure?

There are still plenty of questions that must be answered over the coming months. Now, the Red Bulls have money and roster flexibility to make the necessary moves. They have two open Designated Player slots to utilise and are one of the richer organisations in the league. They also have a history of superb recruitment, acquiring the players that perfectly suit their team and slot in without much friction.

Nevertheless, assuming that they will be the team of the past decade is a little naive. It is reasonable to expect them to make the right offseason decisions, but the margin for error is small, far smaller than the Red Bulls have dealt with for many years.