Bradley Wants Red Bull “Complete as Possible”

Red Bull New York starts their new era under head coach Michael Bradley in just a few weeks as preparations continue in preseason. Many questions still linger as to the extent of changes happening to the club’s identity on the field. While years past the team has focused on a high-energy, pressing, style of football, recent comments from the club have suggested a change in mentality. Bradley addressed this in his first media availability during preseason.

“We want to be a team that is as complete as possible,” said Bradley to the media. “We want to be aggressive, We want to go after the other team. We want to press in a really hard way. We’re going to counter press in every moment that we can.”

While that may sound like years prior, we’ve seen the club choose players that can control in-game situations more and more. Captain Emil Forsberg is a key example. His energy can match many of the young players on the side but few can come close to his ability on the ball. When matched with veteran striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and the two have found a connection with the ball at their feet that the club has lacked since Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips played together.

In some ways we’ve seen the changes Bradley is hoping to implement with Red Bull New York II. The reigning MLS Next Pro champions played a more formal 4-3-3 formation and looked to control elements of the game. This is something that Bradley didn’t deny when expanding on what he wants his team to reflect tactically.

“We also are going to try to really connect that with what we do on the ball,” said Bradley when going into the changes he hopes to bring to the club. “We are going to try to be a team that, in all ways, has good ideas, tries to put the game on our terms and makes a game that is fast and dynamic. Really challenging the opponent and play in a way that our fans are excited to watch every single weekend.”

Fans are also hoping that the level of play leads them back to the MLS Cup Playoffs, something that was taken for granted as the club qualified every year since the opening of Sports Illustrated Stadium in 2010. Combined with a new style, the base is hoping that winning will follow and eventually lead to the club’s first significant silverware in the first division.