The Red Bulls are still adding players to their roster as the mad season shuffles on, but it is never too early to think about how the pieces will fit together. Earlier this week, the team looked thin and doomed. Fans, already boiling over after the firing of Mike Petke, were drowning in the stagnant waters of transfer inactivity. Funny how things can change in the blink of an eye. The Red Bulls added two very important pieces this week in Felipe Martins and Sacha Kljestan. Both have potential to be big impact players for New York, something fans have longed for in the midfield for some time. How these pieces will fit together is anyone’s guess. Based on the sound bites Jesse Marsch and Ali Curtis, some educated guesses can be made.
4-2-3-1
———–BWP——–
Zizzo—Felipe—Sam
—-Kljestan–Dax—-
This was the formation of choice down the stretch last year. Thierry Henry marshaled the left wing and pulled the strings by pinching inside and looking to pick out the final pass. It was effective, but maybe lacked in defensive responsibility. It is quite possible that we will see a similar formation this year, with Kljestan or Felipe out wide in the Henry role. However, Sal Zizzo is more of a natural choice for the position. He is a better two way midfielder than both Sacha or Martins, and he played that role in a similar system employed by Sporting Kansas City. Felipe would do well in the withdrawn striker/playmaker role that Peguy Luyindula played last year. In that scenario, Kljestan would slide in next to Dax McCarty, and act as a link between the front and the back while Dax would do more of the cleanup work.
4-1-4-1
—————–BWP—————-
Zizzo—Kljestan–Felipe——Sam
—————–Dax—————–
Another possibility is to put Kljestan and Felipe next to each other in the attack. The basics of the formation would be the same as the 4-2-3-1, but putting the two most dangerous attackers on the field closer to goal, could help put a lot of pressure on opposing backlines, something Marsch has referenced previously. It would still have Dax playing the destroyer role, but he would be responsible for much more ground with both of the other central midfielders in a more advanced position. Another key advantage of this system is it would add attacking help in the final third for Bradley Wright-Phillips. The one forward system relies heavily on a forward who can hold the ball up and distribute. Wright-Phillips is a terrific goal scorer, but his passing leaves a lot to be desired. This system would also need to be more fluid for the two attacking midfielders. It would essentially need to transition to the 4-2-3-1 while on defense to offer McCarty more help.
4-1-2-1-2
——-BWP—-Cahill——–
————-Felipe————
Kljestan—————–Sam
————Dax—————-
In spite of the fact that all signs point to a Tim Cahill exit before the season starts, he would still be a fine partner in attack for BWP. As I mentioned before, Wright-Phillips is not a good hold up player. Cahill on the other hand is more than capable of doing that job. Moving Kljestan wide would not suit his skill set, but he is capable of filling in that role, although he would have a tendency to cut inside. Felipe and Dax in the middle could also prove to be problematic. Dax showed that with such a large defensive role may not suit him. Especially when his partner in the midfield is not a particularly adept defender. In all of these scenarios, I have yet to mention Sam. Mostly because he has shown adadptability to the various formations the Red Bull’s have thrown him into and will be able to get the job done no matter what else is happening to his left. The real question for him will be who is lining up behind him.
If I had to choose a lineup with how the team currently stands, I would go with last year’s 4-2-3-1. It utilizes the attacking strengths of the current roster without sacrificing midfield and defensive bite. The true test this year will be the team’s depth on the wings, in both the midfield and backline, and up front. Centrally, Sean Davis and Leo Stolz should see some time playing either of the deep midfield roles. Stolz could even find playing time closer to the front line as well. Conor Lade is also a viable option on either wing or centrally as a destroyer type midfielder. There are still holes in roster that need to be filled, but the acquisition of Martins and Kljestan went a long way to stabilizing the midfield in what could have been an average transitional year.
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