HANOVER, N.J. – There's no two ways about it; it’s been a rough start to the season for the New York Red Bulls.
Following back-to-back losses to open their 2016 campaign, plenty of questions have been asked of head coach Jesse Marsch and his team. Skeptics have wondered if the high-press is still an effective tactic as New York has struggled out of the gate, failing to score in each of their first two matches.
Following a Supporters’ Shield winning campaign in 2015, perhaps the trepidation was to be expected.
“We set a high standard for ourselves last season, so people are inclined to panic with two losses,” veteran Lloyd Sam said. “But inside, we’re all right. Obviously we would’ve wanted a better start, but it’s two losses in a long season, you can’t really be panicking yet. We’re upbeat for this game, so hopefully we can get it right.”
There may not be any panic, but the Red Bulls certainly know what’s at stake come Saturday night. With 32 games still to play, there is plenty of time to turn the young season around, but their second home match of the season presents an opportunity to get their first result of the year, and the team is determined to turn in an improved performance in front of their fans.
“We certainly aren’t happy that we’ve lost our first two games, but we also know that our backs are against the wall,” midfielder Sacha Kljestan said after training. “The chatter hasn’t been good, we’ve been moving down in the power rankings, so now we have to dig ourselves out of that. Our motivation is always there. We can’t rely on what happened last year; we’ve got to move on because this year’s a totally new thing. It’s up to us to do our job and get back in the win column.”
The noise has grown from a murmur to a dull roar, but it is of little concern to New York’s head coach. Win, lose, or draw, the process remains the same, and the confidence in that process has not wavered despite the early season difficulties.
“I think we always try to pay attention to ourselves and what we do internally,” Marsch stated. “It’s more about trying to iron out exactly why things haven’t gone as well we would have liked, and then how to improve and take care of those problems. That’s been the process since I’ve been here whether we’re in a winning streak or a losing streak.”
Of course, the gaffer is keenly aware of his role in the greater scheme. The wins and losses are undoubtedly important, but Marsch remains confident that a renewed committed to improving the process is the most essential part of the job, and one that will ultimately lead to tangible results in the league table.
“It’s a results-driven business; all of us coaches know we’re not immune from bad results,” he added. “But what’s really important is to understand the process at which you get to the good results and making sure that everybody is clear on that.”
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