The Red Bulls don’t have a plethora of picks or a lot of options in Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft, selecting 22nd overall. And interim coach Mike Petke said the team has its priorities to fill – presumably midfield and fullback – but if a targeted player doesn’t fall to them in one of those positions, they’ll adjust on the fly and just take the best available player on their pre-draft board.
“If the things get shuffled in the mix, it’s going to become a gametime decision, to be honest. We have a separate list of best available,’’ said Petke. “Of course, we want to take care of what our needs are. We have a nice list of players – if they’re available – which will fill our needs.
“Almost every team’s draft board going into the combine has dramatically changed. I know mine has, and the staff I’m with here has: Players stepping up, players dropping down a bit. We have a list of best available, as well as our needs. I think it’s going to come down to the pick or two before us, seeing what’s going on; then we can make a decision there.’’
Petke – who has been the acting coach since Hans Backe and the Red Bulls parted ways just days after the team was eliminated in the MLS Eastern Conference semifinals by archrival D.C. United – didn’t specify exactly what areas the club wants to bolster. In truth, he really didn’t have to; it’s fairly obvious.
They have just four midfielders under contract in Dax McCarty, Lloyd Sam, Tim Cahill and Juninho. But there is a glaring lack of cover, especially considering there are questions galore with most of them – Sam returning from a season-ending injury, Cahill capable of being used as a second striker and the newly-signed Juninho never having even practiced with the club and turning 38 this month.
“We have a list of players we think are potentially available at 22nd,’’ said Petke. “Those are players we’re comfortable with: We watched them, we focused on them, and if they’re available and there’s a great need exactly at the position we’re talking about (we would take them).
“But…if it gets to that point and there’s a select few of those players who’ll fulfill those needs (and they’re gone), then we might go outside the box and get the best available….If the best available is a forward, he really has had to convince us throughout this past week. Obviously we’re not looking at goalkeepers; we haven’t looked at one goalkeeper down here. We’re not looking for centerbacks.’’
Petke added that the more-relaxed Homegrown Player rules have weakened the draft pool somewhat; and he’s had several conversations with prospects he expects to slip into the second round and honestly tried to gauge their reactions to the prospect of having to sit the bench in New York as they develop.
He declined comment on the Red Bulls’ expected hiring of former Portugal midfielder Paulo Sousa – who has managed Queens Park Rangers, Swansea, Leicester and most recently Hungarian side Videoton – as the next head coach, or even his own former Red Bull teammate Claudio Reyna as lead assistant.
But he volunteered that he’d never once asked for the permanent job because he loves the team and wants them to win their first title, and he modesty said he knew in his heart he wasn’t yet ready for the top post.