Sports

Red Bulls sporting director cools on designated player talk

Red Bulls sporting director Andy Roxburgh traveled to Austria last week for a face-to-face meeting with Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. He briefed the team’s billionaire owner on a variety of topics and had discussions about Designated Players but claims at this point they don’t have a specific target in mind.

“It was a regular meeting. We were discussing what we’d done the first half of the season. As you know, (Sunday’s game in) Philadelphia will be the halfway point, so it was like a midseason report,’’ Roxburgh said. “It’s just how things have gone in the first six months, and a bit of a discussion about what happens next, the next steps.

“I was simply describing what’s gone well, what’s gone on that we’ve had to address, just a good conversation. It was widespread, everything from the academy to the reserve team to the first team, the whole shooting match.’’

The team is now fully moved into its new training complex in East Hanover (N.J.), and that was one of the various topics Roxburgh talked about. But with a third Designated Player slot open and the Red Bulls linked with high-profile players – Brazil star Kaka being the highest-profile of the lot – Roxburgh insists they haven’t yet narrowed in on a specific target.

“We were open-minded about that,’’ said Roxburgh. “We’re entirely open-minded. We know we need it to be somebody appropriate. It’s not a matter of just saying “Oh, let’s go get the next one.” It’s a matter of what’s appropriate. Once we’re specific about it, then we’ll discuss that. We didn’t decide on anything last (week); it was very much an open discussion.’’

That of course could well be Roxburgh preaching patience until the transfer window opens July 8, unwilling to hand out a huge contract to the likes of ex-Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun. His camp told the Post they spoke with the Red Bulls last year and Benayoun clearly wants to play in MLS.

When asked if he’d be looking to improve the team’s wing play, Roxburgh said only that he’d spent the first half of the season assessing what was needed, but now finding it was another matter.

“We’re looking at everything in a balanced way,’’ said Roxburgh. “We inherited a squad of players put together by different elements. For me that’s the one thing I was able to say to the owner: After watching making judgments I’m far more aware if what we’ve got and what we need.

“Now, knowing what we need and acquiring what we need are two different things. But we’re far better equipped to know what we need.’’

Roxburgh did add last night they were bringing in two trialists, and the pair was revealed today as winger Bradley Wright-Phillips and attacker Sebastian Stachnik.

The 28-year-old Wright-Phillips is the son of former England forward Ian Wright and brother of former England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips, who was arrested in 2008 for stealing money and cell phones from a bar, is on the books at Charlton and spent last year on loan at League One Brentford.

The 27-year-old Stachnik came up through the reserves at Hertha Berlin and Hannover before finally debuting with Kaiserslautern. The strapping midfielder/forward has been at second-division Dutch side Helmond Sport since 2011.