The New York Post reports today that Mike Petke wasn’t as much the first choice of Red Bulls management (some members, at any rate) as perhaps they wanted us to believe.
The Post story says Paulo Sousa (pictured) had been offered the job but failed in his efforts to gain a work permit. I had heard the same and said so on Twitter while the club was perhaps still working through the process.
About this time last year, the Red Bulls were dealing with a Luke Rogers work permit impasse. Uh, somebody is checking on these doggone things before they wander too far down the road, right?
This happens occasionally around MLS, but twice in a year? At the league’s most visible club?
The Post story also reports that Robin Fraser may be en route as an assistant coach. Fraser is as highly respected as they come around MLS, and no one was celebrating when he got caught in the Chivas USA blender and ousted after two frustrating seasons there.
Fraser will land back in MLS somewhere, and probably soon, whether it’s at Red Bull Arena or elsewhere.