Hans Backe out as New York Red Bulls manager

Whatever you might say about the new sheriffs in town at Red Bull Arena, you have to say this: these guys don’t waste time.

Less than 24 hours after seeing his team crash out of the first round of the MLS playoffs, manager Hans Backe is out.

It’s a risky move. Backe had his flaws, but he also accomplished more than any manager to come through the organization. And there have been quite a few pass through this famously flawed organization; World Cup winners and successful national team coaches, for instance.

Backe didn’t arrive with such a decorated CV – and yet he was the first manager to guide the club into MLS playoffs for three consecutive years.

Yes, Backe benefitted from a roster stacked high with world class talent. But if we’re being honest, the Red Bulls / MetroStars always had a semi-leg up in terms of talent, going back to the early days when salary cap rules worked one way for most teams, and another way for the bold and the beautiful around MLS. That list, if you couldn’t figure out, included the league’s most visible franchise, the one in New York.

It’s also risky because the club’s new management is likely to go “high profile” with the new arrival. And that (likely) means someone who comes with zero MLS experience. As we said: risky.