Formal approach for Struber
New York Red Bulls have made a formal appraoch to Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber to take over as head coach. The news comes from Rob Staton at BBC Yorkshire Sports and could indicate that the vacant spot could be filled rather quickly. Struber has experience with the Red Bull organization and has worked in the English system where current Head of Sport Kevin Thelwell made his biggest impression.
Struber's coaching career started with Red Bull Salzburg in 2009 with the team's U-19 club. He remained with the organization until 2018, moving between various youth clubs until taking on the coaching job with FC Liefering. The Austrian lower-division club is one of the main funnels for Red Bull talent with numerous players having made their way through the feeder system.
The Austrian coach left Red Bull in 2019 to take the job with EFL Championship club Barnsley. Over 38 games Struber narrowly avoided relegation by just one point after posting a 14-8-16 record. While not incredibly impressive, he did keep the club from falling into League One and is known for working well with the type of players that are currently in New York, young and raw.
When Struber will take over remains to be seen. However, it is more than likely that he will begin work with the team during the MLS off-season. The move from England will include a buyout of the current manager's contract of up to $2.3 million.
