The firing of the popular Mike Petke caused unrest among Red Bull fans but the club are thriving on the field

Ahead of the inaugural New York City derby this weekend between the New York Red Bulls and expansion side New York City FC, momentum strongly favors the Red Bulls. While NYCFC head coach Jason Kreis urged his fans to be patient after his team’s latest loss, a 3-1 home defeat to the Seattle Sounders, the Red Bulls sit in third place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference. They’ve done it playing pretty soccer, too, with club captain Dax McCarty anchoring a forceful midfield, feeding last season’s Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lloyd Sam with scoring opportunities.

New Red Bulls general manager Ali Curtis admits there is room for growth, but overall he has been pleased with the club’s early season form. “We’ve gotten some good results since the season began,” says Curtis, “Points always help.”

But some Red Bull supporters remain on the fence, still feeling wounded from this winter’s dismissal of club legend and former head coach Mike Petke. His firing – Curtis’s decision – provoked an uprising from outraged club supporters.

“To summarily behead this beloved figure was baffling,” says Mark Fishkin, a Red Bull fan and co-host of the Seeing Red podcast. A “straight up punch in the gut,” adds Mike Rappo, a member of Red Bull Out, a fan movement that sprung up in the wake of Petke’s firing to oust the Red Bull ownership group.

For a club whose main constant in MLS has been manager turnover, many supporters saw the firing of Petke not as a routine coaching change but instead as the latest, greatest insult from the soft drink company that purchased the team in 2006, and – in their eyes – has meddled ever since.

But following a string of positive early season results, including a victory against archrival DC United, much of the winter’s fan anger has dissipated. For general manager Curtis, despite the appearance of turmoil surrounding a testy town hall meeting in January, the transition was smooth inside the Red Bull organization.

“I know on the outside sometimes it hasn’t always appeared that way,” said Curtis. “But the staff and the players show up early and leave late. We’ve really been able to transform our environment into a hard-working, team-oriented environment and that resonates with what has been happening on the field.”

When he was appointed general manager in December, Curtis brought a 300-page binder with him that has come to be known as “The Plan”. The binder is a synthesis of his management philosophy, accumulated during his time as a player in MLS, a stint in the finance industry, and seven years in the MLS league office.

“What you want is to ensure is that year-on-year there is a similar philosophy, there is a similar style of play, and there is a similar way of doing business,” said Curtis. “And the only way to achieve that is to have a plan in place.”

To encourage stability, Curtis has sought to foster “connectivity” between the first team, a new third division club – New York Red Bulls II – that competes in USL, and the youth academy.

Paradoxically, it’s a vision that sounds much like what disaffected Red Bull supporters have long dreamed about: a club committed to continuity, stability, and an emphasis on the local soccer community. Yet after years of turnover, trust between some supporters and the organization remains frayed.

“That’s my dream, that we do have some type of coaching continuity, and that they are focused on using our amazing academy,” says Rappo. “But I would be shocked if any of the current front office staff are around in the two or three years. It’s the same song and dance over and over.”

According to Rappo, he and Red Bull Out plan to secure a billboard, their third, in the coming weeks to protest the club’s management. Rappo was unable to provide specific membership numbers for his group but said their presence on social media was slowly rising.

But for Red Bull podcaster Fishkin, the Red Bull Out movement – though vocal – doesn’t represent the majority of Red Bull fans.

“I completely support their passion,” says Fishkin, “But it’s not going to happen. They can tilt at windmills all they want, but some people just want to watch good soccer. I’m not rooting for a business model.”

With his team currently in third place, Curtis believes that success over time will win over skeptical fans and bring them back to Red Bull Arena. “I’m a big believer that you’ve got to earn trust, and you’ve got to earn respect,” says Curtis. “We wake up everyday and work extremely hard, and we’re going to let the results stand.”

For now, all attention turns to the inaugural New York City derby on Sunday at Red Bull Arena. “I think everyone is fired up,” said Curtis. “There will be a special feeling in the air to see two MLS clubs in the New York metropolitan area going at it.”

For Rappo and the members of Red Bull Out, their skepticism towards Red Bull management will not lead them to don the sky blue colors of NYCFC, a joint venture between the Premier League’s Manchester City and the New York Yankees. Rappo won’t attend the nearly sold out derby at Red Bull Arena this weekend “on principle,” but he does plan to watch the game on television.

“I’m already rooting for one thinly veiled marketing campaign,” says Rappo, “I’m not going to jump ship to another thinly veiled marketing campaign.”

Fishkin, however, will be at Red Bull Arena, cheering loudly for the home side. “There’s still a new car smell,” says Fishkin, “But you can’t argue with the results.”