The former New York Red Bulls coach was silent after being fired in the offseason and says he needed some time after the decision.

Former New York Red Bulls manager Mike Petke has been largely silent since being removed from his post during the offseason but spoke Sunday, saying he wanted to approach the situation in the right way.

Rather than add fuel to the first of what was an unpopular decision among the club's fans, the manger has sat back, making an appearance on a podcast and sending sporadic tweets but otherwise saying nothing.

That looks to be changing, with the manager appearing as the halftime analyst during ESPN's broadcast of the Red Bulls' draw with the LA Galaxy on Sunday.

"It comes down to one reason to be honest with you, you know?" Petke said on the broadcast. "Things happen in life. For me, it’s not about Mike Petke, to be honest with you, it’s not about the front office of the Red Bulls, it’s not about the ownership group, it’s about what’s behind me: the players on the field, the South Ward [supporters' section] and all the fans here. These things happen in sports. I wanted to step away for a little bit and not say certain things."

The manager was a popular figure among those fans after spending several years as a player for the club before taking over as manager for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He led the club to the Supporters' Shield in 2013 and the Eastern Conference final in 2014, yet the club elected to turn to Jesse Marsch during the offseason. Marsch has the team playing well, as the Red Bulls remain the league's only undefeated club, and Petke praised the effort his former players have put into the start of the year.

"They really went and got a lot of young guys, energetic guys," he said of the Red Bulls. "This is a free-flowing attack, very energetic, guys know their roles. I’m very impressed with the three-man midfield that is constantly rotating: Dax [McCarty}, Felipe and Sacha [Kljestan], they’ve done well. These guys look hungry, and they’ve got a chip on their shoulder. With all that happened in the offseason, no one gave them a chance, which surprised me a lot. They have something to prove, and that’s a great motivating tool for them."

Petke is also motivated, joking that while he is still in the coaching game as the top man for his son's U-10 team, he would be "all ears" if approached about another opportunity at the professional level.