MLS: Jesse Marsch gives the New York Red Bulls an identity on the field.

For Jesse Marsch life with the New York Red Bulls began in dramatic fashion. Taking part in a fans forum with season ticket holders in January this year, the event was broadcast on the club’s official website and captured both the passion and frustration felt among supporters.

In fairness to Marsch, their angst was not directed at him, rather the club’s Sporting Director Ali Curtis. “Answer the question,” one fan bellowed at Curtis. Referencing the decision to fire former coach and New York Red Bull stalwart Mike Petke after two seasons in charge – one of which saw the club lift the Supporters’ Shield, the first trophy in their history - Petke had played for the club and been with the team during their rebranding from the MetroStars to the Red Bulls.

Given the chance to explain his plans for the year, Marsch knew he was dealing with a disgruntled fanbase. “They’ve been through a lot, the supporters,” Marsch told KickTV recently. “They’ve stuck with the club and I think they were at a point where they had enough, rightfully so in many ways.”

It’s that honesty which has won him so many admirers. Unwilling to repackage the truth or apply spin, he has spoken to supporters in an honest and forthright way which they understandably appreciate. “The straight talk was important in comparison to what Ali Curtis was saying at the town hall,” says Mark Fishkin, a season ticket holder for 20 years, and creator of the Seeing Red podcast. “Curtis was answering the fan questions with long, verbose, rambling answers that infuriated the already angry fans. Jesse, on the other hand, was very matter of fact with his answers.”

His honesty would only carry him so far however. Results on the pitch would be the deciding factor in how he was viewed by the fans. Thankfully for Marsch victories came quickly. Unbeaten in their first seven league games, signings like Mike Grella proved to be beneficial additions. Nestled within those wins and draws was something more significant though.

The Red Bulls had a defined, discernible, style to their play. They wanted to dominate the ball and press their opponents high up the field with a view to turning the ball over and attacking. It was a style that had similarities to Jurgen Klopp’s ‘Gegenpressing’ or 'Counter-pressing’. At the heart of the system were players like Dax McCarty and Grella. Lacking the name recognition of former Red Bulls like Rafa Marquez, Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry, this new breed have already proven more harmonious.

With a new look tactically they also began to give more opportunities to homegrown players. While FC Dallas are currently the pinnacle for that approach, Marsch can be proud that his team sit third highest when it comes to minutes for homegrown players in 2015.

Defender Matt Miazga has grown from a bench player to a recognised starter under Marsch, with teams like Swansea and Chelsea now taking an interest in him. “We’ve seen him grow so much through this season and there’s a lot of people that deserve credit for that,” Marsch said last week. “I think that Matt has certainly been up to the challenge, but as a club and as an organization and as a coaching staff, we’ve committed ourselves to trying to help him grow up both on and off the field.”

As well as consistent minutes on the field, one of the reasons that Miazga has grown this season is due to the new mentality at the club. “The other piece of our style of play is that we have a mentality that everybody is committed to each other and we try to make the team stronger than any one individual or the sum of all the individuals,” Marsch explained last week during an interview.

Such an approach has not always seemed present at Red Bull Arena. “I think that’s helped me a lot too. I’m someone that has always been about the team and I want to win games,” Grella told Yahoo Sport UK earlier in the year. “I know winning games and winning championships is what brings the entire group forward and within that the individuals come forward too. For me that’s the biggest difference [to previous clubs]. No one is playing for themselves and when you have that atmosphere in the changing room it is unbelievable. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in my career.”

The direct comparison to 2014 shows undeniable improvement. They’ve earned 10 more points, enjoyed a higher win percentage and Marsch has definitely exceeded expectation. Prior to his return to MLS in 2015 he enjoyed a spell as a volunteer coach at his alma mater Princeton University. He also took his wife and three children on a round the world trip which included time in Asia and Europe. Perhaps affording him something of a break from soccer he certainly looked recharged as he lead the Red Bulls to the top of the league this season.

Although he’s never eager to take the credit. Described as a 'gentleman’ by Grella, he looks to deflect any praise aimed in his direction. Take for example the development of Miazga: “I think a lot of the veteran players really took it as their mission to help him understand how to be better,” he said last week. “Certainly, Dax, here, deserves a lot of credit. I think Damien Perrinelle, guys like Luis Robles, Sacha Kljestan, all knew it was important for Matt to establish himself in a big way, and I think everyone has helped him grow.”

Marsch is eager to not only help Miazga grow but also the club as a whole. While much has been made of Ali Curtis’ 300 page plan and the influence of Ralf Rangnick – manager of sister club RB Leipzig - the 42 year old is proving equally as influential.

Voted MLS Coach of the Year for 2015, he has already appeased some fans appetite for success with the Supporters’ Shield. However no sooner had he celebrated in the locker room with his players, he was planning the next achievement. Few teams have managed the double in MLS (the Supporters’ Shield & MLS Cup), with it occurring in 6 out of 19 MLS seasons. Still in with a chance of becoming the seventh team (even though they are 2-0 down from the first leg of their semi-final with Columbus) he will no doubt struggle to see the season in a positive way unless they bring the second trophy home.

It is that addiction to perfection which makes Marsch the man he is. Settling is not an option and his striving to become better seems apt for someone that attended one of America’s Ivy League schools. Citing Bob Bradley as a mentor (Bradley worked at the New York club when they were the MetroStars) it is clear to see similarities between the two both on and off the field, particularly in their man management style.

While Bradley was unable to deliver success to the the MetroStars, there remains every chance that Marsch can add to his Supporters’ Shield next season. An impressive maiden campaign has rightly delivered success for both the team and on an individual level for Marsch. Although there is a chance they will not win MLS Cup this season, fans of the Red Bulls have every right to believe in a bright future for the club, an idea they had not considered when Petke was relieved of his duties at the start of the year.

Follow Kristan Heneage on Twitter: @KHeneage