Last week, I took a crack at predicting how Atlanta United may lineup and what players manager Frank de Boer might use now that the team is mostly healthy. I asked you to share you lineups.
You came through.
Here’s some of the formations, with players, that you think Atlanta United should use (I’ve withheld your names, just in case you didn’t want your thoughts tied to you):
3-1-4-2
The formation I'm going to suggest is slightly different than anything we’ve played so far: The 3-1-4-2.
This is a variation of the 3-5-2 in which you trade a defensive midfielder for an extra center mid, and push the wingbacks slightly further up the pitch. This should help us to take better advantage of all our attacking talent, although admittedly it does ask quite a bit more of the lone defensive midfielder (in our case Eric Remedi).
Atletico Madrid, who also have a bountiful pool of attacking players to choose from, used the 3-1-4-2 with quite a lot of success in La Liga this past season.
This is my preferred starting 11 if everyone’s healthy:
Barco Josef
Bello Pity Nagbe Gressel
Remedi
LGP Pogba Escobar
Some notes:
At this moment in time, I prefer Flo Pogba to Miles Robinson at center back if both are healthy. As good as he was to begin the season, Robinson has struggled of late. Pogba, on the other hand, has impressed nearly every time he’s played so far. He adds a level of experience, as well as a level of comfort with the ball at his feet, that Miles does not currently possess.
One of the biggest positives of this formation is it allows Julian Gressel to hug the right flank as well as get further up the pitch, where he's by far his most dangerous.
George Bello gets the nod for me on the left because of his defense, but we can easily bring on Justin Meram or Dion Pereira if we're in need of more of an attacking threat.
Like you mentioned in your article, I really want to see how Pity Martinez performs as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield. He certainly appears to have the vision to excel there.
Unlike you though, I believe Pity Martinez has to start for us. Footballers, more often than not, struggle their first season upon moving to a new league for the first time in their career. Pity Martinez is not going to continue to adjust and improve without minutes, and it’s simply too early to completely write off a player of his caliber.
A front two of Ezequiel Barco and Josef Martinez has the potential of being almost as explosive as Miguel Almiron and Josef Martinez were last year.
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4-1-4-1
I think that a 4-1-4-1 (or something like it) is a very good solution. But I think I would change it up slightly, when healthy:
J. Martinez
P. Martinez/Hyndman/Barco/Gressel
Nagbe
Bello/LGP/Robinson/Escober
Guzan
Bench: Remedi, Larentowicz, Villalba, Meram, Ambrose, Parkhurst, Kann
In more space, Pity Martinez has more space, and therefore a greater ability to carry the ball towards the box, to make cutting runs into the box and crosses into it. Emerson Hyndman comes back a little deeper than either Barco or Pity Martinez, and so he helps support Darlington Nagbe and the corner backs. Barco also gets to keep doing the amazing overlapping play that he's capable of with Gressel.
The reason I move Remedi to the bench is I don't think he has enough technical ability to beat the best opposition press as often as necessary. This can be seen in American Soccer Analysis' Player Passing statistics, which show him the weakest passer of Hyndman, Nagbe, and himself. Additionally, while Nagbe has offensive skill, he continues to show inconsistent interest in using it. So, add a more offensive player and let Nagbe operate in a more defensive role.
Obviously, Pity Martinez isn't looked at favorably in this stat. But, if the AUFC front office believes he can show the poise and ability he did at River Plate, then we have to try to put him in a position to reach that potential and elevate our team's ceiling.
Here is what I would do pre-injury returns:
J. Martinez/P. Martinez
Meram/Hyndman/Nagbe/Barco/Gressel
LGP/Robinson/Escobar
Guzan
Bench: Remedi, Jeff Larentowicz, Pereira, Michael Parkhurst, Mo Adams, Brandon Vazquez and Alec Kann
I think this works the best, although I'm indifferent to the side of the formation Barco and Hyndman play. You could also adapt this to a 4-1-4-1 similar to what I have above.
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3-4-2-1
I believe something like this is the only way to get all three DPs into a lineup in which they are in their strongest positions. The picture of the formation isn't exactly how I envision it as it's probably more of a 3-4-2-1.
Gressel and Pereira seem to be our best players at providing width. Pereira probably doesn't play well enough on D to play left wing back but neither does Meram and Meram has to cut back on his right too much.
Barco seems to be best in an attacking midfield position and Pity as well so I see them both playing underneath Josef Martinez with Nagbe being the rear of a forward diamond of those four with Gressel and Pereira on the wing.
I'm not claiming that this is our best 11 as I agree with you that Hyndman may fit better than Pity, and this approach could be vulnerable defensively. However when we have the width that Gressel and Pereira provide (and only they provide from what I've seen) then we are much more dangerous in attack.
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