Gerardo Martino confident Atlanta United’s attack, defense will improve
Atlanta United’s offense was ineffective last season and its defense even worse.
New manager Gerardo Martino, one of the best in MLS history, seemed confident Wednesday that both would improve this season, which for Atlanta United will start at Cincinnati on Feb. 21.
The Five Stripes finished last season with a franchise-worst 28 points from 34 matches. It scored 38 goals and allowed 63. It won only one of its final 18 matches.
“It’s good that players feel that responsibility for the areas that they’re involved in, so that the players are saying that publicly, I think is a good thing that they’re taking on that part of their responsibility,” Martino said. “It’s not all on the players. There are other circumstances from last season that were factors, but the fact that they feel that sense of responsibility is a good thing.”
Atlanta United’s defense was a work in progress last season.
The team added two central defenders, Enea Mihaj and Juan Berrocal, in the summer window. It broke in a new goalkeeper, Jayden Hibbert, in the last third of the season. The fullback rotated throughout the season because of injuries. There was seldom any consistency. The results suffered.
Martino wants Atlanta United to have more of the ball. He expects the team to score first. Last season, the Five Stripes scored first in only 10 matches — which put more pressure on a fragile back line.
“The more that you have the ball, the more you’re limiting the chances that the other team has, but also when it’s time to defend, you have to defend,” Martino said. “The advantage that I have is to have them from the beginning of the season, to have a preseason (to) work together (to) train, to be able to make mistakes on the field and to learn, and to have them all here and working together.”
Mihaj said this training camp, in which Martino has demanded the players to expect more from themselves, is shaping up to be the most challenging he’s experienced.
It’s a good thing.
“From last season, what I take is like, it’s not enough doing the practical work, or doing what the manager asks, we need to put, like the manager says the corazón (the heart),” Mihaj said. “We need to sacrifice for each other and for each ball, and I think he’s gonna be the secret for the success this season.”
Offensively, sparking the attack, Martino said he thinks that Miguel Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk perfectly complement each other.
The two seldom showed any chemistry with each other or with striker Emmanuel Latte Lath last season.
Martino said he and his coaches are seeing Almirón participating in the buildup of attacks and finishing. He put 29% of his 65 shots on goal last season. He scored six goals, three from penalty kicks.
Almirón’s ability to get into finishing positions will depend upon Miranchuk also getting into good positions and finding him. Miranchuk had four assists and six goals last season. He put 32% of his 66 shots on goal.
“I also think people think when teams (are) not scoring, it’s the striker’s fault, or when teams aren’t defending, the defenders get the blame, but attacking and defending, I feel, are all a function of the team,” Martino said.
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