Atlanta United’s Gabriel Heinze said he’s responsible, but isn’t changing

His team winless in its past six games and scoreless in its past three, Atlanta United manager Gabriel Heinze said after Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Chicago that he isn’t going to change anything that he’s doing.

“I’m going to fix what we did bad,” he said. “I’m going to keep insisting on what we are doing well. We will follow the same idea and philosophies that I work with my teams. I’m not going to change.”

Heinze doesn’t have a lot of time, nor is there any help showing up soon.

The team will play at Nashville on Thursday and could be missing as many as seven starters because of injuries or call-ups to various national teams. It was missing a few of those starters against Chicago.

On offense, the team put only two shots on goal against Chicago, which had allowed 17 goals in nine games before Saturday. Atlanta United created only six chances and finished with an expected goal total of 1.0.

Following in his belief that he’s not going to change, Heinze repeated an answer, including to say that he was repeating the answer, that he has given many times when asked why the offense is struggling with 11 goals in 11 games.

“I think we need to create more chances,” he said. “We are creating some. But we need to create more. We need to keep trying this last pass, keep trying through passes.

“We are worried after the three games without scoring, but the only way I know is to keep working.”

A positive from the game is that midfielder Mo Adams, and two homegrowns, midfielder Tyler Wolff and winger Machop Chol, got their first extended minutes this season. Chol produced one of the team’s best scoring chances with a header right at the goalkeeper late in the second half.

Chol said that he worked on trying to get behind Chicago’s back line, which is something the team worked on in training.

Heinze liked what he saw.

“They need to keep working because right now they are real options for us,” he said.

On defense, the goals allowed weren’t epic shots by Chicago. The first came after a player was unmarked at the top of the box. His shot was deflected and went in. The second came after a poor decision by centerback Anton Walkes to attempt a cross-field pass from deep in Atlanta United’s end. It was intercepted and resulted in another open shot. Walkes took responsibility after the game. The third was a simple counter.

“You know what is going to happen when you play in your system,” Walkes said. “Ninety percent of the time it work, 10 percent it doesn’t. It’s a process, and we will continue to work.”

Heinze summed up his feelings about the team with this: “Let me repeat, I’m happy with the group I create. I know these players are going to play even better. From what I talked with the club president, I’m following the path that I laid out to him. I want to work with players that believe in the project. I think this team is a big group, and we are going to fight for this.”

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Atlanta United’s 2021 MLS schedule

April 17 Atlanta United 0, Orlando 0

April 24 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 1

May 1 New England 2, Atlanta United 1

May 9 Atlanta United 1, Inter Miami 1,

May 15 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0

May 23 Atlanta United 1, Seattle 1

May 29 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2