Opinion: Ronny Deila isn’t the right manager for Atlanta United’s future

It’s officially a lost season. Time for Atlanta’s front office to answer some tough questions.

Atlanta United are officially eliminated from playoff contention with around a month left of regular season remaining to play. There have been some miserable seasons over the last six years, but in none of those have they ever been completely out of the postseason picture this early. If you were to call this the absolute worst season in the club’s history, very few people would argue with you.

The calls for major changes will inevitably come from supporters and anyone who is still invested in the success of this club. As someone who has been unequivocally devoted to every decision Atlanta United has made for nearly a decade, I believe it’s imperative that the front office recognize that it’s time to move on from Ronny Deila and find a manager better suited to lead this team into the future.

The argument that Garth Lagerwey has made in the past for why Ronny Deila’s seat hasn’t been as hot as many people thought it should be is that the club have changed managers too many times in recent years with that strategy not bearing any fruit. While in theory an approach of consistency and a stable leader at the helm of the locker room makes sense, it doesn’t hold water if the manager you’re hanging onto isn’t the right person for the job.

I won’t sit here in hindsight and blame the top decision makers for deciding to hire Deila last offseason. It’s clear that he checked many of the boxes the club were looking for. He’s a proven winner in MLS and other leagues. But as anyone who follows this club knows, things don’t always work out how you plan them in your head. All the pieces can look perfect on paper, but in reality, they just don’t fit together. After a miserable season full of embarrassing moments and uninspiring play, I think it’s clear that the whole club could use some fresh ideas and a different personality leading the project.

No matter what Deila’s pedigree may be, he’s clearly not the type of manager capable of motivating players to play at or above their talent level. The team has spent the entire season attempting to gain chemistry and figuring out how to play with each other. These are aspects of a properly run club that are ironed out a month into the season, not a full year. Even then, a full season into the Deila era, this team still looks out of sorts tactically and uninspired to figure out how to make it work.

Turning the clock back a full year, Rob Valentino was leading a ragtag bunch of random players on a miraculous playoff run. He unlocked something within the locker room and had the whole team on the same page, playing with passion, and succeeding above their expected level. This type of leadership is what Atlanta United are clearly lacking right now with a more talented group of players. While Rob Valentino didn’t have the winning track record to be given the full-time job, it’s more than obvious that Ronny Deila doesn’t have the motivational skills to keep the position now.

There has to be a manager out there that brings the best of both worlds. Finding one that can get the best out of the players, get everyone working together as a unit, and playing with a purpose is a must. Perhaps there is a candidate out there with all of these attributes, and who might have a relationship with the Technical Director, and who may or may not have a track record of winning in Atlanta.

No matter what the future holds for the manager’s seat, difficult decisions must be made very soon. Whoever at the top that is making the call needs to do some soul searching and ask themselves if Ronny Deila is really the long-term answer after what we’ve experienced in 2025. Personally, I strongly believe he is not.