Tata Martino says Miguel Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk "perfectly complementary"

Tata offers his first real in-depth thoughts on Atlanta United's roster that relies so heavily upon the coherence between his DP midfielders.

Tata Martino shrugged his shoulders and dismissed the notion that Designated Players Alexey Miranchuk and Miguel Almiron can’t play together when speaking to reporters Wednesday during the opening week of training camp.

It’s the Million Dollar Question that Ronny Deila never got right. Atlanta United’s plan heading into 2025, spearheaded by Garth Lagerwey upon the signing of Miranchuk the fall prior, was for the ex-Atalanta player to be the centerpiece for whom Latte Lath and Miguel Almiron would run receive the ball in the box. After a near-Wooden Spoon season, we can scratch that strategy off the list… right?

“I think they are perfectly complementary,” Martino said of his two DPs¹. “I think Miguel can create, play and finish. I think in this matter of him being able to push higher, get into the box, and be able to score, a lot has to do with [Miranchuk’s] ability to assist. So it seems to me that, without any doubt and from what I’ve been seeing in training, they are without any doubt perfectly complementary.”

Is this really any different than what clearly failed to take under Deila?

There’s an idea that the reason Miranchuk and Almiron can’t co-exist is because of the former’s lack of mobility and inability to play out wide — a criticism that’s valid. But the way Martino and Sporting Director Chris Henderson are building the team, it’s to play without wingers completely. Look at the roster right now. The team has Saba Lobjanidze (someone the club would be willing to offload) and… Luke Brennan? Are we counting Jay Fortune? And cavalry isn’t coming here. If they felt they needed depth, they had the U-22 spots to spend, but instead chose defensive-minded players for both available. The other U-22, by the way, is a winger who will be sold this week.

Instead, the team is shaping up to form a 3-5-2 or a narrow . First, the squad is stocked with center backs of various abilities and attributes, from the prototype starters in Stian Gregersen, Enea Mihaj and Juan Berrocal, but also quasi-outside CBs like Ronald Hernandez, Matthew Edwards and Tomas Jacob who are capable fullbacks. On the outside, the team is also investing in players like the reported signing of left back Elias Baez, retaining Pedro Amador and Hernandez, plus youngsters with legs in the reserves. And I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jay Fortune see some time at right wing back if, to be honest, things go well and are clicking in midfield.