By: Alex Jenkins (@acjenkins17, @1788sports)

Photo: http://mercedesbenzstadium.com/gallery-atlanta-united-vs-fc-dallas/

In a busy offseason, Atlanta United brought in an overwhelming amount of talent with the likes of Ezequiel Barco, Darlington Nagbe, and Franco Escobar. Although the team ended up losing two starters (Yamil Asad and Carlos Carmona), as well as at least one key contributor from bench (Anton Walkes), this is going to be an extremely gifted team. With the new additions I mentioned earlier, I am curious as to what formation Tata Martino and his staff will choose to field their immensely talented team.

Last year, United’s go to formation was a 4-2-3-1. The line-up was as follows:

This formation fit the style of play Tata wanted to emphasize last year perfectly, which was a quick build up with pretty direct play through Almirón. It allowed both outside backs to join in the attack, knowing that either Carmona or Larentowicz would be able to drop back and cover the space that was opened up by Garza or Mears/Walkes bombing forward on either flank. Defensively, it was all about high pressure but it was done effectively and not in a careless manner. The front “four” of Josef, Asad, Almirón, and Villalba capitalized on choosing the right moments to press opponents and then subsequently turn it into instant offense. When done correctly, high pressing can be relentlessly difficult to overcome, as seen with United’s success last year.

With the recent additions, do Atlanta United use the same formation as last year or make a change in formation?

I am a big fan of the 4-2-3-1 and last year United ran it damn near perfectly. I believe that the team will be able to use the same formation and have success like they did last year, although that depends on a few key things. The first question that comes to mind is, will Barco be as effective offensively and defensively when compared to Asad last year? I think offensively Barco will be a big contributor, maybe not in terms of goals, but definitely in terms of chances created and assists. He has the ability to break down MLS defenses single-handedly just with his pace. Throw in how skilled he is with the ball at his feet and he becomes even scarier. My big question mark is what will he be like on the defensive side of the ball. Last year, Asad tracked up and down the left side of the pitch THE entire game. I do not know if Barco has ever had that kind of defensive responsibility before and it is not an easy task to manage. It requires a lot of energy and stamina to do what Asad did last year defensively and still contribute offensively as well. Only time will tell I guess. My other concern is how big of a role did Carlos Carmona have in the defense last year? We brought in Nagbe, who is a more offensive minded player, so I feel like we still have a defensive responsibility that is not being accounted for. Maybe Nagbe will turn out to be more defensive than I actually think he is but then again, time will tell. Larentowicz will likely be anchoring the midfield and he did a tremendous job last year. So, maybe if Larentowicz plays like he did last year we will be fine without Carmona?

An alternate formation that United could try out could be something with three at the back, like a 3-4-1-2. The line-up would be something along the lines of this:

This formation would allow United to still get out and run at teams on the offensive end. Once again, it would be orchestrated through Almirón playing as the lone attacking midfielder. Barco and Gressel could still combine with Miggy from the wings. I just do not know how Josef would play with an additional striker up top with him. I might be wrong, but I do not remember Atlanta playing with two up top at all last year. Offensively, I think this formation would still produce plenty of chances and lead to a plethora of goals. The red flags to me come on the defensive end, which is my concern with whatever formation we use this year. This formation is extremely attacking minded and can be easily countered if we lose the ball deep in the attacking third. Normally, the back three is made up of three center backs, but Atlanta does not have three center backs who are worthy of starting in my opinion. You could throw Larentowicz, LGP, and Parkhurst back there but then the midfield would be too offensive in my opinion. The “wingbacks”, Barco and Gressel, would have to make sure they are putting in effort on the defensive end of the field as well, otherwise this formation will not work. 3-4-1-2 turns into almost a 5-2-1-2 on the defensive side of the field. So, in theory, if the wingers got back it could work.

I am not a huge fan of formations with only three in the back, I find them way too offensive. So, unless United are putting four-five goals a game in the back of the net, I would not like to see three at the back regularly. However, if some key defenders needed rest, Parkhurst, LGP, or Larentowicz, I think this formation would work fine with one of them sitting out (Parkhurst being the odd man out in my example line-up). I think over these next three preseason games, Atlanta should look at using a different formation, such as one with three at the back, and see how it works and if it is actually viable during the season. If United do choose a new formation, it is key to find one that still suits the high pressing style of play the team used last year. It does not make sense to go to a standard 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 because they do not translate well with our play style. I think the only other formations we could use and benefit from would be ones with three at the back.

Do you think that Atlanta United will roll with the 4-2-3-1 formation again this season, or do you think they will implement a new formation, like one with three at the back? Let us know if you what you think!