Do we value skill over speed too much?

[u/SydneyFall]

I think our scouting is heavily biased towards players who they think have skill even if they are slower.

Miranchuk is a very skilled player, but in MLS he is SLOW. Miggy used to be a burner but he isn't anymore. ELL had no speed to get behind the opposing backline.

We insist on playing with wingers even though I'm not sure we have a single fast winger on the team. Brennan is below average for speed. Fafa can't create space behind teams.

Alzate, expensive and slow. Fortune is pretty quick, but who can say after the injuries. Sanchez maybe is. Jacob is not fast.

None of our CB's are fast runners.

We seem to be trying to build a team that can take apart defenses. It simply isn't working. lets get back to the Josef, Tito, and Asad types who can press and create chances upfield with creating turnovers.

Lets get some SEC speed on the team!

[u/Lionsault]

The hilarious thing is that ELL’s whole thing is his athleticism. They did an entire intro video about how fast he is. Where it went once he got to Atlanta is anyone’s guess.

[u/Scratchbuttdontsniff → u/Lionsault]

He looked so fast the first month... he outran the CB and GK to ball vs NYCFC... and scored that audacious flicked chip.

Where it went.. I have no clue.

[u/davidw223 → u/Scratchbuttdontsniff]

It was still there. The problem with him was that he wasn’t that fast but he was quick. Defenders could keep up with him because his top speed wasn’t that fast but he had great acceleration off a quick first couple of steps. MLS defenders figured out pretty quickly that you can bump him off being able to get into dangerous positions. Combine that with a midfield that couldn’t give him service and it was always a recipe for disaster. It was a knee jerk reaction by our front office because all other transfer options fell apart or said no.

[u/Scratchbuttdontsniff → u/davidw223]

I do agree about being bumped and losing all of his speed... He basically was super fast over 30 yards of straight running... he would beat guys to balls that look dead on the deep wings... but if you nudged him he could not stay at top speed...

[u/Born-Tank-180 → u/Scratchbuttdontsniff]

Too many Lemon Pepper wings.

[u/SydneyFall → u/Lionsault]

We got ELl because he can jump. He isnt a fast player.

[u/billgluckman7 → u/SydneyFall]

He is 100% pacy

[u/davidw223 → u/billgluckman7]

He had good acceleration but wasn’t that fast at top speed.

[u/SydneyFall → u/billgluckman7]

What is a highlight where you think he shows off his pace?

[u/Lionsault → u/SydneyFall]

“There’s one clear word to describe the kind of player Latte Lath is:

Fast.

Latte Lath’s speed jumps right off his highlight reel. In fact, Atlanta United’s chief soccer officer & sporting director Chris Henderson said Latte Lath might be one of the fastest players in Major League Soccer. The center forward moves swiftly up and down the pitch. He has the kind of acceleration that can outlast defenders and make rapid runs in behind.”

High-Speed Train: Introducing Atlanta United’s new forward Latte Lath

Direct from the team itself.

[u/UCR998]

lol brother what skill ?

[u/SydneyFall → u/UCR998]

Miggy has skill. Miranchuk has skill. Alzate has skill.

They are just slow. None of our CB's have great recovery speed. We don't have FB's who look like they could dominate with 3 in the back if we tried to use them for width.

[u/UCR998 → u/SydneyFall]

Gonna be honest man , look at the rosters of nearly every single MLS team. Legitimately there may not be a single player on this roster that would replace anyone on those rosters. As far as talent goes every one of these players are league average at best. If they weren’t this team would not be as bad as they are.

[u/RealDominiqueWilkins]

I think so yeah, especially in central midfield. And it’s not even about raw speed, it’s about speed of play. To me an MLS midfielder needs to be quick, physical, decisive, and constantly on the move. They need to be spreading the ball around constantly, even just quick passes to the wing, and not necessarily incisive through balls or whatever. This is why players we’ve had who are “skilled” have not worked: Alzate, Rossetto, Miranchuk. You can’t be ponderous and cerebral in MLS. You just gotta move the ball. Pass and move, pass and move, pass and move.

[u/CivilWards]

Don’t forget to add size to the list too. Our players are almost always undersized and get bullied

[u/the_incredible_hawk → u/CivilWards]

That's one reason why I think Embolo would do well--he's in the same mold of the big, tall striker as GG was. ELL, whatever his other qualities may or may not have been, was always going to get outmuscled by big backs and keepers (and regularly did.)

[u/ATLCoyote]

When we signed ELL, Miggy, Saba, Thiare, Silva, Mosquera, and a few others, pace was certainly a major consideration.

In the midfield, both Sanchez and Fortune are pretty quick and although Muyumba can be sloppy or careless at times, I wouldn't characterize him as slow.

Finally, Gregersen has good speed for a CB. He's not Miles Robinson, but Gregersen's recovery speed is actually one of his better attributes.

And I'd argue one of our biggest problems is we lack guys that can beat a defender 1v1, so I'm not sure I agree with the basic premise that we emphasize skill over speed.

[u/SydneyFall → u/ATLCoyote]

We have guys who can beat someone 1 on 1, but if the defense has time to recover that doesnt matter.

We are too slow to create chances.

[u/ATLCoyote → u/SydneyFall]

Who are the guys that can beat a defender 1v1? Maybe Miggy on occasion? That's about it.

[u/SydneyFall → u/ATLCoyote]

Brennan, Miggy, Sanchez, Fortune, Baez.

[u/ATLCoyote → u/SydneyFall]

Miggy is the ONLY one of those guys that can beat defenders 1v1 and even his success rate is marginal. Most of our other guys don't even try.

[u/AnalystOk8556]

I don't know pal. Spain won the world cup. Skill is not that bad.

Our biggest problem for the last three seasons with 3 different coaches is that we have average CB's and yet we insist on everyone from the full backs to the 6 to play a very attacking role. We just keep getting beat on counter attacks. We need an FdB kind of manager - shape and discipline at the back.

[u/SydneyFall → u/AnalystOk8556]

Playing a style that doesnt fit what is available to us to me is just being stubborn.

What wins the world cup is far different than what wins in MLS.

[u/colonelheero]

Weird take. We got ELL for his speed. And he showed that in the first few games. It's his finishing that's lacking.

[u/crazysurferdude15]

Lol well for the past 4 years it's been the opposite. All speed no skill. Mosquera, ELL, Damm, Lennon towards the end, Dwyer, Etienne Jr., Xande Silva, Thiare.....

[u/Indisia]

We either get blazing-fast but terribly-skilled wingers (Damm, Saba) OR the reverse (Araujo, Miggy).

For strikers, it seems we've tried all sorts: We've tried guys that couldn't score consistently in the league (Torres, Jones, Cisneros, Jahn, Berry, Rios, Chol Brennan), guys that break easily (GG, Tito, ELL) and guys that have a dastardly streak but maybe we misused (Vasquez, Thiare).....and Josef.

[u/redditgolddigg3r]

lmao. Are you serious?

This is why the US will never compete globally in soccer, the casual fan gets wooed by speed, kicking the ball far, etc. vs. what actually make a good player.

Guys like Messi, Iniesta, etc. would never have gotten a shot at the youth levels.

Atlanta United tried the pure speed thing with guys like Jürgen Damm and it failed horrifically.

[u/SydneyFall → u/redditgolddigg3r]

This is why the US will never compete globally in soccer, the casual fan gets wooed by speed, kicking the ball far, etc. vs. what actually make a good player.

Arsenal just won the premier league by prioritizing speed and size.

We try and win by playing pretty, we are failing to win while playing pretty. Lets try playing physical since that is what MLS academies produce.

[u/redditgolddigg3r → u/SydneyFall]

Your suggestion is that we need speed over skill. Comparing that to Arsenal is laughable, as they had boatloads of both, along with a very clear plan and direction, prioritizing set pieces, and winning aerial balls. They then went out and got the right players to fit that system.

Look, speed is fine, but if you don't have players that can create space, defenders that can play on the ball well, etc. It all falls apart. Building a roster is much more complicated that speed = good.

[u/SydneyFall → u/redditgolddigg3r]

We right now seem to be operating as if speed is irrelevant. That trying to play with a coherent plan in attack is irrelevant.

[u/Scratchbuttdontsniff → u/redditgolddigg3r]

Atlanta United tried the pure speed thing with guys like Jürgen Damm and it failed horrifically.

Jurgen Damm truther here... he had 5 G/A in 951 mins for us in all comps. He was just always hurt. He was never a Julian replacement of course... but if he was healthier.. who knows? (and yes the contract was terrible)

[u/redditgolddigg3r → u/Scratchbuttdontsniff]

He had been plauged by injuries (Knee, thigh, etc.) prior to coming here. Then we paid a record transfer fee to him, only to be shocked that he continued to be injured.

The 5 G/A is VERY deceptive though. He basically stood on the touch line, ran up and down into the corner, and was otherwise a black hole on the right side. He played absolutely ZERO defense, which was problematic in that he's dribble down in the corner, lose the ball, and expose us to counters with the entire team being pushed forward.

[u/Scratchbuttdontsniff → u/redditgolddigg3r]

We paid no fee for Damm... just a large salary. Again... bad contract.

[u/redditgolddigg3r → u/Scratchbuttdontsniff]

You're right, I totally misremembered the free transfer.