Introduction
Part 1 – Velocity
Part 2 – Pressing
Part 3 – The Libero
Part 4 – Bringing The Attack Together
Part 5 – Bringing The Defense Together
So now we’ve got the overarching philosophy and the tactical duties, let’s find some players that can fit the system. Obviously, Atalanta’s current squad would have few to no qualms fitting into this setup, but where’s the fun in not scouring Europe for other players. I set a few restrictions for myself: the total value of the starting XI must be less than $200M (roughly $18M per player), and no one can be younger than 27 years old. Oddly it worked out to where each player was from a different country, so let’s work that into the restrictions as well. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
A Quick Look at Team Traits
Height– the shortest player is 179 cm, and the second shortest is 184 cm
Furious pressers– each player (save the wingbacks) lives for hassling opponents
No clinical finishers– there is not an out and out lethal finisher on the squad, which will hopefully be augmented by good finishers all over the pitch capitalizing on high percentage chances
Current league makeup
-Serie A: 5 players
-Bundesliga: 3 players
-Ligue 1: 2 players
-Jupiler Pro League: 1 player
Goalkeeper: Ivo Grbic (26), Lille – $5.0M
Juan Musso would have easily fit into this list but given that I had already chosen an Argentine for the squad, I opted for Mike Maignan’s replacement at the reigning French champions, Lille. The Croatian who is on loan from Atletico Madid, is an absolute tree in the middle of the pipes at 1.95m. His shot stopping is quality, and he is a no-nonsense out of the back preferring to launch it from deep. His sinewy limbs give him elite coverage of the net, helping him stretch long to cover acres of space in one-on-one situations. And in an Atalanta system, being adept at the one-on-one battles is compulsory.
Libero: Teun Koopmeiners (23), Atalanta – $19.8M
As he slowly becomes an indispensable part of Atalanta’s current rotation, Teun Koopmeiners needs no introduction. We already dedicated half an article to Koopmeiners and what he needs to do as a libero, so there’s no need to rehash his class. I do urge you readers to find some clips of his long-range passing, it is close to unmatched in Italy.
Right Back: Mohamed Simakan (21), RB Leipzig – $19.8M
Mohamed Simakan is new to the RB Leipzig setup, and he has huge holes to fill. With both Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate getting big money moves to Bayern and Liverpool respectively, Simakan has done quite well fitting into a Leipzig side that thrives on a similar heavy press that Atalanta possesses. One of the most vicious pressers in Europe, Simakan couples his tenacity with speed to track back in a pinch as well as get forward up the pitch. He’s elite when it comes to driving the ball forward, and while he may not be the juggernaut that Rafa Toloi is on offense – his dribbling and passing range is undeniable.
Left Back: Facundo Medina (22), RC Lens – $11M
Facundo Medina has the aggression, speed, and defensive chops needed from a ball pressing centerback; but what truly separates the Argentinian from the pack is his passing range and dribbling. In fact, no centerback in the Top 5 leagues completes more progressive passes than Medina (6 per 90 minutes). Additionally, his dribbling is equally elite with only Aymeric Laporte driving the ball more frequently up the pitch than Medina. Medina’s aerial prowess is a bit suspect, but when you combine those offensive traits with aggressive pressing, I’ll take a little less tenacity in the air.
Right Wing: Wilfried Singo (21), Torino – $13.2M
Don’t blink or Singo will be gone by the time you open your eyes again – both on the pitch and in the market, that is. The Torino wing back is a staple of Ivan Juric’s heavy press and counter style, already chipping in three goals this year for La Granata. Singo has burned Atalanta the last two times the clubs have met up, and his wondrous trivela strike that clanked the crossbar is still burned in my mind. His speed and offensive thirst will work perfectly in a dynamic wingback system that needs the flankmen living in the opponent’s half.
Left Wing: Joakim Maehle (24), Atalanta – $18.7M
I wanted to go with someone not already on La Dea, but Maehle just fits so well into the side. A wingback that fits so cleanly in a back three system, Atalanta is still waiting for the breakout from the Dane – and the flashes of brilliance are still there. Seeing Maehle’s success on the left, it probably everyone, including Maehle, for him to play on the left – and to use his dribbling and pace to cut in from the left to contribute to attacks.
Central Midfield: Bryan Cristante (26), Roma – $22.0M
We’re getting the band back together, bringing back one of Atalanta’s most exciting players in recent years. Since his days up front, Cristante has slowly worked his way back the pitch, even playing as a centerback for Roma. His comfort both in midfield and in centerback will permit him the flexibility to seamlessly move between the two positions, covering nicely on defense whenever Medina decides to make a cheeky run forward.
Central Midfield: Morten Thorsby (26), Sampdoria – $7.7M
The Norwegian may not be the most technically adept player, but boy does he make up for that in pure effort and physical ability. Thorsby is a freak athlete in the middle of the pitch, relentless in the press, and one of the best aerial aggressors in Serie A. In fact, no one, not even defenders have won more headers this season in Italy than Thorsby. His defensive contribution is undeniable, and he can most notably act as Koopmeiners’s second in command for defensive safety. His passing range is questionable, but it may be more of a symptom of Sampdoria’s tactic rather than his ability. Perhaps he can even thrive in the buildup as well.
Attacking Midfield: Charles De Ketelaere (20), Club Brugge – $29.7M
Here’s where the big dollars start splashing. I’ve already written about my love of de Ketelaere, and he’s a perfect attacking midfielder because of his dynamism. He’s good at everything: pressing, passing, finishing, dribbling, aerial prowess. While he may not have an elite calling card, he can chip in all over the pitch and be the main man to rally the troops to setup the press. In real life Atalanta has been keen on de Ketelaere for several years. What a coup it would be if La Dea could bring him over in real life, while I gawk at him in fantasy world!
Attacking Midfield: Domonik Szoboszlai (21), RB Leipzig – $30.8M
If there’s one player that is probably out of Atalanta’s reach it is the Hungarian. Szoboszlai will undoubtedly be a $50M + player soon, so let’s cash in on him while he is a bit cheaper. Like de Ketelaere, Szoboszlai is good at many things – but his calling card is his electric right boot. In fact, its closer to a wand than a boot, as he’s able to rip off wicked shots as deftly as he can comfortably slot home cheeky passes. I urge you to watch his free kick goal earlier this year against Stuttgart – by far one of the most satisfying goals I have seen this year.
Center Forward: Rafael Santos Borre (26), Eintracht Frankfurt – $18.7M
How could I not include a Colombian on the squad? Rafael Santos Borre just becomes the next striker to live up to the lofty expectations set by his compatriots Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel. Borre’s finishing is not elite, but that’s okay. Goals should be coming from everywhere in this setup, and his contribution in the buildup and the press will help setup hopefully easier chances that don’t need exquisite finishers to bury. Borre only averages a goal every three matches in the Bundesliga, but if he’s feeding passes to the likes of Singo, Szoboszlai, and de Ketelaere, he’ll fit in just fine. And that’s mainly due to his incessant pressing. No one presses more than him in the Bundesliga (midfielders and centerbacks alike), and he’s the most furious pressing forward in all of Europe. If you need a high energy guy to lead your line, you’d be hard pressed to find someone to lay his heart out on the line more aggressively than Borre.
So, there we have it, 11 players, 11 nationalities, and $196M later, we’ve got a team. I’d like to think it fits into the philosophy we’ve put forth. We’ve got our libero, attacking defenders, defensively adept midfielders, speedy wings, and Swiss army knife attackers. If I find myself with loads of free time maybe I throw this team into FM manager and see how it handles. But until then, we can at least dream about how this team could wreck in Italy. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, and hopefully a depiction with players hopes to bring it together. It certainly helped me. Until next time, let’s keep working on how we can continuously improve what Atalanta needs to do to constantly stay ahead of its competition – and as always, Forza Dea!!!
