Tata Martino 101 : Here's Everything You Need to Know About Inter Miami's New Manager | The Heron Outlet
The Heron Outlet recently spoke with Sydney Hunte from Dirty South Soccer to learn about Tata Martino's tenure with his previous MLS team, Atlanta United.
photo courtesy: Inter Miami CF
On June 1st, 2023, Inter Miami dismissed former head coach Phil Neville from his duties due to poor on-field performance. Without delay, the South Florida team quickly began a search for its new manager to guide them during this next highly publicized chapter of their history.
In comes Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, the perfect candidate to lead Miami in this new era, given his wealth of experience and familiarity with Major League Soccer.
Martino's past coaching experience with Leo Messi and Sergio Busquets certainly played a role in his selection as Miami's new manager. However, it was believed that his previous track record of success in the league led to his appointment as head coach of the Herons.
In 2018, Martino led an electric Atlanta United side to their first MLS Cup in club history.
Speaking with the media during his introductory press conference, the Argentine expressed his desire to implement a similar style that propelled his Atlanta team to success in 2016-2018.
Before he hits the touchline for Miami, I spoke to Sydney Hunte of Dirty South Soccer to get a better understanding of Martino’s mindset during that period of success for Atlanta.
1. What was your first impression of Tata when he got to Atlanta, and what were your expectations for him during in team's early days?"
“It was essentially a clean slate for Atlanta with Tata being its first coach. Although he had success at the club level in South America, and despite national team experience, those stops at Barcelona and the Argentinian national team raised a little bit of concern since he didn't leave those places on the best of terms.
That being said, there was some optimism due to the fact that he was a name that drew so much respect in Argentina; players like Miguel Almiron (who wrote a nice Player's Tribune piece detailing his decision to play for Atlanta because Tata was there). And, as you've seen, it worked: Atlanta won MLS Cup (and nearly the double) in its 2nd season.”
2. What was he like tactically? Was he fluid, or did he have a rigidity that players needed to stick to? Did he use a specific formation?
“From a player selection and tactical perspective, he was somewhat rigid (some would say stubborn). Formationally, he opted for a 4-2-3-1 that depended on the speed of both Josef Martinez and Miguel Almiron to dictate the action and flow of the game, as well as steady crosses from the wing. Once Darlington Nagbe came along in 2018, he became that connective tissue between the backline and the attack, and the results spoke for themselves (Atlanta haven't been quite able to find anyone like him since).”
3. Did he have a type of personnel he preferred on the field? (For example: Using a target striker or having fullbacks that are comfortable attacking?)
“A striker in the mold of Josef, of course, but a speedy attacking midfielder and strength on the wings were also key to Tata's system. That's why you saw Josef thrive in a lot of ways: his quickness and ability in the air certainly helped, but with Miguel Almiron pulling the strings at the attacking midfield position and Tito Villalba/Julian Gressel out on the wings, this was a really good team.
photo courtesy: Inter Miami CF
The biggest thing was the chemistry that Almiron was able to develop with Josef, but Almiron certainly had a nose for goal himself along with Villalba and (to a bit of a lesser extent) Gressel. Certainly attacking fullbacks, especially down the right side, played a massive role in Atlanta's success as well (thinking of Franco Escobar specifically).”
4. Inter Miami have a core group of homegrowns that are coming into their own. Would you say Tata was a coach who brought through young talent and made them better? (i.e., a young Julian Gressel)
“Not quite. Gressel's certainly a good example as a SuperDraft pick that blossomed and was one of the key members of those early Atlanta United teams (and to this day, Atlanta fans still hold the front office in low regard for not inking him to a long-term deal). Miles Robinson, who went before him in that 2017 draft (2nd overall) did see some time with the first team in 2018, but it wasn't until Martino's departure that he began to see extended spells of action, ultimately becoming an MLS Best XI and USMNT-level centerback. Atlanta's first 2 homegrowns, Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin, didn't really substantially effect the first team during Tata's tenure.
So no, I wouldn't quite say that he developed young talent in terms of, say, what you see at Dallas and Philly, but I think part of that is due to the fact that Atlanta were such a new club. I'd imagine that changes to some extent in Miami with that set of homegrowns you've mentioned ready to make their mark.”
5. What do you think made him so successful with Atlanta during his time in the league?
“The attacking prowess that Atlanta displayed over its first two years of existence. They were 2nd in the league in scoring in 2017 and were tops in goals scored in 2018. What's lost in that, though, is the fact that they were 2nd in the league in goals allowed in both 2017 and 2018, so this was a club that was getting it done on both ends of the pitch. I think that will be Tata's expectation in Miami as well — being ruthless in the attack while taking pride in its defense — but a high-energy attack was definitely his calling card with Atlanta. I don't know if it will mean Miami getting quite to the levels Atlanta enjoyed, but it will be fun to watch.”
6. On Josef's relationship with Tata: He's had a rough time at Miami so far, do you think Tata could re-kindle that fire that made him so lethal?
“I think he could. He and Josef clashed a little bit during their time together in Atlanta, but Josef holds respect for Tata and will want to perform to the highest level of his ability for him. That was what I was most interested in seeing with him coming to Miami: what would the dynamic between him and Phil Neville look like? Neville certainly didn't keep quiet when Josef was struggling, but Tata didn't really call players out during his time in Atlanta.
Josef's health is the biggest question mark, but I think if he continues to develop trust in that knee and his abilities, he'll become at least part of what he was with Tata in 2017 and 2018.”
7. Speaking of Josef, he was a superstar during his time with the Five Stripes, how did Tata handle the different personalities in the locker room?
“I think he handled them well. As mentioned, Martino has been public about the fact that he and Josef saw things differently sometimes, but thing never got to the point that they did with him and Gonzalo Pineda shortly before his exit from the team.
Already being familiar with Messi and Busquets certainly helps, but how can Tata get those players to gel with others in the locker room? This is a completely different league with much more parity, different playing styles, a new country to get used to, etc., so getting them (and keeping them) on the same page will be pivotal during his tenure.”
8. How did Tata manage the squad? Did he frequently rotate the team? And how did he man manage when the schedule got congested?
“Tata was very steady in regards to the XI that he would put out on a match-by-match basis. Sure, he'd rotate here and there during fixture congestion, but he wasn't one to massively rotate his starters. I feel that he may take that same approach with Miami; as mentioned above, he's been known to be a bit stubborn when it comes to player selection (both with Atlanta and the Mexican national team), so that likely won't change, for better or for worse.”
9. How do you think his time in MLS will go this second time around with Miami?
“That depends! I mentioned the locker room and how he'll be able to balance the personality of Messi (and certainly Busquets) with the others in the locker room, along with Josef. Outside of that, results will certainly tell the tale of how his second go-around in MLS will end up. How will his players buy into his tactics? Can existing players, along with other new signings, carry out Tata's plans week in and week out? Will ownership give Tata slack if things don't go as planned for an extended period of time?
In short, I'll say it will go well. The 2023 season likely is a wash (barring a miracle down the stretch), but expectations will be sky-high in 2024.”
10. Lastly, a non soccer question, how did he embrace the city of Atlanta? Do you think he'll do the same with Miami?
“I think he'll embrace the South Florida area very well. While his wife didn't live in the area when he coached in Atlanta, I feel like he did what he could to integrate himself into the city. I feel like he'll be able to integrate himself even more given the large Spanish-speaking population in South Florida, personally, and in some respects it looks like he already has from what I've been able to observe.”