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Sergey Shevchenko – on the probable departure of Captain Atalanta.
The recent match between Juventus and Atalanta was special: the focus was not on the Turin great, but on his provincial rival. What happened between Alejandro Gómez and Gian Piero Gasperini? Who will leave, the captain or the head coach? Will Atalanta lose her previous magic? Finally, a topical question for us: how will this affect Ruslan Malinovsky’s prospects?
Why is Gomez leaving?
Let us briefly recall the essence of the conflict. Gasperini believed that Gómez, due to fatigue after being called up to the Argentine national team, should play with an emphasis on the wing and not in the usual way when he acts from the other side of the field. Alejandro didn’t like the idea, but his replacement at halftime with Midtjylland ultimately infuriated him. Gomez had a fight with Gasperini, which apparently turned into a real fight. It is no secret that each one of them has a complex character: we still remember “Daddy” from Metalist, and Signor Gian Piero is not at all a kind grandfather, as he may sometimes seem.
The question sounded almost tragic: one or the other is leaving. Atalanta could not part with the head coach who created this team. This means that the player will have to leave, which he has already announced de facto.
According to numerous press reports, “Papu” will be out of the application for today’s game with Roma. This means that the player and the coach failed to reach a reconciliation. Neither the successful completion of the UEFA Champions League group stage nor Alejandro’s gratifying performance against Juventus were a point of return. The Atalanta and Gómez roads still diverge. The Argentine will probably be sold this winter.
Implications for Atalanta
Gomez’s departure would be a colossal loss. There is no more useful and difficult footballer to replace in the team. He is the team’s most frequent shooter (2.9 shots per game), one of the best in key assists (1.9) and dribbling (1.5). This is a player who knows equally how to score and help his teammates.
Gomez’s best qualities are mobility, imagination and a sense of the moment. His style of play cannot be confused with anyone. Miniature, but strong and able to cover the ball with the body. Gravitating to the left flank, but if necessary sitting willingly in the depths of the field, it is not uncommon to see Alejandro in front of the defense line, where he retreats for the ball. He is more dangerous at the wrong gate, when he finds an original way to develop an attack, be it a cutting pass or an unexpected blow.
The aforementioned party in Turin became indicative. Before the break, Atalanta lacked that technical fuss in midfield that Gomez provides. As soon as “Papu” came on as a substitute, the Bergamo team’s attacks instantly acquired a pivot, and Gomez’s next fight for the ball turned into a productive shot from Freuler. Whatever he says, Alejandro, thanks to the freedom of action that Gasperini gave him, he makes a difference even against rivals of this type. The most offensive thing is his fight, because it was Gasperini who created the Gomez that Italy admires.
The age of the player softens the image a bit. He is 32 years old and in a few years the issue of replacing him would have arisen naturally. Another thing is that the problem became real during the season. Atalanta managed to lose “his” points in the championship on several occasions, and in the knockout stages of the Champions League he will face an interesting confrontation with Real Madrid. The chances of going to Madrid without a captain are minimal.
Another important issue is the impact of Gomez’s departure on the team. The media reported that in the conflict, half of the players sympathized with the captain, not the coach. Alejandro’s closest associate is named Josip Ilicic, who also left the app. There is a risk that Gomez’s separation will affect the microclimate. Gasperini secures the result at the expense of an unquestionable authority, which can now be shaken. The last thing I want to think is that the conflict between the two most important personalities in the history of Atalanta will be the beginning of the end of this wonderful story.
Opportunity for Malinovsky
Let’s pay attention to the perspectives of the Ukrainian legionnaire. This is where Gomez’s eventual departure will change a lot.
It is the captain of Atalanta who is one of Malinovsky’s direct competitors for a place in the main team. Gasperini sees Ruslan in the “strike group,” where he puts his skills to deliver accurate passes and shoot on goal to practice. It is characteristic that Malinovsky and Gomez rarely spend more than half on the field. As a general rule, either the Ukrainian enters as a substitute or the Argentine has a break.
Another competitor of Malinovsky, even more explicit, is Ilicic. The Slovenian is not in the best of condition these days – unable to get back in shape after depression and prolonged absence. Probably, the consequences of the conflict can also affect: at some point they also began to talk about Josip’s departure. Ruslan plays more often in his position, closer to the right edge, which gives him the opportunity to strike more often with his active left foot.
Gasperini, playing the scheme without Gomez with Ilicic, relied on Pessina and Malinovsky. The Italian, a nominal midfielder, played as an attacking midfielder. The Ukrainian took an even higher position than usual, almost the second striker alongside Duvan Zapata. This trio was brilliantly demonstrated against Fiorentina (Malinovsky even scored from a foul), but with Juventus, “Papu” was still necessary.
The new variant will change Atalanta tactically. It won’t be as variable in attack, but Malinovsky and Pessina will be more willing to supply balls to center forward Zapata. In addition, the balance will shift from the left flank (where Gomez gravitated) to the right, where a curious triangle of Malinowski, Hatebur and Roon will form, plus the situational connections of Toloi.
This lineup is ideal for Ruslan, who can become a really key player in Atalanta. We already saw the demo version of Malinovsky the leader last summer, when he played a series of brilliant matches, where he confidently took the initiative and played the team. It remains to win the competition of Ilyichich and Oleksiy Miranchuk, a talented player who surpasses the Ukrainian in dynamics (this may turn out to be Malinovsky’s weak point), but still mysterious.
This is the case when the personal is perpendicular to the collective. For Atalanta, Gómez’s departure is a tactically and psychologically difficult moment, the risk of falling and never returning to the level that has become familiar. For Malinowski, a chance to prove himself and prove that he can play a bigger role than Atalanta’s first reserve.
We wish Ruslan good luck at this important and difficult time.
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