Atlanta United’s midfield designated player arrived at one of the most tumultuous times in the club’s history. He was a beacon of light on the tail end of a head coach sacking plus the departure of three starting players in the summer of 2024, and had an uphill battle to help the Five Stripes reach the playoffs. He ultimately showed more than a few sparks of greatness, but has he fully lived up to the $13 million hype? Let’s take a look.
Stats
Matches Played/Started: 14/13
Minutes: 1151
Goals: 3
Assists: 4
What went right?
A Designated Player is always going to be held to a higher standard, whether they like it or not. Miranchuk stepped into his playmaker role to revive a midfield that was struggling to be creative since the loss of Thiago Almada, but the entire squad was riding the boat of inconsistency. Despite that, Miranchuk was a net positive when he was on the pitch, and showed his quality very early on with silky, left-footed passes into the box.
His goal against Inter Miami in the Benz encapsulated everything about Alexey’s play style, where he floated the ball from a ridiculous angle over the box and into the far upper-90. He receives the ball well and strikes the ball with scary accuracy. The ball floats when it leaves his foot and honestly appears to be traveling very slowly, but it’s simply a form of control that many players just…don’t have. He slightly underperformed on his expected goals (xG) this year at 3.11, but over performed his expected assists (xA) at 2.72. Miranchuk isn’t as much of a dribbly boy as other Atlanta United 10’s have been, but he has above average control and top tier vision that will only get better with proper players around him.
What to improve on?
If the above was a taste of what Miranchuk offers, he has to consistently bring it in 2024. Making excuses for a $13 million DP is tough, but there is absolutely an argument that he got thrown into a dumpster fire, new country, etc. With an offseason under his belt, another star midfielder in Mateusz Klich behind him with Bartosz Slisz, and probably a DP striker/possible left winger to help him, 2025 has to be Alexey’s year.
Most importantly, Miranchuk is a creative playmaker, so I’d expect double-digit assists in 2025 plus those intangibles that are the hallmark of an elite number 10. Specifically, fans should see tons of ball progression, incisive attacks into the box, assisting in breaking pressure from the back, and definitely a couple of handfuls of goals. He needs to remain a threat for the full 90 minutes (or however long he’s on the pitch) while rapidly developing that chemistry with his incoming attackers and midfielders.
What role will he play in 2025?
Miranchuk is the starting number 10 for the club, it’s that simple. He’ll likely play every minute he’s healthy, if possible, and is going to be a crucial part of Atlanta’s attack. With some more consistency, he could easily be a best XI player in MLS in 2025.
Overall Grade: C+
I do not agree that his is our 10 moving forward. I’m hoping to see him pushed to a winger position alongside a new striker and possibly a proper 10 as our new DP’s. As i’ve heard others say before, 10’s win games in MLS and he’s not a 10 so we should be focusing on a proper 10 and use Alexey where he’s most suited…out on the wing making plays happen.
All the criticism of Miranchuk reminds me of all the things people say about Nagbe and Thomas Mueller. And like with them, I don’t care if it’s pretty if we still get results. For comparison, Almada had 7 scorer points in 17 games last season and Miranchuk had 7 in 14 games. His stats are better than every attacking mid we’ve had apart from Miggy and Almada (he has a good shot at passing them too) and that’s without a DP striker.
I think a C+ is very harsh. But regardless, I really hope fans give him an empty slate in 2025. I think he’s the team player we’ve all been asking for. But he just doesnt have the hero ball attributes, which is fine! But I expect him to look better as the players around him improve.
100% agree. His numbers were sneaky good. My concern is that he had a tendency to disappear for stretches, but I can completely see that being more due to the players surrounding him than his own play. A larger sample size is needed to address his true impact, but so far it has been statistically really solid. I would lean toward a B. Could he have contributed more, yes; but he solidly impacted multiple game outcomes.
I think it is basically because he is not flashy. Pretty much all our attacking players historically had flashy personality. As long as he is putting up consistent numbers, he is a fine DP
So far, a big MEH. He is not fast. Cannot get past defenders on the dribble. Needs equally talented players in order to be effective.
Does that sound like a $13M DP?
2025 will show whether he is worth the price or (once again) we have messed up on the scouting front.