Atalanta tactic and team guide. Club culture and board requirements, tactics, key players, youth prospects and potential transfers in FM22.
Football Manager 2022 Atalanta tactic and team guide. Club culture and
board requirements, tactics, key players, youth prospects and potential
transfers in FM22.
Here is a brief analysis of the Atalanta squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM2022 manager can use.
About Atalanta
Atalanta are a professional football club that ply their trade in the Serie A . Interestingly, the club was founded by a few students and their teacher at a gym in Bergamo. Atalanta are referred to as the queen of the provincial clubs in Italy to mark the fact that they are one of the most consistent clubs that are not based out of a regional capital having played 60 out of their 89 seasons in the top flight of Italian football. Atalanta reached the UEFA Cup winners cup in 1988 while playing in the Serie B. This is the best performance by a non-first division club in any UEFA competition till date. They have also participated in the Europa League 4 times, reaching the quarterfinals once. They are a relatively small club, though, with a stadium capacity of just 21,000.
Atalanta had a solid 2020-2021 season and finished 3rd in the league once again. This is their consecutive best league finish in the table. The board requirements once you take over will be;
· Qualify for the UEFA Champion’s League (Top 4 in the Serie A)
· Make the knockout stages of the UEFA Champion’s league
· Make the Final of the Italian Cup/Coppa Italia.
Additionally, you will be required to play high-tempo pressing football, which should be entertaining with an emphasis on building a strong attack. You must develop players using the club’s excellent youth system. You will also be required to look at lower leagues to catch untapped talent.
The youth and training facilities at Atalanta are really good, the youth recruitment is amongst the best in the game, and you will learn to heavily rely on this to build a strong squad with Atalanta.
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Atalanta are generally a very attacking team and rely on outscoring opponents. They employ a high-pressing, fast-paced style of football in real life, and it is best to mimic that in the game. A Gegenpress is most suited for their squad of players.
A 3-4-1-2 is probably the best-suited formation for the available squad of players. This is very close to how they line up in real life as well. This also helps them maintain the width and releasing the ball quickly to counter opponents.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 3-4-1-2 formation is as follows;
Squad, Formation and Tactical Style
Atalanta are generally a very attacking team and rely on outscoring opponents. They employ a high-pressing, fast-paced style of football in real life, and it is best to mimic that in the game. A Gegenpress is most suited for their squad of players.
A 3-4-1-2 is probably the best-suited formation for the available squad of players. This is very close to how they line up in real life as well. This also helps them maintain the width and releasing the ball quickly to counter opponents.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 3-4-1-2 formation is as follows;
Juan Musso as a sweeper-keeper
Merih Demiral, Berat Djimsiti & Jose Luis Palomino as the 3 centre-backs. Djimsiti can be played as a Ball Playing Defender while Demiral & Palomino can be played as wide centre-backs.
Hans Hateboer & Robin Gosens as the 2 wing backs. Increased crossing instructions to take advantage of their attacking ability.
Matteo Pessina & Remo Freuler as the 2 central midfielders, the former as a box-to-box midfielder and the latter as a deep playmaker on defence duty.
Josip Ilicic as an attacking midfielder just behind the 2 strikers.
Duvan Zapata & Luis Muriel as the 2 strikers, with Zapata playing as a target man and Muriel as an advanced forward.
Alternatively, you can deploy a 4-3-3 and play Mario Pasalic as a roaming playmaker.
Muriel is a top goalscorer and is a very important source of goals for Atalanta upfront. Muriel has had 40 league goals for the club in the last 2 seasons, and his performances could help shape the season for the club.
Duvan Zapata
Zapata is a massive aerial threat and is a beast of a striker. Having scored 65 goals in 120 league games, Zapata has been clinical for Atalanta; you must maintain his fitness to get favourable results.
Josip Ilicic
Ilicic is extremely versatile and is lethal in front of a goal. He also can create goals making him a key player for Atalanta.
Robin Gosens
The wingback popped up with a remarkable 20 league goals throughout the last 2 seasons and is a very important player at the club.
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There are a few exciting young prospects in the ranks who have the potential to be some of the best players in the league. A few examples are,
Matteo Lovato
Lovato is a young talented centre-back who has the capability to lead the defence for Atalanta in the future.
Bosko Sutalo
Another promising centre-back from the academy, Sutalo is already good enough to be a squad player for Atalanta and will only improve in the future.
Shakur Omar
Youth Prospects
There are a few exciting young prospects in the ranks who have the potential to be some of the best players in the league. A few examples are,
Matteo Lovato
Lovato is a young talented centre-back who has the capability to lead the defence for Atalanta in the future.
Bosko Sutalo
Another promising centre-back from the academy, Sutalo is already good enough to be a squad player for Atalanta and will only improve in the future.
Shakur Omar
Omar has been performing admirably for the youth team and has the potential
to lead the line for Atalanta in the future.
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· The quality of backups in the squad may not be up to the quality and could prove fatal if your squad is affected by injuries.
· You run the risk of some talents being poached by other clubs, especially in search of higher wages.
· Being a relatively small club, the wage and transfer budgets are not on par with the other competitors making a top 4 finish very difficult to secure.
Atalanta are not the best squad in the league with respect to squad depth; these players could be welcome additions to the side.
· Nikola Milenkovic
· Conor Gallagher
· Giacomo Raspadori
These players may be surplus to requirements at the club or may not be of the expected quality.
· Ruslan Malinovskiy
· Alexi Miranchuk
Weaknesses
· The quality of backups in the squad may not be up to the quality and could prove fatal if your squad is affected by injuries.
· You run the risk of some talents being poached by other clubs, especially in search of higher wages.
· Being a relatively small club, the wage and transfer budgets are not on par with the other competitors making a top 4 finish very difficult to secure.
Potential Transfers (in)
Atalanta are not the best squad in the league with respect to squad depth; these players could be welcome additions to the side.
· Nikola Milenkovic
· Conor Gallagher
· Giacomo Raspadori
Potential Transfers (Out)
These players may be surplus to requirements at the club or may not be of the expected quality.
· Ruslan Malinovskiy
· Alexi Miranchuk
Summary
Atalanta are a very exciting club to manage for many FM Managers but with
a few hurdles. Will you be able to hold on to your young stars and build
an empire with the club?
