Atlanta United: Julian Gressel departure raises major questions

On Tuesday, Atlanta United traded Julian Gressel to D.C. United. The German’s exit raises major questions for an offseason roster overhaul that did not seem necessary.

News broke Tuesday morning that Atlanta United have traded midfielder Julian Gressel to D.C. United. The trade concludes a drawn-out saga between player and club over an increase in wages. Comments on his contract were first made by Gressel to the media towards the end of the 2019 season. Those comments continued after Atlanta were knocked out of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

When speaking to the media during the offseason, Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said Gressel’s contract situation was a priority. In hindsight, it isn’t clear if Bocanegra meant ‘priority’ as in giving Gressel the salary he wants or moving him to another team. Now, that question is answered.

On the surface, this trade has two components to it. First, Gressel gets the raise he wants (and deserves). The surface component of the deal is the money Atlanta receives. According to Steven Goff, the reporter who broke the news for the Washington Post, Atlanta will receive $1M in financials for Gressel’s league rights.

There is more to the trade than just money, however. For Atlanta United, in regards to both the city and the club itself, Gressel represents more than just his play on the pitch. He has been an integral part of the community, quickly becoming a fan favorite and a face of the franchise. Gressel is easily approachable, and many of those living in the city can recount running into him on the street and saying ‘hi’.

Then, there is replacing Gressel’s production on the pitch. Gressel’s 88 league starts over three seasons leads all current players on the roster. He has appeared in all but four MLS matches (out of 102) and provided 15 goals and 35 assists over that time. In the playoffs, Gressel started all nine matches, scoring two goals and recording two assists.

Can Gressel’s on-field production be replaced? It doesn’t seem likely. Sure, Brooks Lennon is likely to replace Gressel’s presence on the pitch, but Gressel has over 50 goals involvements in just three seasons. Can Lennon provide those numbers?

When you really stop to consider the situation, the realization that Josef Martinez is losing one of his most reliable teammates sets in. Gressel had a knack for finding Martinez in the perfect spots. Now, he is gone.

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Despite the trade providing some resolution before the team really gets into a rhythm in preseason training, there are more questions to be asked. For example, what is head coach Frank de Boer going to do with the team tactically? It is clear that both he and Bocanegra found Gressel to be dispensable, meaning either the team is changing its tactics (Gressel was absolutely irreplaceable in the 3-5-2) or they think Lennon can replicate Gressel’s success.

With this move, and the influx of money, perhaps Atlanta is going to sign another player to two very soon. Even then, $1 million doesn’t seem like a worthy return for a player with so much production. Gressel was integral to Atlanta United. Can you easily sign a crucial player with $1 million in allocation money? It is a fair question to ask.

De Boer and Bocanegra are putting their necks on the line with this move, in addition to the others made so far this season. The roster has seen an overhaul despite enjoying a terrific 2019 season that only just fell short in the playoffs. If the team is unable to win to the extent of the fans’ desires, they will hear the brunt of it.

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Gressel will be hard to replace in many different ways. Fans usually trust the front office given its track record, but this move may shift that trust. As the roster continues to build in time for CCL, fans must now say goodbye to Gresselmania. And it might be a goodbye that hurts Atlanta United.

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