Atlanta United still working on improving roster

The club won’t panic buy. Henderson said they will follow the processes that worked for he and Lagerwey in Seattle. He said it’s about limiting risk.

“I think when you rush making changes, sometimes you don’t do it in a smart way,” he said.

The club so far has added veterans Almiron, midfielder Mateusz Klich and striker Cayman Togashi to a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

“We hope to compete,” Henderson said. “Everyone needs to stay healthy. We need to continue to connect with our coaches and how they want to play, improve players that are in our system, and then be very strategic and smart in the signings.”

It seems unlikely that the club will sign players into its two remaining Under-22 slots, according to Lagerwey. He correctly pointed out that the club hasn’t had success using that roster mechanism. Only one player, Edwin Mosquera, signed as an U22 is still with the club.

“We’ve got to get the starting lineup right, and then those U22s, are they players that can start?” Lagerwey said. “They can in some circumstances, but a lot of times they’re going to be depth players who eventually work their way into the team. And we want to get a lot better now, right? I think our fan base has been very patient, but we need to have a good team, and we believe that we can do that now. Those U22s are things you keep in your pocket, and as you see what needs the team has going forward, you can deploy them to maybe build out some of that.”