Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank increased the pressure on President Garth Lagerwey in a letter sent to season-ticket holders Friday.
If the Five Stripes lose to D.C. United on Saturday, they will finish as the worst team in MLS, a sizable drop from winning the MLS Cup in 2018 and U.S. Open Cup in 2019.
In the letter, Blank wrote, “our recent results on the pitch have not reflected who we are or who we strive to be and are not acceptable. It is not the standard we hold ourselves to in our organization.”
Lagerwey was hired in November 2022 following the resignation of Darren Eales, the club’s first president.
Atlanta United made the playoffs in 2023 under manager Gonzalo Pineda and in 2024 under interim manager Rob Valentino. It will not make the playoffs this season under Ronny Deila.
The front office sold several players the past two years. It used those funds to spend more than $40 million to acquire Emmanuel Latte Lath, Miguel Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk, among other players.
Instead of being an attacking team similar to what it was under Gerardo Martino in 2017 and 2018, it has scored only 37 goals and has been shut out 13 times through 33 matches this season.
Defensively, the team has allowed 62 goals, tied for fourth most in the league.
“A championship culture must run through every part of this organization,” Blank wrote. “I know that your support each season is a choice, and I do not take that choice lightly. You have my word, restoring a consistent contender and a culture that represents the energy and the pride that defines Atlanta is a top priority.”
Deila said Thursday that he thinks the franchise’s culture is too nice, which is another way of Blank saying that a championship culture must run through every part of this organization.
“You cannot be nice in the cultures when you want to win,” Deila said. “Yeah, you love each other, but you have to put demands on each other. You cannot accept mediocrity, and then you have to take the feedback. You have to be strong and stand together and drive that process together.”
Lagerwey, who won trophies at Real Salt Lake and Seattle, has restructured the front office, adding decades of experience in different positions, and led the construction of the expansion of the training ground.
But the team has a regular-season record of 28-39-34 under Lagerwey’s leadership. He had to take a leave of absence in June because of a cancer diagnosis. He has returned to work in a limited capacity.
“In closing, your loyalty means everything to me and Atlanta United,” Blank wrote. “I assure you we are working tirelessly to bring championships back home to Atlanta. That is what you deserve, and what we all want.”
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