Where Tab Ramos failed and what comes next for Hartford
How did it go wrong for the big-name coach in Connecticut?
When Tab Ramos took over Hartford Athletic last fall, hopes were high. Hartford had topped their division in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but sputtered since then amidst coaching changes and roster churn. In Ramos, a tenured MLS and USYNT manager, there seemed to be a real chance for a revival.
In hindsight, the warning signs for Ramos were there from the start. His Houston Dynamo teams finished 12th in the West in 2020 and 13th in 2021, underwater in terms of expected goal difference in both seasons. After taking over Hartford in mid-September last season, Ramos won three of his first four matches in charge, but his side also allowed more than two goals per game to end the season.
The template for success was clear heading into 2023: lean into a talented attack and shore up the defense to build a more complete unit. Prince Saydee, currently the team’s second-leading scorer, and Danny Barrera, the seventh-leading assister in USL history, led an eight-man group of returners.
To rebuild at the back, Ramos cut ties with two of Hartford’s three preferred center backs at the end of last season. Tulu, the start of last year’s back line, was sold to San Antonio this Spring to complete the overhaul. Goalkeeper Yannik Oettl and full back Younes Boudadi were also allowed to walk; both are nailed-on starters for Indy Eleven.
Niall Logue has been a successful addition in central defense, but the re-tool has failed in almost every other way. Robin Lapert and Kaveh Rad are inconsistent defenders next to Logue. Hand-picked goalkeeper Richard Sanchez was a pure disaster. He started the first 14 matches of this season, accumulating -7.5 goals saved above expected during that period. Joe Rice, a bright prospect added from Loudoun United, started the last two games of the Ramos era, but the damage was already done.
Meanwhile, the former USYNT coach never settled on a solid, reliable defensive shape. Hartford used a back four for the first month of USL action before swapping into a back five. Even in that formation, Ramos never stopped tinkering. Sometimes it’d be a proper back five. At other times, star No. 6 Conor McGlynn - the only real returning player from 2022 with defensive ability - played as a sweeper of sorts. McGlynn would step into the midfield in possession but needed to recover into the middle of the back line after a turnover. The results were messy, to say the least.
McGlynn was badly needed as a No. 6, as it turned out. Ramos, whether in a 5-3-2 or 4-3-3, preferred a midfield shape that used dual No. 10s and one holding player, but he never settled on a nailed-on pick in the holding spot. Four players have started there, and none have played more than 61% of Hartford’s minutes in 2023.
In many ways, the defensive midfield role captures the dysfunction nicely. The reliance on one single piece to shield the backline underlines Ramos’ misconceived tactical style. His experimentation with McGlynn as a sweeper captures the failed experimentation. Ramos’ subpar eye for USL talent also shone; players like Beverly Makangila and Kembo Kibato who were released at the end of 2022 were expected to join Hartford and magically become starters.
Matt Sheldon and Triston Hodge came in as starting-caliber full backs in the winter, but Ramos decided to play both out of their natural positions. Hodge has received time as the No. 6, and he’s been the most successful yet least-used piece there. Sheldon, meanwhile, was forced to become a winger when Ramos traded for all-league full back Edgardo Rito a few weeks ago. Rito allegedly demanded a top-three salary in the league, leading Oakland to ship him out; Ramos never suffered from a lack of investment.
Truth be told, Ramos never instilled an identity in his team. The constantly changing formation is one indicator. Additionally, Hartford went long on 66% of their goal kicks this season, the sixth-highest rate in the USL, but they never played an aerial threat up top to make that strategy work. Sometimes, the Connecticut club pressed with a spirited front five out of the baseline 4-3-3 before bunkering into a counterattacking 5-4-1 in their next outing. Ramos’ choices were panicked and reactionary.
Now, Hartford is dead last in the Eastern Conference and dead last in the entire league with a -14 goal difference. Ramos deserves the blame. He won just two of his final 18 games in charge, and it’s hard to see him earning another coaching job anytime soon.
Still, 2023 is far from over for Hartford. This club is merely six points out of the final playoff spot with a game in hand on eighth-placed Loudoun United. Some of the stars acquired in the well-funded rebuild - from striker Elvis Amoh to winger Antoine Hoppenot to Rito and Sheldon - can be the building blocks of a late-season rally.
What comes next with assistant Omid Namazi at the helm? I’d have a few suggestions. First and foremost, stick with a shape and lean into the stars. This team can be bright and possessive if they’re simply allowed to play that way!
More tangibly, Conor McGlynn must return to the base of the midfield. The bright Juan Pablo Torres ought to start as well; his box-to-box sensibility can stabilize the center. Make sure that Triston Hodge is in the back line, and lean into his versatility.
While we’re at it, return Matt Sheldon to full back, and rotate him with Saydee and Rito as matchups dictate. Consider an off-balance shape a la Miami or San Diego in years past. Antoine Hoppenot isn’t utilized to the fullest as a wing back, so push him higher when in possession and trust the awesome Logue to cover in an attacking 4-3-3. You can see that tactic and a possible depth chart here.
Hope springs eternal, but the fact remains that the Tab Ramos era was a failure in the end. Hartford’s leadership deserves credit for moving on swiftly given the numerous red flags, but they ought to take the lesson that USL bona fides matter more than name value when it comes to their next managerial hire.
Good stuff