Riding a six-game unbeaten streak in MLS, leading the race for the Supporters’ Shield and with their star players featuring at the top of the goals and assists charts, all is well in the world of Inter Miami.
Yet little over a month ago, head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino was on the hot seat. A humiliating 4-0 defeat to New York Red Bulls in late March was followed by elimination from the Concacaf Champions Cup at the hands of Mexican side Monterrey in early April.
Former USMNT defender Taylor Twellman posted a damning statistic on X, comparing the Argentinian manager’s record in Miami to that of the man he replaced at Chase Stadium, Phil Neville.
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“What if I told you that Tata Martino has a lower win % in MLS than Phil Neville did at Inter Miami … would you believe me?!” Twellman wrote. “Neville finished his spell in south Florida with a win rate of just 38.9% while currently Martino’s is at 38.2%.”
Meanwhile, reports in Spain suggested Martino could be replaced by Xavi Hernández, with Miami making contact with the coach who, at the time, was due to leave his post at Barcelona this coming summer. Xavi has since agreed to stay on at the Camp Nou for another year.
After the hammering at the hands of the Red Bulls, there was an air of resignation to Martino’s comments to the media, as the 61-year-old accused his players of lacking commitment.
“There is not much to say, except that we were outmatched from start to finish,” Martino said. “When a team enters a game without the desire to win, without spirit, without competing, and the other side just wants to win the game, they are going to win it.”
The key mitigating factor in Miami’s underperformance was an injury crisis. Ahead of the team’s sixth league game of the season, nine members of Martino’s squad were listed as unavailable due to injury, more than any other team in the league. They drew 1-1 against New York City FC with an absentee list headlined by Lionel Messi, who missed a month with a hamstring strain.
Miami’s lopsided approach to roster construction – built around the acquisition of expensive superstars – means their squad is top-heavy in terms of talent and unable to absorb a spate of injuries, especially when their high-earning, big names are unavailable.
When, in early April, Messi returned, Miami’s…