FA week without football for Cholo and his people. The athletic, after falling in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup, will not play again until Wednesday when they face the Real society in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. A new opportunity to straighten out the season or a new ordeal for the rojiblancos. With five months of competition still ahead, the colchoneros need to find a way to solve various problems that have been dragging on since the summer.
Trippier’s Substitute
With the Englishman’s intention of leaving the club in this market known for months, the red and white sports management has had plenty of time to deal with the arrival of a substitute. The march of your starting side, one of the key pieces last year and that enhanced the virtues of Mark Llorente, she’s on her way to two weeks without being covered. The English international was announced as a player of the newcastle on Friday of last week but he no longer dressed for the Cup duel against Rayo Majadahonda. for now, with Valencia managing Wass’ departure in a better way than Atltico Trippier’s, Cholo will have to continue waiting to have a replacement. Everything that involves removing Llorente from that demarcation should be positive for Atlético.
A centerpiece to end the drama
Since the transfer market closed, it could be sensed that the central zone of the defense had been unbalanced. He saved as he could the four games of sanction of savic in Champions, but it is unsustainable that the team of Simeone only have four centre-backs on the squad when the initial idea was to play with a line of three. Vrsaljko Y Kondogbia They have served as temporary patches, in fact, the Croatian has performed at a high level in that demarcation. But Atlético would do well to go to the market in search of at least one central defender who could cover the constant absences of Savic and Gimnez. Or definitely bet on Vrsaljko in that line of three and forget about him as a winger or lane.
A ‘5’ to find the best Koke
And for this it is necessary to have balance in the middle. The rojiblanco captain’s last season was outstanding, it’s evident that his level this year is quite far. But the problem could be in the profile of the midfielders that Atltico has in its squad. Without a clear ‘5’, the closest thing is Kondogbia and it is difficult to compare the Central African with other footballers who occupied that demarcation in the Simeone era, Koke returns to have to play that role on too many occasions. The squad is designed to play with three players in the middle, but all the Atletico midfielders have a similar profile. Of the five in the squad, six if we count Lemar, all except Kondogbia perform better indoors. Atlético does not have a ‘5’ that allows greater freedom to Koke, DePaul, Llorente or the aforementioned Lemar…
Retrieving the offensive version of Llorente, finding Lemar in areas where the Frenchman hurts, offloading Koke from defensive work and putting him in contact with the ball… All of this is what a pure midfielder could add to Atltico. It is clear that not all media fit into the system, but a ‘5’ would enhance the rest of the mattress midfielders regardless of who the footballers accompanying him were. It seems complicated that the signing of a midfielder enters the rojiblancos’ plans for this market.
Define the offensive partner
The attack is the best covered plot in the squad. Perhaps overcrowded. And as in the middle, with players occupying similar demarcations. Without going too far, against Athletic, it was seen as strap (perhaps one of the fittest soccer players in Atlético) and joao flixThey did not gel as a couple. But with Griezmann, Cunha, Joao, Correa and the last blows that Surez can offer in the elite, Atletico should have enough if he manages to find the perfect combination. So far, Cholo has tried almost all possible couples and does not finish giving continuity to any beyond Griezmann-Surez. Although it seems that the Uruguayan is losing prominence, at least as a starter… Finding the definitive partner and giving him confidence is one of Simeone’s musts with his attackers.
the future will be seen
One could talk about the left flank, about the need to incorporate more central defenders, a nine to replace Surez… But for that there is a long way to go. But if the rest of the Primera teams go to the transfer market to solve their problems, Atlético could change the face of the season with a right back, a center back and a midfielder. Time to fix the situation they have. At the moment, the only movement was the departure of a headline in the first week of the market.
Discussion about this post