Atletico de Madrid, 2021-22: CAMPEONES

bosox4283

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Even though I'm going to be riding the high this whole year after last season's spectacular league title, I'm still very excited about this team and its potential.

Atletico has added only one player, Rodrigo de Paul from Udinese, who played spectacularly for Argentina during the Copa America.

Given that Atletico returns almost the exact same squad from last year, team's success depends on players maintaining their outstanding form from last year. Can Luis Suarez score 20+ goals? Can Angel Correa continue his growth into a formidable scorer? Can Marcos Llorente be one of the league's best players again, posting double-digit goals and double-digit assists? Can Joao Felix, after recovering from ankle surgery, maintain his brilliance he showed during the first half of last season for a full campaign? Can Carrasco be a difference-maker on the wing?

With Koke, Oblak, and Savic, I know the team will be emotionally tough and defensively solid.

I should note that, with the transfer window weirdness, Saul and Trippier may still leave. Saul would be an emotional loss since he has spent his whole life at the club, but he's far from the player he once was and can be. Trippier would be a loss of a major player in Simeone's 3-5-2, so if he goes, there will be a need to bring in a replacement as I don't think Vrsaljko or Arias offer what Simeone wants in this position.
 
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Stanley Steamer

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Congratulations on last year- it was close, but they gutted it out. What with the financial turmoil and lack of impact signings thus far from your two chief rivals, who shall remain nameless, it feels like La Liga is wide open, and you may well be favorites. DePaul was linked with Leeds for a while last year, and I liked what I saw in the Copa this summer. Should fit well in Simeone's system.
 

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View: https://twitter.com/jamesdrodriguez/status/1427405031813361664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1427405031813361664%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Froyalbluemersey.sbnation.com%2F2021%2F8%2F17%2F22628226%2Fjames-rodriguez-transfer-rumour-atletico-madrid-hint-nunca-dejes-de-creer-slogan-everton-latest

In what looks like a scheduled post on Twitter, the forward has a picture of himself smiling, with the words ‘nunca dejes de creer’ in Spanish along with emojis of a grin and an arrow saying soon.

The words translate to ‘never stop believing’, but more importantly, they are a slogan of Atletico Madrid. While this could be a massive coincidence, with his future on Merseyside up in the air it does seem too well-timed and planned to be an accident.
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2021/8/17/22628226/james-rodriguez-transfer-rumour-atletico-madrid-hint-nunca-dejes-de-creer-slogan-everton-latest

Rafa has told James that his services will not be required on Merseyside this season. It seems insane for Rafa to turn away the most technically gifted player at Everton in a long, long time, but:

--He's made of glass.
--His best work is as a freelancer, on the right or behind the striker, but not really keeping to any shape. He does his magic when he has free rein to find spaces and thread passes, which he does as well as anyone I've ever seen. But the team needs to be built to accommodate that, and Rafa has sussed - correctly IMO - that this group of players sorely needs discipline in keeping a shape in order to succeed.
--as the second half against Southampton showed, he wants the side to play his historically favored style of direct, uncomplicated football. Forward movement, quick buildup, no side to side, lots of crosses into the box for DCL and Richy, not too proud for some Route 1 long ball (which, when you have one of the best punters in Pickford and IMO the best header and target/holdup striker in the game in DCL, is OK with me), crunching tackles. That's the best of Everton's DNA, that's what the Goodison crowd wants to see. When the Toffees turned it on in the second half by playing that way they blew the roof off of Goodison (check out Doucore's goal - a real BLAMMO that caused pandemonium in the stands and at the Everton bar where I was watching the game). A player like James is a show horse in a side full of workhorses.
--He doesn't put in a shift defensively, see above.
--He and Rafa supposedly have bad blood going back to their RM days, owing to the stylistic mismatch.
--He's one of the few Toffees who might command a fee before the window's out. He really only came to Everton because of Carlo, but it's been made clear that Carlo's not having him in Madrid. A couple of Italian sides were rumored but they're out. No one in England wants him. Atleti is probably his only shot at getting out.

Do youze want him?
 
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bosox4283

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I've seen that post and I don't know what to think. James is the type of player that Simeone could try to squeeze every last ounce of talent out of and I could see Simeone finding a way to get James back to his best form. That said, I don't want him. Atletico needs a striker or a maybe a defender, not another midfielder.
 

coremiller

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I've seen that post and I don't know what to think. James is the type of player that Simeone could try to squeeze every last ounce of talent out of and I could see Simeone finding a way to get James back to his best form. That said, I don't want him. Atletico needs a striker or a maybe a defender, not another midfielder.
Also freelancing #10s who won't can't keep the shape and don't put in a defensive shift aren't exactly a great fit with Simeone's style.
 

OCST

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James is now saying that he didn't mean to evoke Atleti with that tweet, which is of course nonsense.
 

bosox4283

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Matheus Cunha (22) from Hertha to Atlético for ~30m €.
Any thoughts on Cuna? Atletico was apparently trying to land Vlahovic of Fiorentina, but that move seems very unlikely to happen. So, while the intent was to land a striker, Cunha does not appear to be a traditional "9", so I'm not sure if he fits within what Atletico is seeking.
 

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Any thoughts on Cuna? Atletico was apparently trying to land Vlahovic of Fiorentina, but that move seems very unlikely to happen. So, while the intent was to land a striker, Cunha does not appear to be a traditional "9", so I'm not sure if he fits within what Atletico is seeking.
I know my friend who is a Hertha supporter is going to be devastated and convinced that they won't survive the season now. He had pretty much all of his hopes pegged on Cunha, and he definitely impressed in the little bit I saw of him.
 

bosox4283

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With the addition of Griezmann, this team is arguably Simeone's most talented ever.

When Atletico last won the league in 2013-14, the next year Simeone key players and almost the whole team -- Filipe Luis, Diego Costa, and Courtois to Chelsea; Adrian Lopez to Porto; David Villa to Melbourne City/NY City; Diego Ribas to Fenerbahce,; Javier Manquillo to Liverpool; Toby Alderweireld to Southampton; Emiliano Insua to Rayo Vallecano; Jose Sosa to Besiktas.

This time, Atletico and Simeone have been able to keep their core, hang on to the stars, and add talent. It is really exciting.

Simeone will clearly reserve Suarez for the biggest matches and balance his workload so that he's his sharpest for these matches. Since Atletico did not sign a pure "9" this summer to take some of his minutes, Simeone will end up using a rotating system. Correa will be the main feature when Suarez is resting, but Griezmann, Joao Felix, Marcos Llorente, and Cunha will be asked to score goals.
 

Zososoxfan

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With the addition of Griezmann, this team is arguably Simeone's most talented ever.

When Atletico last won the league in 2013-14, the next year Simeone key players and almost the whole team -- Filipe Luis, Diego Costa, and Courtois to Chelsea; Adrian Lopez to Porto; David Villa to Melbourne City/NY City; Diego Ribas to Fenerbahce,; Javier Manquillo to Liverpool; Toby Alderweireld to Southampton; Emiliano Insua to Rayo Vallecano; Jose Sosa to Besiktas.

This time, Atletico and Simeone have been able to keep their core, hang on to the stars, and add talent. It is really exciting.

Simeone will clearly reserve Suarez for the biggest matches and balance his workload so that he's his sharpest for these matches. Since Atletico did not sign a pure "9" this summer to take some of his minutes, Simeone will end up using a rotating system. Correa will be the main feature when Suarez is resting, but Griezmann, Joao Felix, Marcos Llorente, and Cunha will be asked to score goals.
As the resident Argentina NT fan, I think A Correa has deserved much more consideration for a starter spot on the NT, and his form for both club and country is very good ATM. A Correa, Lautaro, GLC, RDP, et al. could make Argentina a really good high-pressing squad. [/threadhijack]
 

bosox4283

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As the resident Argentina NT fan, I think A Correa has deserved much more consideration for a starter spot on the NT, and his form for both club and country is very good ATM. A Correa, Lautaro, GLC, RDP, et al. could make Argentina a really good high-pressing squad. [/threadhijack]
I hope Angelito earns this spot with Argetina. When he's on, he really adds a spark to an offense -- he's creative and is unafraid to take on players.
 

bosox4283

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Atletico is a mess. The magic from last year is, for the moment, gone. There are some obvious issues.

1. The dynamic connection between Trippier and Llorente has fizzled. Part of the problem is that there is no replacement for Tripper when he is out. In fact, when Trippier is out, Llorente seems to be Simeone's preferred choice at right-back. Llorente scored had 10+ goals and 10+ assists last year, so this twosome was incredibly important for the offensive spark that propelled the team to success.

2. Simeone has no LB that he trusts. In fact, in most games, Simeone uses Carrasco as the left-back in the 5-3-2 rather than Lodi or Hermoso. Carrasco is fine in this position, but I prefer to see him closer to goal and would like a more solid defender in his place .

3. The CBs keep making mistakes. Gimenez, Felipe, Savic, and Hermoso are far from their peak form, both collectively and individually. The cracks in the defensive wall are showing, and the team is making too dumb mistakes and giving up way too many easy goals.

4. Joao Felix and Luis Suarez cannot play defense. When the two are on the pitch together, it is as if the team is playing a 5-3-0 on defense. Suarez can no longer hustle and Felix does not seem interested in defending. In fact, Felix has been at his best when Atletico presses and goes for go, a more attacking style that de-emphasizes defensive rigidity and instead uses offense as the best defense.

5. Despite these four points, Simeone still feels the need to attempt to maintain a 1-0 lead or a 2-1 lead when all signs point to a team that lacks what it takes to maintain the lead. In this current form, the team needs to keep pressing and trying to create. The days when the team's backbone was Godin-Miranda-Juanfran-Tiago-Gabi-Felipe Luis are gone -- these players were so incredibly mentally tough and so coordinated that the 1-0 win became Simeone's signature. They are gone, and the team is different, and Simeone needs to adjust.
 

bosox4283

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3. The CBs keep making mistakes. Gimenez, Felipe, Savic, and Hermoso are far from their peak form, both collectively and individually. The cracks in the defensive wall are showing, and the team is making too dumb mistakes and giving up way too many easy goals.
Well, one way to reduce the mistakes from your gaffe-prone CBs is to only have one available for the must-win Champions League match. The ragtag group of Vrsaljko, Kongdobia, and Hermoso managed to hold the fort and put together a sufficiently strong performance.

4. Joao Felix and Luis Suarez cannot play defense. When the two are on the pitch together, it is as if the team is playing a 5-3-0 on defense. Suarez can no longer hustle and Felix does not seem interested in defending. In fact, Felix has been at his best when Atletico presses and goes for go, a more attacking style that de-emphasizes defensive rigidity and instead uses offense as the best defense.
Joao Felix did not see the pitch yesterday, which to me is a clear indication that Simeone does not trust Felix to put forth the defensive effort in a close match. We may have seen Felix if Atletico needed to score, but Atletico needed to hold the lead.

While the Suarez injury was disappointing, his absence allowed Cunha to enter the match. Cunha had some bright moments and gave more effort on the other side of the ball, but his real contribution was really selling the slight arm/elbow to the face to convince the ref it was worthy of a red.
 
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bosox4283

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Is it time to sell Joao Felix? Or, maybe the question is: would Man City pay over 80 million euros for him, a price that ensures Atletico receives in the ballpark of the fee they paid for him and can invest in two players? I specifically reference Man City because I don't know who else has the cash to buy him and might actually want him -- I don't see Liverpool or Chelsea interested and I don't think Felix would go to PSG or Juventus. I guess the wildcards could be Tottenham, Arsenal, and Bayern.

Felix is undoubtedly very talented, perhaps the most naturally talented player on the team. He's gifted with the ball and is creative, especially when he's fully fit and moving at 100%. I think Felix was one of the top players in the first half of last year's La Liga season and he's been fantastic in big matches this year, such as against Liverpool and Barcelona.

The thing is that Felix does not want to play defense and has even less interest playing with the defensive intensity that Simeone wants. Further, Atletico is pretty well covered with attacking players, especially given that Simeone able to bring Griezmann back. Most importantly, Atletico is very weak at CB -- too many injuries and too many boneheaded mistakes -- and at RB. The team seems to need an injection of talent at other key positions, so I reluctantly acknowledge the need to invest in the weaknesses with Felix as the way to make it happen.
 

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I’d love to have him but I suspect no deal is possible because it is risky for City to pay what you’d want for him and you won’t sell him at a price where it is worth it for City to see how he’d play as a false 9

I think he’s a phenomenal player who really needs to play for Pep but in the end I don’t see it in the cards. city will prioritize Haaland or Vlahovic. You should probably loan him and let him tear up the Bundesliga to build demand
 

bosox4283

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I’d love to have him but I suspect no deal is possible because it is risky for City to pay what you’d want for him and you won’t sell him at a price where it is worth it for City to see how he’d play as a false 9

I think he’s a phenomenal player who really needs to play for Pep but in the end I don’t see it in the cards. city will prioritize Haaland or Vlahovic. You should probably loan him and let him tear up the Bundesliga to build demand
Good point about Haaland and Vlahovic. I imagine the teams who can spend will prioritize those two -- and I'm guessing that Real Madrid will finally land Mbappe. Maybe PSG will attempt to go after Felix to replace Mbappe and prepare for Messi's departure/decline? Or maybe one of Tottenham or Arsenal, if they miss out on Haaland and Vlahovic, will make a splash for Felix?

In any case, I want some defenders who put together more than two solid games in a row.
 

bosox4283

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Another lackluster performance this weekend against Sevilla, with Sevilla scoring a late goal to win 2-1. I think Sevilla had two shots and scored two goals, one being a brilliant strike from Rakitic from outside the box.

The injuries to Griezmann, Llorente (who came out in the first half), Gimenez, and Savic are clearly impacting the team. But the issues extend beyond these four.

Troublingly, Luis Suarez looks finished. He's scored one goal in the last eight matches and offers just about nothing when he's not scoring. Part of the issue is Simeone's tactics -- the team needs to play a particular way to minimize Suarez's deficiencies and maximize his knack for scoring, and Simeone hasn't figured it out this year. Even if Simeone adjusts, I don't know how much Suarez has left in the tank. Can he find a Fountain of Youth during the mid-year break?

I admire that Simeone has stuck with Suarez in an attempt to get him going, but he's not a young striker who has lost his rhythm -- he's a veteran trying to squeeze out one or two more decent-to-good years. Until Suarez finds his form, Simeone needs to give Cunha more minutes.

Putting Cunha into the Starting XI is the first step. Then, Simeone needs to devise a system that has a better flow. A squad with Cunha, Angelito Correa, Joao Felix, Griezmann, Rodrigo De Paul, Thomas Lemar, and Carrasco cannot be so offensively stumped -- there's too much talent here for a team to seem stuck for such long stretches of time.
 
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bosox4283

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Even if Atletico somehow miraculously comes back to win this game against Real Sociedad (currently down 2-0 in the 86th minute), this team stinks. Without Savic and Gimenez, the defense is total crap -- Felipe and Hermoso are horrible and the left-back and right-back are glorified back-ups. In the world in which Atletico cannot defend, the hope would be that Atleti would score but the offense just seems so stagnant. Maybe Griezmann will revitalize the team when he returns.
 
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bosox4283

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Atletico stunk again, this time falling behind 0-2 to Valencia at home. The defense made its usual gaffes and the offense struggled to find a rhythm. Then, needing to score two goals, Simeone subbed off Lemar and Joao Felix for Felipe (a defender!) and Cunha -- the whole stadium whistled the choice, sending that Luis Suarez had to come off instead.

But, in typical inexplicable Atletico fashion, Simeone pulled out some magic and the team scored three goals in the last 25 minutes to win the match. It was electric.

Maybe these sorts of victories are simply moments of happiness, of losing yourself in the improbability of the comeback. But maybe this win can serve as an inflection point for Atleti and the team can begin to show more regular tenacity and more creativity to score.
 

bosox4283

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Atletico suck again...and yet manage somehow to squeak out a last-minute win.

Atletico scored two goals in the first 27 minutes to take a 2-0 lead against Getafe, and Luis Suarez even missed a penalty. Then, the wheels come off -- Getafe scores one goal, Atletico commits a handball foul in the box and Getafe converts the penalty, and then Atleti commits another handball foul in the box and Getafe again converts the penalty. Angel Correa manages to score a goal before the end of the first half to go to the locker room tied at three.

Felipe, the Atletico CB who was filling in for Gimenez (who has COVID), decides to karate kick a guy and gets a red. So, the trend of one boneheaded play per match continues for this team of defenders.

Mario Hermoso, who is one of the gaffe-prone defenders, manages to score yet another game winner with an assist via header by Joao Felix. Total madness.

The team desperately needs to find regularity since competition is stiff for the 3rd and 4th place finishes with Betis playing fantastically and Barca looking much stronger so far in this second half.
 
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bosox4283

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And Atletico sucks yet again.

At home, against last-place Levante, Atletico puts up a pitiful effort and loses 1-0. The team was a total mess in all facets of the game.

My three conclusions are: (1) Carrasco, who was out with COVID, is such an important player for this team, (2) when Simeone plays Llorente at RB, it is a waste of Llorente's skillset, which really emphasizes how frustrating it is that Atletico had no plan for a dependable RB after selling Trippier, and (3) De Paul, I believe, has destabilized the team and his dip in form has only worsened this imbalance.
 
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Zososoxfan

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And Atletico sucks yet again.

At home, against last-place Levante, Atletico puts up a pitiful effort and loses 1-0. The team was a total mess in all facets of the game.

My three conclusions are: (1) Carrasco, who was out with COVID, is such an important player for this team, (2) Llorente at RB really wastes his talent and the lack of a plan with RB after selling Trippier was such a mistake, and (3) De Paul, I believe, has destabilized the team and his dip in form has only worsened this imbalance.
Can you go into more detail re De Paul? As a Argentina NT fanatico, I'm interested in him and Angelito. Also how is Griezmann's return going? I'm not trying to be snarky or glib, even during his weak Barca spell I always valued his defensive effort and ability, and press resistance.
 

bosox4283

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Can you go into more detail re De Paul? As a Argentina NT fanatico, I'm interested in him and Angelito. Also how is Griezmann's return going? I'm not trying to be snarky or glib, even during his weak Barca spell I always valued his defensive effort and ability, and press resistance.
For me, Angelito has been Atletico's best player this season. He scores goals, creates opportunities, injects creativity into play, and also contributes on defense. He's been fun to watch during what has been an uninspiring season for the whole team.

De Paul started out brilliantly and really showed his ability to move the ball up the pitch and make the right pass at the right time. But, to my eyes, he's not contributing at this level over the last month or so. Perhaps the issue is that Simeone doesn't really know how to use De Paul. He's not really a defensive midfielder, a position that Simeone relies on and has been struggling to fill this year. I'm not sure if De Paul belongs in the middle or on the wings, and I'm not sure Simeone really knows, either. At Udinese, he scored nine goals in a few seasons but has yet to really get involved with goal-scoring and Simeone doesn't seem to be putting De Paul in a position where he can have scoring chances. I'm kind of rambling. Something just seems off.

Griezmann might be back this weekend. I like Griezmann and think he's important to the team, but the question is how Simeone will use him and what modifications to the line-up Simeone will make to accommodate Griezmann. Who will Simeone sit for Griezmann? Llorente? Lemar? Koke? De Paul? Correa?
 
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bosox4283

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Atletico has now won three league matches in a row after that embarrassing one-nil loss to last-place Levante. This streak includes the encouraging draw against Man United.

I can identify three keys changes:

1) Simeone has moved Luis Suarez to the bench. Barring an injury to someone else or Suarez finding a Fountain of Youth, this move is the right one despite Suarez still being able to score goals -- he's just very slow these days and restricts the team to play a certain way.

2) Simeone has stopped using Marcos Llorente at RB and has put him on as a winger. In this role, Llorente can use his pace to beat guys up and down the pitch and adds a strong offensive weapon.

3) Reinildo Mandava has been a solid defensive improvement over whatever else Simeone has had to use. Mandava, a winter signing from Lille, has been a much more reliable defender than players like Hermoso and Lodi. His presence has helped shore up what has been a very frustrating defense this year.
 

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Atletico has now won three league matches in a row after that embarrassing one-nil loss to last-place Levante. This streak includes the encouraging draw against Man United.

I can identify three keys changes:

1) Simeone has moved Luis Suarez to the bench. Barring an injury to someone else or Suarez finding a Fountain of Youth, this move is the right one despite Suarez still being able to score goals -- he's just very slow these days and restricts the team to play a certain way.

2) Simeone has stopped using Marcos Llorente at RB and has put him on as a winger. In this role, Llorente can use his pace to beat guys up and down the pitch and adds a strong offensive weapon.

3) Reinildo Mandava has been a solid defensive improvement over whatever else Simeone has had to use. Mandava, a winter signing from Lille, has been a much more reliable defender than players like Hermoso and Lodi. His presence has helped shore up what has been a very frustrating defense this year.
[Insert black/white teamwork meme template with Barca and Atleti] with a caption reading: Keeping Betis and Sociedad in UEL
 

bosox4283

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[Insert black/white teamwork meme template with Barca and Atleti] with a caption reading: Keeping Betis and Sociedad in UEL
Of course, I'm thrilled that Atleti is making a move to settle into the top four -- the financial repercussions of missing out on the Champions League dollars are too great. But I'm admittedly a bit disappointed to see Betis and Sociedad slip. I like their teams a lot and think it's great for La Liga to have more competition for these Champions League spots.
 

Zososoxfan

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Of course, I'm thrilled that Atleti is making a move to settle into the top four -- the financial repercussions of missing out on the Champions League dollars are too great. But I'm admittedly a bit disappointed to see Betis and Sociedad slip. I like their teams a lot and think it's great for La Liga to have more competition for these Champions League spots.
Agreed, I like both clubs quite a bit and think their recent success is excellent for the league's competitiveness and general health.
 

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Two more wins in a row in La Liga brings Atletico's league win streak to five. Atletico is now tied for 3rd/4th with Barcelona, only three points behind second-place Sevilla, and four up on 5th place Betis.

A few highlights:

1) It seems that the best version of Oblak is returning -- or has returned -- after being a bit shaky throughout the whole year. He's a difference-maker when on his best form.

2) Reinildo Mandava has truly stabilized the defense. His positive impact cannot be overstated at this point.

3) Joao Felix has found his rhythm -- he's scoring, assisting, and being much more active on the other side of the ball. Importantly, he pairs well with Griezmann.

4) The improvement of Hector Herrera and Kondogbia has permitted Atletico to reduce some of the chaos in the midfield and allow Koke to play more of a creative role rather than a defense-minded role. Herrera and Kondogia were basically outcasts for a long stretch of the season, so it's really encouraging to see both of them play such an important role at this point.
 

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A solid 4-1 victory against Alaves is the team's sixth in a row and puts the team in third place after Barcelona edged out Sevilla (all are tied with 57 points). Joao Felix and Luis Suarez both scored a brace. Felix continues to play at an excellent level and has truly elevated his game. Even though Suarez is aging in dog years, he can still score goals and great goals.

The season really has turned around with the arrival of Reinildo Mandava. His presence has strengthen the defense, in part by forcing Mario Hermoso to the bench. In addition, Reinildo has allowed Simeone to maximize the offensive potential of Lodi (or Carrasco). It's really night and day.
 

bosox4283

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Atleti reverted back to its mid-year mediocrity, losing 1-0 to 17th place Mallorca. Mallorca basically gave Atleti a taste of its own medicine, using stellar defensive preparedness and ruggedness to keep Atletico from scoring and waiting for one or two golden opportunities to score.

Simeone started both Luis Suarez and Griezmann. Suarez is physically cooked, even if he can find a way to score goals, and his presence limits how Suarez can play. His sluggishness seems to impact Griezmann, who may be also losing a step.

Even if Simeone picked the wrong players or had the wrong tactics, it is just super frustrating that a team with Marco Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Carrasco, Luis Suarez, and Griezmann looks so listless. I think one has aged (Suarez), two are aging (Griezmann and Koke), one is lost without Trippier (Llorente), and two can be inconsistent (De Paul, Carrasco).

In an unexpected twist, Herrera has been a fundamental piece to Atletico's success -- he really keeps the offensive flowing. So, I hope he's back for the match against Man City.

Ideally, I'd like to see a way for Simeone to play Joao Felix, Griezmann, and Correa against City -- giving the team a spark.
 

bosox4283

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
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Mar 2, 2004
4,673
Philadelphia
Thinking more about Man City, I've changed my mind on Griezmann. I'm not sure if we want him to start. So, instead, I hope we get this eleven. With this line-up, we'll have De Paul, Kondogbia, Correa, and Griezmann on the bench.

Llorente-Savic-Gimenez-Reinildo-Lodi
Herrera
Koke-Carrasco
Cunha-Felix
 

Zososoxfan

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Jul 30, 2009
9,209
South of North
Atleti reverted back to its mid-year mediocrity, losing 1-0 to 17th place Mallorca. Mallorca basically gave Atleti a taste of its own medicine, using stellar defensive preparedness and ruggedness to keep Atletico from scoring and waiting for one or two golden opportunities to score.

Simeone started both Luis Suarez and Griezmann. Suarez is physically cooked, even if he can find a way to score goals, and his presence limits how Suarez can play. His sluggishness seems to impact Griezmann, who may be also losing a step.

Even if Simeone picked the wrong players or had the wrong tactics, it is just super frustrating that a team with Marco Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Carrasco, Luis Suarez, and Griezmann looks so listless. I think one has aged (Suarez), two are aging (Griezmann and Koke), one is lost without Trippier (Llorente), and two can be inconsistent (De Paul, Carrasco).

In an unexpected twist, Herrera has been a fundamental piece to Atletico's success -- he really keeps the offensive flowing. So, I hope he's back for the match against Man City.

Ideally, I'd like to see a way for Simeone to play Joao Felix, Griezmann, and Correa against City -- giving the team a spark.
I think midweek European competitions are taking their toll. The season is slowing down for clubs not in domestic or international cups, and for Atleti (and Barca) they're still fighting for lucrative European results. Sevilla and Sociedad are also out of European cups, but Betis still has a Copa del Rey matchup in a couple of weeks.

Sevilla have some tough fixtures remaining--Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atleti (!), and Bilbao.

Betis has Sociedad (!), Barca, and Real.

Sociedad have Betis (!!), Barca, Villarreal, and Atleti.

Have to think those matches in bold decide final positions.