Atlético Madrid gaffer Diego Simeone called for patience on Sunday night at the Wanda Metropolitano. ‘We have to recognise that this is a season of transition,’ he said.
The issue with that contention is that it’s fundamentally the same as one utilised last season. Atlético spent enormous again in this summer yet while a few appearances, for example, full-backs Kierran Trippier and Renan Lodi have been moment success others have not.
Real Madrid and Barcelona both began the season gravely, making this the perfect battle to truly push for the title, yet Atlético are down in sixth, out of the Champions League places.
Toward the beginning of last season, the club felt like it was venturing into another period. Legendary midfield pioneer Gabi left and Fernando Torres had likewise played his last game. Antoine Griezmann stayed – for more cash – and the club broke its exchange record to sign his buddy Thomas Lemar from Monaco.
Atlético were going to at last advance into an increasingly expressive open group abandoning the shackles of the ‘1-0 to Atletico’ time.
It didn’t work. They lost the capacity to get 1-0 successes yet there was no exciting assaulting football to supplant the lost security. Lemar was disappointing and Costa – who re-marked mid-season was battling.
One year on it’s a comparable story. In the late summer, they broke their transfer record once more, this time for Joao Felix. However, the 19-year-old has been injured and unfit to lead Atletico. They are battling to score goals thus when they yield it regularly implies rout as it did against Barcelona on Sunday night.
‘We must show restraint,’ Simeone told supporters however those fans realize that this year was an incredible opportunity to build up an early lead with Real Madrid and Barcelona beginning gradually.
Supporters were not disappointed with the presentation against Barcelona. In Diario AS one section was featured: ‘That way, truly, you can lose’. As it were the point at which the group gives everything except for loses on the grounds that the Ballon d’Or most-loved scores a splendid goals, at that point supporters acknowledge it.
Be that as it may, Atletico have not generally been beaten by virtuoso this season. They have drawn seven matches – no group has drawn more. Furthermore, frequently against sides that don’t spend what they spent on Joao Felix in the late spring in five exchange windows, significantly less one.
They have the second best goals against record in the division so it’s not the protection that is prompting drawing such a large number of games. In any case, at the opposite finish of the pitch they have huge issues.
They have scored just 16 goals. Leaders Barcelona have just scored 20 more after just 14 matches played. Only one other side in the top half of the table has scored fewer goals.
Toward the finish of the summer transfer window, Simeone attempted to sign another striker. In spite of the fact that he could never let it be known freely he could see that Costa had restored a sorry excuse for the player he used to be and on the off chance that they group were truly going to contend with the enormous two they would require another forward.
Spain and Valencia striker Rodrigo left a Valencia instructional meeting on Tuesday, August 13 having bid farewell to his colleagues. He was headed for Atletico however his transition to the capital relied upon a chain of signings that never emerged. Milan needed to sign Angel Correa to permit Atletico to follow through on the cost Valencia were requesting Rodrigo yet, at last, the Italian club didn’t sign the Argentinian forward and Rodrigo remained at Valencia.
On the off chance that Simeone thought his striking choices required improving the previous summer, at that point damage to Costa and his total absence of confidence in Ivan Saponjic have made it significantly, even more, a January need.
The last is yet to get a solitary moment of football since landing from Benfica in the late spring. The 22-year-old is the main individual from Simeone’s squad to so far have played no minutes and the mentor even once in a while neglects to name him when he is experiencing his striking alternatives.
The arrangement is for the club to present in an in January however similarly as in the summer when they expected to sell Correa to get Rodrigo they will at present need somebody to leave. Lemar – last season’s record marking – is a main up-and-comer. With respect to who may be approaching: there is little uncertainty who Simeone needs in the event that he can’t have Rodrigo which looks impossible.
Edinson Cavani has descended the hierarchy at Paris Saint-Germain and is a long-lasting top choice.
In the event that the club can produce the space on the pay charge, at that point, he could be the arrangement.
Something needs to happen to spare Simeone’s season. This battle Atletico ought to have been pushing to be champions. As things stand they won’t make the Champions League.
