Cholo is giving the team a twist, once the transition, all clinging to the growth of João Felix and trying to exploit Suarez. It is a renewed Athletic, with different drawings that differ from the traditional 1-4-4-2 and that, despite Di Stéfano's setback, it works and has the team up in LaLiga and in the second round of the Champions League. But it is not the first time that the Argentine seeks a change in style. On previous occasions, the results threw him back in his plans. Four years ago, for example, he obviously tried and was a severe defeat against Real Madrid, as happened this Saturday, which made him retreat and return to the classic idea.
For 2016-17, after the Champions League blow in Milan, Simeone was convinced that it was time to take a turn, since he had a team full of talent, to which Gaitán and Gameiro joined. The new plan was to give him the handle to Koke, who was moving from the band to the middle with Gabi. In the lanes, soccer players with an offensive vocation like Correa and Carrasco; above, Griezmann and Gameiro or Torres. The team started LaLiga with two draws, but soon took off. The 7-1 to Granada (match 8), with hat-trick of the Belgian, was the zenith and put the Leading athlete and with soaring expectations. The pieces fit together, the group had fun, the results promised … until the setbacks came.
The team fell in Anoeta before the break in November and doubts began. Captain Gabi presented his: “Koke is playing well in the center, but when it comes to defending we are more fragile”. Cholo did not like those statements at all. After the break, Madrid won 0-3 at the Calderón. That blow did hurt more. On matchday 12, Atleti looked sixth, nine points behind the leader. Simeone felt that he was wrong and he took a step back in the change of the rojiblanco script. Return to the traditional, to what had worked so well since 2012.
Carrasco celebrates one of his three goals at Atlético-Granada (2016).
PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (AFP)
Now, as then, everything worked until the derby, where nothing went well for the mattresses. Continuing with the parallelism, the defeat could make Cholo rethink certain aspects, but the conviction is much higher than in 2016. As the coach explained, it is the team that, with its performance, marks the evolution: “There is a growth of footballers who give us options and the technicians join in with what they ask of us “. Of course, the team will have to show the good feelings that raised it to the top of the classification. If this happens, the new Atleti will prevail.