Since the 2004-05 season, Barca and Real Madrid have almost joined forces to monopolize the La Liga season. In the 17 seasons during this period, Real Madrid and Barca have teamed up to win 15 seasons of titles, and the only team that can break the monopoly of these two giants is Atletico Madrid.
In the 2020-2021 season, Atletico Madrid, which was not optimistic at the beginning, showed a very prominent competitive state, achieving 26 wins, 8 draws and 4 losses in 38 games with 86 points, beating Real Madrid by a slight margin of two points, and winning the La Liga championship for the 11th time in the history of the team.
Atletico Madrid's outstanding performance has a lot to do with their balanced offensive and defensive performance - they have continued their excellent defensive performance, conceding only 25 goals in 38 games, making them the best defensive team in La Liga; at the same time, the always decent attack has also shined, and the Sheets army has scored 67 goals in 38 games last season, making it the second best team in La Liga (after Barcelona, who scored 85 goals).
With such a solid foundation and the fact that Real Madrid and Barca personnel have not carried out large-scale reinforcements (Barca have even been greatly weakened this season), Atletico Madrid before this season is generally regarded as a popular candidate to win the title.
However, the ideal is always far from the reality, and the sheets army, which has been further strengthened from the previous season, has not shown the competitive state it should be this season - by the end of the 20th round of La Liga, they have only achieved 9 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses and 33 points, and now they are as many as 16 points behind Real Madrid at the top of the table. It is no exaggeration to say that as long as the Whites don't drop too many chains in the second half, it is almost impossible for the Sheets to defend the league title.
From a rough look at the overall data, Atletico Madrid's decline this season has come from poor performances on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. In 20 rounds, they scored 33 goals, and while their attacking prowess is still in the top spot in La Liga, it is significantly inferior to a team like Real Madrid. Of course, given that Atletico Madrid has never been a team known for their offensive prowess, simeone's tailor-made iron defense for them seems to be the magic weapon for the Sheets Army. But it is precisely because of the total collapse of defensive ability this season - 24 goals have been conceded in 20 games, and the defensive performance can only rank 13th in La Liga, even worse than the penultimate Getafe, that Atletico Madrid has ushered in a significant setback.
With the Western Super Cup out of the way, the odds of Atletico Madrid wanting to win glory on all fronts this season have become lower and lower - the domestic arena has almost all been out, and in the Champions League, although it has suddenly reached the knockout stages, it is also dangerous to face Manchester United. After ten years of accompanying the team, Simeone has gained the respect of Atletico fans, and a "godfather" is undoubtedly the best praise for him. However, even with such a lofty status, Simeone had to bear the doubts of fans when the record was low.
When Atletico Madrid seems to have reached a dead end, people can't help but wonder: Is Simeone, who is increasingly detached from the mainstream tactics of world football, really suitable for Atletico? What are the problems with Atletico today?
【Classical 442, the magic weapon of Atletico's "counterattack"】
Atletico Madrid was once called a civilian team because they were not very top-notch compared to the other two super giants in La Liga. Atletico Madrid in the 13th and 14th seasons, almost no one can look forward to their journey in the league, and La Liga still seems to be a duo between Real Madrid and Barcelona as usual.
However, in a seemingly gloomy cloud, Simeone led the Sheets Army to almost create a miracle in Spanish football - in the league, they achieved 28 wins, 6 draws and 4 losses in 38 games with 90 points, and beat Barca and Real Madrid with a slight advantage of three points, successfully ending Barca Real Madrid's monopoly on la Liga champions for 10 seasons. Simeone's side also made their way to the Champions League – they easily finished first place in the group stage with an unbeaten record of 5 wins and 1 draw, and beat AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea in the knockout stages, and met their old rivals Real Madrid in La Liga.
Had it not been for the injuries of Diego Costa and Turan before the crucial battle, which made it impossible for the Sheets to send their full strength to the Champions League final, they may have ushered in a season that shocked the world – even so, they still fought Real Madrid to the end.
Despite the regret of missing the Champions League, it is undeniable that Atletico Madrid in the 13th and 14th seasons still ushered in its own success - the backward tactic 442, which was once denied by fans, proved its worth, and Simeone's unique pickiness about defense also proved to be able to occupy a place in modern football where tactics are changing relatively rapidly. Since then, Simeone's status at Atletico Madrid has skyrocketed and the club is willing to sign him on a long term contract.
Since the 13th to 14th season, atletico Madrid's top brass has not only been a La Liga title, but a push to a higher Champions League title. A series of reinforcement goals proposed by Simeone were met to the greatest extent, and the team's top brass gave the Argentine coach as much support as possible in terms of public opinion. Despite the ups and downs of the Champions League in the following seasons, and even reaching the final again, Simeone's team has never been able to reach the top of the continent. In the league, although the team can remain in the first line, overall La Liga has returned to the era of real Madrid and Barca two-man transfer.
In the 20-21 season, Atletico Madrid suffered a bad start to the Champions League - Bayern Munich woke up Simeone with a clean 4-0, after which the Sheets Army stumbled in the group stage, and finally achieved only 2 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss with 9 points. In the quarter-finals, they were eliminated by Chelsea in two legs, ending their Champions League journey early. After that, Atletico Madrid adjusted its strategic direction in time, and the 442 and the three-back system intersected, and killed a path in the unpromising situation, and finally forced Real Madrid to win the championship.
Looking at the giants of today's world football, Atletico Madrid is one of the few teams that regards the 442 formation as the first choice. The Team's tactical choices are inextricably linked to those of their head coach, Simeone, with a relatively retro two-striker configuration and a pair of four midfielders with the best ability to intercept and press (fans even once referred to Atletico Madrid's four midfielders as "four backs", because Simeone attached great importance to the defensive interception ability of the midfielders, and the arrangements in attack were relatively limited). In the offensive process, Simeone's tactics require more emphasis on efficiency, not to create offensive tactics for a player like Barca, but to emphasize the integrity of the process from defense to attack, hoping to knock on the opponent's door through a crisp and clean attack such as defensive counterattack.
Simeone treats players in all positions equally, and even Felix, who is superior in the Portuguese Premier League and does not have to participate in too many defensive tasks, still cannot escape the heavy defensive task after joining the Sheets Army. Extremely holistic defensive formation and high-intensity tactical execution requirements, to create a rapid transformation of attack and defense, strong defensive performance of the iron defense line, more than 70 games of 1:0 victories so that Simeone's "one-goal concept" resounded throughout Europe, and even became the object of imitation by many middle and lower-class teams.
Of course, the success of Simeone's 442 formation has a lot to do with the tactics tailored to the team, but it is also related to a group of "hexagonal players" with outstanding ability. With the main members of the 442 system fading out of the main line and even leaving the team, today's Atletico Madrid, although it continues to use the 442 formation, the overall performance on both ends of the attack and defense is far less than that year, and even shows an overall collapse - this season, the Sheets Army has only played two 1:0 scores (1:0 in La Liga on August 23, 2021, and 1:0 in La Liga on November 12, 2021).
In this context, although Simeone also tried to make small repairs to the team's offensive and defensive tactics, the entrenched tactical ideas and the offensive concept that has never been systematic over the years have made the team lose its direction after breaking away from the solid defense, and now Atletico's attack is still a backwater, but the defense is far less stable than it was then. Over time, it has become an embarrassing situation in which the attack cannot be defended.
[Three defenders change moves, there are joys and worries]
The drawbacks of 442 were not fully revealed this season, as early as last season, with the arrival of Suarez, Condobia and others, coupled with the departure of Morata and Thomas, atletico's main system has undergone a series of changes. In order to ensure competitiveness, Simeone made a timely formation change and sacrificed a three-back system based on the continuation of the 442 to help the team stabilize the team at a timely timely time and lay a solid foundation for the final championship.
The so-called three-back system, in the defensive state can be understood as 532, in the offensive state, the two wing-back positions will be greatly pressed forward to the midfield, thus forming 352. On the counter-attack, the two wing-backs were even used as two wingers, and the team's formation was changed to 334.
The most obvious change in this set of tactical ideas is the overall shift of the defensive center of gravity, the emergence of the five-back structure effectively enhances the lateral interception area of the back line, relying on the three defenders in the middle to effectively fill the rib gap in the defensive hinterland, while the tactical positioning of the two wing-backs can be up and down to protect the midfield, but also can timely adduction to fill the gap behind the back. From the defensive end, the flexible change of the three-back-five is flexible compared to the 442 formation, and the horizontal pressing strength of the midfield, although it has been reduced, is more in line with Simeone's defensive counterattack base, and the increasingly old Suarez can also relieve a lot of defensive pressure and face a long schedule.
In the three-centre-back architecture, Simeone's personnel use relatively fixed, with more changes occurring on the left and forward.
Carrasco, who returned from the Chinese Super League, once became a substitute for the team, but his outstanding performance in the limited playing time once again conquered Simeone and gradually became the main force of the team, and the personal breakthrough on the left side and the threat of the ball pass are important links that cannot be ignored at Atletico Madrid's attacking end. Although there is still a gap between Lemar's overall performance and the Monaco period, it has gradually integrated into the atmosphere of the team under the new tactical system, and its comprehensive offensive and defensive performance is reflected in the overall performance of the game. Suarez's strong goal-scoring ability provides a "lower limit" for Simeone's defensive counter-attack system, and the gorgeous stats of 21 goals in 38 games in the debut season allow Atletico to still launch a threatening attack in a background environment that focuses on solid defense.
Atletico Madrid's defensive ability is unquestionable, the interlocking midfield system combined with the world's top goalkeeper Oblak's repeated pokes, breaking the sheets of the team's goal is definitely a headache for countless La Liga forwards. Looking at the offensive end, perhaps many fans will mistakenly think that Simeone's tactical system lacks offensive routines and relies too much on the individual ability of players.
Admittedly, Atletico Madrid's routine on the offensive end is relatively single, but it is not useless. In the process of advancing from the back, Atletico Madrid's formation can change from a relatively large defensive coverage area of 532 to 352, and after entering the opposing half, the two-sided wing-back can even play the role of winger, attacking the opponent's goal from all angles. At the same time, the Sheet Legion can also reconstruct the 442 system in a short period of time through the retraction of the back, the two wing-backs can briefly play the role of two full-backs, and the retreat of the back also ensures the gap behind the two sides of the defensive system.
All in all, the team's formation changes in the attack are relaxed, whether it is 352 or 442 has been rehearsed in multiple strong dialogues, which provides a strong guarantee for the team in the final championship stage.
Specifically, carrasco's left-wing attacking system relies more on individual ability, with the Belgian's individual breakout and shots being iconic features of the Sheets' left-wing attack. On the right, the offensive tricks are more complicated, and although Llorente's personal ability is not as good as Carrasco,but with the English full-back Trippier who has outstanding upper and lower ability and good offensive and defensive performance, he can also effectively support the offensive system.
Carrasco's flanks are highly capable of individual breakthroughs
These three players are a key link in the Sheets Army's attack on the flanks and the driving force behind Atletico Madrid's attack. On the one hand, it ensures that the team can organize an effective attack on the flank; on the other hand, even if the team's attack fails, Atletico Madrid's defensive system can effectively limit the opponent's counterattack to the flank, creating time for the construction of the defensive system.
This set of offensive and defensive systems seems simple, but it is by no means easy to complete. Through several years of practice, Simone gradually took shape in the tempering of actual combat. Until the second half of last season, due to the impact of the new crown epidemic and the stalemate of new signings, atletico Madrid's overall performance was once impacted, and as many as double-digit lead was eroded into single digits, and even risked being overtaken by Real Madrid. It can be said that although Atletico Madrid still won the championship in the end, many problems at both ends of its attack and defense have begun to appear.
【Steel defense line has become a thing of the past】
At the end of last season, Atletico's overall performance was greatly tested, losing points in the face of weak teams, if it were not for the huge early lead, it may be likely that Real Madrid would achieve a miracle of back-end reversal. After entering the transfer window, in response to the needs of various positions, Simeone once again offered the "buying man's law", the most important of which was the purchase of DePaul from Udinese and the transfer fee of 35 million euros, and the loan from Barcelona to Griezmann, the core of the team. In addition, Cunha, which was purchased from Keta Berlin for 30 million euros, is also an important signing for the team in the front line.
The reinforcement of personnel is more happening on the offensive end, and the main members of Atletico's defensive end in the new season have not changed much, so a series of defensive problems that existed last season still continue into this season. In Atletico Madrid's defensive system, Jimenez, Felipe and Hermoso are the three main players, and they have made 18, 18 and 26 appearances this season. In addition, Montenegrin star Savage has declined in his main position this season, but he can still share a certain amount of playing time.
This set of personnel reserves may still be abundant in the 442 system, but there are some personnel deficiencies in the 352 tactical system, which is already a huge test for defenders. Once a player is injured or plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, atletico's defence is often severely understaffed, and a short-term cameo does not guarantee simeone's emphasis on defensive quality, often causing the backline to be in chaos. As the schedule progresses, the drawbacks of strengthening the backline at the beginning of the horse racing season are gradually exposed, and perhaps in the winter window that has arrived, the team should strengthen the defense in a targeted manner.
In addition to the problem of squad depth, simeone's once proud defensive tactics may also have some problems. Since the initial attempt at the three-back system last season, Atletico's backline has initially improved in terms of defensive intensity, and although the offensive and defensive pressure of the two wing-backs is large, the good villains can effectively ensure the quality of the side defense, and with the already self-contained midfield defense system of the Shangqi Legion, it seems that the defensive problem is not big. However, with the opponent's targeted analysis of Atletico's defense, the team's tactical shortcomings on the defensive end have gradually been exposed this season.
The first is the selection of personnel, whether it is Savage, or Felipe, Jimenez and Hermoso, who have played more times, there is no doubt about their personal ability, but the technical characteristics are pure central defenders. In the three-back system, the two defenders on both sides not only need the strong point-to-point defensive ability of the center-back, but also need to have a certain degree of full-back speed and sense of complementation. Once the wing-backs have no way to defend in time, the two defenders who are close to the wing will need to use their own speed to quickly pull the side to make up for the position.
But from the current actual situation, there is a clear lack of this type of defender in the Atletico squad. Felipe, Jimenez, Hermoso and Savage are all full-time centre-backs, and their frontal defensive ability is naturally unquestionable, but their full-back attributes are not obvious, and there are even problems with insufficient turning speed. The incompatibility of the defender's tactical position has caused Atletico's defense to remain flawed in the seemingly stable, which has gradually led to the spectacle we have seen this season - the Sheets Army, known for its defensive counterattacks, has even been frequently used by opponents to break through.
In addition, considering that the interception force in the middle of the midfield in the 352 formation is not as good as that of the 442, Atletico's personnel reserves in the midfield position are not obvious when looking at the back. In other words, today's Atletico Madrid has been unable to make up the "four-back system" that shocked Spain, and the sharp decline in interception ability has caused Atletico to form a first-time bag restriction on the opponent's ball carrier in midfield, and the direct pressure on the defender line has increased significantly. Over time, even Simeone's defensive system was unsustainable, and the lack of flexibility was exposed in many strong dialogues.
Today, Cork is one of the few "products of the last era" in the Atletico Madrid squad, and the Spanish star debuted at Atletico Madrid and has been with the team for 13 seasons so far. The four-back system he once composed with Saul, Rodri and Thomas, which combined running and interception, was the core link of Simeone's defense and looking forward to attack. However, with Rodri joining Manchester City, Thomas joining Arsenal and Saul joining Chelsea, the team experienced a wave of personnel replacement in midfield, and the arrival of a group of technical midfielders declared Simeone's determination to change, but in the throes of the replacement, the team also had to accept the embarrassing situation of unable to attack and defend.
This season, Cork is still the team's main player in midfield, but his problems with defensive interceptions are more obvious than ever. As mentioned earlier, atletico Madrid's three defenders are all full-time centre-backs, and there is no doubt about their frontal defensive ability, but their mobility is obviously insufficient. In this context, the midfield defensive system led by Cork needs to take on a lot of defensive work, and even retreat to the defensive line when necessary to assist the three defenders in defending.
But judging by his current performance, Cork has not shown his ability to qualify as a defensive midfielder. Simeone's iron-blooded defense seems to have lost its magic, Atletico Madrid is tired of defending, and the offensive performance is lacking in order, relying more on the inspiration of the players, and over time, although there are elite players in the team, they cannot fully show their strength.
【Conclusion】
The past decade has been an indelible golden upswing in the history of Atletico Madrid. Once known as a civilian team, no one believed that they could break Real Madrid's barcelona monopoly on the La Liga title even if the three armies used their lives. Since then, Simeone has led his disciples forward with their heads held high, creating miracles, and even winning in the Champions League. There may be regrets, but Simeone's legacy for the team is rich enough that he deserves to be the "godfather of Atletico".
But even the most gorgeous story exists only in memory, and today's bed linen legion still needs to move forward. In terms of value, they are no longer the so-called civilian teams - the total value of the team has reached 631 million euros, ranking 9th in world football, and even higher than Barcelona, Juventus and other old European giants.
Of course, the level of value is not directly proportional to the quality of the record. But the value can undoubtedly also be used as a good reference - today's Atletico may lack strong help in some links, but it is by no means to the point of lack of major generals. In other words, even if there are still important players leaving the team (Trippier) in the winter window, there is no need for fans to look down on Atletico's personnel reserves, even if they are in a gloomy cloud today, the team may lose hope of winning the title, but it is still possible to ensure that the top four and win in the Champions League are still possible.
Thinking rationally, the Sheets Are currently in fourth place in the league, one point ahead of Barcelona in 6th place, and on the same points as Real Sociedad in 5th place, and are basically stable on the edge of the first ranks in La Liga overall. In the Champions League, the team's performance in the group stage, although ups and downs, drew the same red Devils Manchester United in the quarter-finals. In other words, from the overall performance of each field, although atletico Madrid has declined in terms of competitive status this season, it has not completely lost the hope of climbing the peak on all fronts. Determining the real framework of the team, stabilizing the transition to today's tactical changes, I believe that Simeone will still give us a satisfactory answer.