COLUMN: Why Atletico Madrid need to shift slightly back towards their roots despite attacking flare
Any keen La Liga follower will already be aware Atletico Madrid have never been in a better position in the past five years. Despite winning the league with ex-Barcelona star Luis Suarez, the best football that Diego Simeone’s team has played has been in the past 365 days. While it is in great part due to the return of club legend Antoine Griezmann, there is no doubt that Simeone has been tailoring his approach to opponents much better than he used to in the past. After all, he’s been with the club for over ten years – a lot of things have changed.
Veteran La Liga fans will remember the years of Jose Maria Gimenez and Diego Godin, who in their prime formed part of one of the best defensive partnerships in the history of modern football. The stereotype of Atletico Madrid being defensive lives on, impervious to the fact that it has been their biggest problem in recent years. Worryingly enough, it does not look like the club is worried about it. While Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu joined the team last summer, he has barely featured. The closest Atletico have come to a deal this winter is Moise Kean, who is the exact opposite, a forward.
If there is one thing that will get in the way of this Atletico, it is precisely the lack of defensive care. Stefan Savic and Mario Hermoso have been great, but their shortage of defensive domination in one-on-one challenges has proved to be a source of concern for Los Rojiblancos. Meanwhile, Reinildo Mandava is off to AFCON, and back in Madrid, he is still yet to be eased back into the side, despite being fit for months now. This leaves Alex Witsel alone as the last rock at the heart of the Atletico backline. As great as the Belgian has been, one solid defender is just not enough, and the
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