Friday, March 29, 2024
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Simeone and the stubbornness of defending the indefensible

Another week with the same speech. Another week with the same feelings. Atlético de Madrid continues to die in a season to forget and that reminds others in which names were succeeded on the bench such as Gregorio Manzano, César Ferrando, Pepe Murcia, Javier Aguirre or Abel Resino. This Atlético, above all because of their inexplicable defensive insecurity and because of the chaos they seem to have on a mental level, reminds us of those desperate teams that walked through the fields of Spain alternating good days with days to turn off the television and get under the sheets for a month. Then Cholo arrived, he closed his goal and everything was balanced. Now, that same goal is open, on sale and with special bonuses for rival strikers.

What happens to Atlético de Madrid? That’s the big question. How is it possible that all games fit at least two goals? Because, respecting a lot the match of a Barcelona that deserved to win on the street, right now Atlético de Madrid is losing against Atlético de Madrid. So clear. They boycott themselves. At this moment, it doesn’t matter if they face Barcelona or Levante, which is at the bottom. Any team that has forwards alive and with two legs hurt Oblak and co. With that they breathe and coordinate, goal. Some without even coordinating. You just have to see what happens after the game with the teams that get something positive against Simeone’s team. They do not usually maintain that level of football or punch up against other rivals. Why? Because playing with Atlético today is playing against a team without a defense.

Yesterday I said it on social networks after Jordi Alba’s 1-1: Mario Hermoso was being humiliated by Adama Traore. Three times they were measured and three times in which Hermoso looked like a stuffed animal in the hands of a giant. Seriously, watch the game again, because I’m not exaggerating. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… Mario kept making rude mistakes and on the other side of the field, with Vrsaljko, more of the same. Atlético played yesterday with nine! It was a 4-3-3 on the board that actually hid a 2-3-3. There were no full-backs to defend. And I feel very sorry for Hermoso and Vrsaljko who logically try to do their job as well as possible, however, they do not succeed. It’s reality. Painful reality, on the other hand. For whatever, but they are not at the level. Who keeps putting yes or yes in the field? Simeone.

As I say in the headline of the column referring to the defenders, Cholo is defending the indefensible and that is condemning him and the team. I fully understand that the Argentine does not want to single out or leave in the lurch players who recently made him League champion and who surely work hard every day, but Atlético is not an NGO nor is it a rehabilitation center. If Hermoso, Vrsaljko, Felipe, Koke, De Paul, Maradona, Pelé or Oliver Atom are visibly offside in each and every match, bench. And if in a few weeks they return to the level required by a team that should aspire to everything, headlines. The problem is that Simeone is insisting on turning the tables with the usual and that causes frustration in those who do not play and lack of demand in the headlines. And stubbornly, no one beats Cholo. They are not at the Simeone level, you have to see it once and for all, because the first few times it can be the fault of the players, that’s what they play for, but if the coach sees that they are not and continues to put them by decree, the blame is no longer it belongs to them but to him who puts them.

I keep the focus on Cholo because I think he is the one who has to make decisions and he is not doing it. Painful, surely, like taking ownership away from players who leave everything on the field, but the indefensible can no longer be defended. Too many opportunities have been given. Too many entitlements have been given away. Too many excuses have been made. That, instead of helping the player, only serves to feed into his head that it is not his fault but the situation and that “nothing comes out of us”.

The feeling that is felt from the outside is that the rojiblancos players think that they have been cursed this year, that they are jinxed or that the teacher has a dislike for them. One day Giménez comes out to say that they are relaxing and the other Koke to say that they are not relaxing. They were? Does each one go their own way or how is this going? Is there or is there not a united locker room? Is there or is there not a common reflection? Because seeing as yesterday poor Wass, broken on the field, was only consoled by Barcelona players, it seems that at Atlético everyone holds their candle. By the way, bad Cholo for forcing Wass to re-enter. He didn’t know the extent of the injury, but you don’t have to be a doctor to see that a player with his hands on his knee and writhing in pain has something, Cholo. You force him to enter. To others, who do not give for more, you never force them to leave.

Anyway, as you can see, another day that I hardly mention the rival, in this case Barcelona. And that happens because Atlético de Madrid’s main rival this year is Atlético de Madrid itself. Simeone’s rival is Simeone. The one with Beautiful is Beautiful. Koke’s is Koke. And so on. They make painful decisions Simeone because you have players who are not giving the level and you still put them on. If you keep defending the indefensible it will be very difficult to defend yourself. After all, if you keep putting players who don’t give the level, you won’t be giving it either.

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