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#4 Let go of the handbrakes
Under Simeone, Atleti has acquired a reputation as a tough-as-nails, difficult-to-beat team that always seeks to be defensively resolute while being ruthless upfront by converting the few chances they create/mistakes they force.
While this tactic was very successful in the early years of El Cholo’s reign when the team won two Europa cups and a La Liga title aswell as getting to two UEFA Champions League finals, Atleti is no longer seen as a team of plucky underdogs but as one of the European elite that exist on a level just below the big three: Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Simeone’s safety-first approach has been figured out and as such, the team will need to become more proactive and daring in seeking to stamp their authority on opponents next season.
A look at Atleti’s record against the big teams this season in La Liga and European football shows the jaded nature of the team’s current approach as seen in 6 games against their fellow Top 4 teams in the league, Simeone’s men have only recorded a single victory against Valencia while they have drawn 3 and lost once.
In the UCL, Los Colchoneros in 4 games against Chelsea and AS Roma could only record one win (a 2-0 triumph over AS Roma) while they drew twice and lost once to the Blues.
These records show that Atleti have to become more daring in attack, and while this may lead to more concession of goals, the team with the firepower it currently has (and will add in the summer) can and should score more than it currently does.
