JUST WEEKS AGO THEY WERE CALLING FOR EL CHOLO TO GO - NOW ATLETICO MADRID ARE CONTENDERS - WHAT'S HAPPENED?
Football is like that! Football has its highs and lows, victories and defeats…but Cholo is very knowledgeable about all of this. Despite having been in charge of Atlético Madrid for 13 years, ‘El Cholo’ Diego Simeone still knows and understands the source of the criticisms and compliments…and also if the criticisms are constructive or not.
I believe that this has been Simeone’s best season in terms of the reinforcements he has made, last summer, regarding players like Julián Alvarez and also getting back Samuel Lino too…who had been on loan to Valencia in the previous season.
There is strength in depth in his squad and Simeone has managed to keep all the players happy, including those who are often on the bench, which is really difficult. Indeed, Atlético Madrid are now winning matches in injury time… after the 90 minute mark. Players have come off the bench in the dying minutes to willingly and happily do their job well in helping the team win at the death…and giving the manager a hug too.
This sense of unity is what Simeone has achieved. It’s a real team and solid too. They are playing really well. The defense is solid and he’s using young players in the midfield that are working well together. The veteran ‘Koke’ is the captain but even he is having to fight like any other player in the squad just to be in the starting line-up… as the younger players in his position are doing the job just fine.
Their forwards are spectacular too, including players like Julián Alvarez and Sørloth. Also, their emblematic striker Griezmann is having a really great season too. The team is solid, they fight for every ball and there is solidarity too. Simeone was criticized for being too demanding of his players in the past, but the current results show that ‘El Cholo’ is currently being successful with those very same players and along with some choice additions to the squad too.
Yes, I believe that there is a possibility that Atlético Madrid can win La Liga, even though there is a long way to go in terms of matches. They have the most possibility of winning La Liga because they are the best team without doubt. In the past, when Simeone’s Atlético were first or second in the league during the Christmas holidays, they went on to win La Liga. Both the manager and the team are convinced that they can succeed again.
They have played some spectacular matches away from home…against Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. In those stadiums, when you gain valuable points there…that’s when you win leagues. It’s logical. Yes, Cerezo should bring in a player or two to strengthen the squad. It will be worth the investment.
IS VINI JR THE BEST IN THE WORLD? WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF REAL MADRID'S BALLON d'OR SNUB?
Vinicius is a distinctive player, he is able to revolutionise a match and influences 50, 000 people with his gesturing on the pitch and his way of playing. In terms of quality, I’m not sure that I would say that he is the best player in the world. However, when Real Madrid have been ‘lost at sea’ in key matches… Vinicius has ‘saved the day’ with his goals and determination and style of play. He has won many titles, it has to be said.
That said, you have to respect the voters, the specialised journalists who vote for the Ballon d’Or. For everything he has done for his club (Manchester City) and his country (Spain), Rodri really deserved the award. Indeed, he is the first Spaniard to win the Ballon d’Or since 1960!
Real Madrid have lacked respect towards ‘football’ in general, by the snubbing the awards. Rodri really deserved to win the award! Real Madrid just did not respect the many informed journalists who voted for Rodri. This is not the way to do things. Perhaps Real Madrid may be one of the richest clubs in the world but you don’t win football with money...it’s the players who win matches and titles and awards.
LONG-TERM CAN KYLIAN MBAPPE AND VINI JR BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SAME TEAM?
It has cost Mbappe a lot to adapt at Real Madrid in his first six months here in Spain. You see, at Real Madrid you are expected to win and always. The pressure is on to win everything. Their fans are amazing, the atmosphere at their stadium is very special and the majority of the football journalists working in the capital are Real Madrid fans too! All of this helps too, it has to be said. You have to be humble when you join as a new player at Real Madrid and it hasn’t been that easy for Mbappe as he was top dog in France.
That said, Mbappe is going to be phenomenon at Real Madrid. He is a potent footballer with a great shot and his goals are spectacular too. He is fast on the pitch and has humility too. He also speaks great Spanish. These are all important positives regarding his growth as a footballer in Real Madrid.
Opposition teams are going to suffer when Vinicius and Mbappe are playing together because they are distinctive players, they are phenomenal! No other team has players like them.
JUST WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO BARCELONA OVER THE PAST MONTH?
Because their dream began with a good coach (Xavi) with whom which ‘Tiki-taka’ was still part of the Catalan’s philosophy. This meant possession football and passing the ball around 800 times! However, when the German Hansi Flick took over…he changed the DNA of the team in terms of playing football. It might involve just a couple of passes but always with an eye on scoring a goal. Very German!
He has done this with a young and renewed squad along with veterans like Lewandowski and experienced players like Raphinha. It’s an interesting experiment as teams go. The tactic was to hold back in midfield and score on the counter-attack with great passes to able forwards. However, after 10 matches, 2 key players got injured and the team has lacked strength in depth to cover for those injured players who were vital for FC Barcelona’s system of play…which had been working very well until then.
Their financial problems have also affected them…and that translates onto the pitch too. If you are hungry, you don’t sell your house! They are trying to sell parts of the club to get solvent and find a solution for their bad investments over the years.
Going back to the football, they have had bad luck with injuries and especially with their young players too. On top of that, their star player Gavi was out injured for about 11 months and that has affected them too. Casadó has been either sanctioned or injured and has missed key matches and Ansu Fati has pretty much faded away. He was a once-promising player but is not playing much first-team football these days. Then look at the mess with Olmo. They spent 55 million euros on him and he can’t currently be registered to play.
If he has to go, Bayern Munich and both Manchester club will readily accommodate him. FC Barcelona have lost against smallish teams like Alavés and Las Palmas, which is not a good sign. Giving the very young defender Pau Cubarsí so much responsibility worked well… until the key injuries occurred and now he has become a liability because the tactics have changed on the pitch due to the teams having to adapt in difficult circumstances. Now, the tables have turned and opposition teams are holding back …and using counter-attacking tactics against FC Barcelona.
IS CARLOS CORBERAN THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR VALENCIA?
First of all, in football it seems that the easiest thing to do is always to sack the manager. When objectives are not met, that’s what happens in football. A good while back, things were difficult for Baraja and Valencia were struggling. Due to the club’s lack of investment and lack of signings, Baraja had little choice and out of necessity he introduced 6 or 7 lads from the ‘Mestalla’ team to play in the first team of Valencia CF and they did a fantastic job.
Suddenly, Baraja was being called the greatest manager in the world at that time! However, during this difficult season, Baraja “lost the dressing room” as Valencia stayed at the bottom of La Liga. Indeed, the players lost faith in the manager as the team continued to lose points…whatever changes Baraja was making with the varying line-ups for each match.
Regarding Carlos Corberan, I like the detail that he arrived at 7am at the training ground “to put the house in order.” The players would be due to arrive 2 hours later and Carlos Corberan would already know about all the players, each of their names and their strengths and weaknesses and the installations at Valencia CF’s ‘Paterna’ training ground too. In total, Corberan stayed 14 hours on his first day at Paterna!
Another detail I like is that Carlos Corberan was the legendary coach Marcelo Bielsa’s assistant at Leeds Utd for 2 years. He will have learnt a lot from Bielsa, including about punctuality and discipline. Like Bielsa, with his attention to detail, Corberan will be looking to put out the very best team for each match and treating each match like a final. Given Valencia’s precarious situation, this approach will be vital in their fight to avoid relegation.