Should Atletico Madrid sack Simeone?

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2022

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Atletico Madrid used to be a trigger savvy club when Diego Simeone first took charge of the club back in 2011.

The Argentinian replaced Gregorio Manzano, who was dismissed by Los Rojiblancos once before in 2001.

In between Manzano’s two dismissals, nine more head coaches were let go by the Atletico hierarchy.

A chance hiring that paid off

Having spent five years at Atletico as a player, Simeone was no stranger to the Vicente Calderon climate.

As a manager, however, he did not have much European experience.

But, the board decided to take a chance on him anyway. It turned out to be one of the best decisions they ever made.

Atletico finished fifth that year and won the Europa League.

The next season, Atletico overcame their city rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.

It was Atletico’s first win over Real in 26 competitive meetings. But the real surprise came the season that followed.

Atletico Madrid defied all odds to win the La Liga in 2013/14 and came close to lifting the Champions League as well.

They became the Champions League runner-ups again in 2016, won the Europa League again two years later, and reclaimed the La Liga title in 2021.

He built a winning mentality

Simeone’s tactical approach is not universally admired, but even his harshest critic can’t deny that Simeone has brought about revolutionary changes in the club over the past decade or so.

But, has he taken the club as far as he could? Has ‘’Simeone Ball’’ hit the saturation point?

Atletico’s surprisingly dismal form in 2021/22 begs this question.

Yes, Atletico had won the league only eight months ago under Simeone, but there are countless instances of managerial dismissals months after winning a major silverware.

Modern football is capitalistically brutal, and past achievements barely give managers any elbow room these days.

How bad are we talking?

Atletico Madrid just got kicked out from the Copa del Rey losing to Real Sociedad, they lost the Spanish Super Cup semi-final to Bilbao, and they are 16 points adrift the top spot in the league.

Domestically things are going pretty terrible.

Simeone’s men are still in the Champions League.

But, they were incredibly lucky to make it past the group round as they lost three matches as opposed to their two wins.

The resilience and fight of classic Simeone’s Atletico were rarely present.

Why are Atletico Madrid struggling?

First of all, they are not good going forward.

Antoine Griezmann looks like a shadow of the player who used to terrorise the opposition wearing the Atletico shirt.

Luis Suarez seems set for an exit after falling out with Simeone.

Joao Felix shows bits and pieces of his quality every now and then but his sporadic brilliance doesn’t justify his €127 million price-tag.

Matheus Cunha was brought in for €26m but he didn’t get enough chances to make an impact.

But, it’s Atletico’s form on the other end of the pitch that will be of more concern to Simeone.

Shoddy Defence

Over the years, Atletico have built a reputation for their excellent defending.

In 2015/16, they conceded only 18 goals throughout the season, which happens to be a La Liga record.

This season, they have shipped 24 goals in only 20 La Liga matches.

Last season, the reigning Spanish champions let in only 25 goals in the entire season.

Moving away from his working formula can be cited as the root of this problem.

Diego Simeone has been the most notable user of the classic 4-4-2 in modern football, and it has served him good.

To make the best use of Atletico’s current attacking assets, however, the 51-year-old has been experimenting with some other formations.

In his last five Atletico matches, Simeone has gone for four different formations including a 4-5-1, 3-5-2, 4-4-2, and a 4-2-3-1.

Needs to act fast

We believe it’s still too soon for Diego Simeone to worry about his job at Atletico Madrid.

He has just signed a new three year contract at the club.

Not to mention, he has executive-like powers at the club, thanks to his incredible legacy.

But, Simeone would be well aware of the fact that the tables might turn on him if he fails to stop the rot anytime soon.

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.