Scrutiny on Simeone as change turns to stagnation at Atletico

Diego Simeone has called it a transition season for Atletico Madrid but while he was best man before, results have raised doubts about wher he is right for what comes next. A 1-0 defeat at home to Barcelona this month crushed Atletico's chances of rejoining La Liga's title race before a draw away at Villarreal on Friday might have made it impossible for ar year. Yet less than an hour after Lionel Messi darted inside and fired a winner into Jan Oblak's bottom corner, Simeone was framing Atletico's season in a way he had never done previously.

"You have to understand ermous amount of change that has taken place in team and we need time to improve," he said. "We must understand we are in a year of transition." When Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez, Diego Godin, Rodri, Juanfran and Filipe Luis all departed last summer, fear was t that Atleti would need time but that y might t recover at all.

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n as replacements came in, expectations rose. Joao Felix, Hector Herrera, Kieran Trippier, Marcos Llorente, Renan Lodi, Mario Hermoso and Ivan Saponjic all signed, with Felix headline arrival. 126 million euros Atletico paid Benfica for Portuguese gem increased hope a new era would usher in a new style too. But Felix was 19, w 20, and in starting line-up against Barcelona, re was t a single player over of 29. More than just experience, Atletico have lost leadership and a sense of identity.

Godin, Juanfran and Filipe Luis were respected figures in dressing room and three out of four-man defence Atletico had come to be defined by. "My Spanish is bad and my words can be confused," said Simeone, referring to idea of a transition on Friday. "I speak of players like Lodi, who is 21 years old, and has replaced someone like Filipe, who is 34. "But I have eight years here as a coach and three as a player and anyone that believes word transition means just sunbathing and waiting for flowers to come out, y don't kw me." 

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Goals short

Few would doubt Simeone's sense of urgency but fate of someone like Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, where Simeone has been linked with a move, shows stagnation even under a cherished coach can only last so long. Simeone's problem has t just been high expectations. His claims of inexperience would be more persuasive if Atletico were suffering from naivety. Instead, ir weakness, an all too familiar one, has t been in throwing away leads but rar failing to take m.

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When y won title in 2014, Atletico had scored 43 goals at this st of season. In last three, y had 29, 25 and 24 by w and this term y have mand only 16. Tactically, Simeone's tendency is to prioritise solidity at back but he appears to have been too cautious in transfer market too. Alvaro Morata's form has been encouraging but with four league goals, he is already some way behind chief scorers at Real Madrid and Barcelona. Karim Benzema has 11 goals and Lionel Messi 12.

Moves for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in January would add us and quality but it is likely to be too late in La Liga, and perhaps even in Champions League. Atletico play Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday, needing a victory to guarantee second place in Group D and a spot in last 16. Anything less at Wanda Metropolita and y will have to match what Bayer Leverkusen man at home to Juventus, who are unlikely to be at full pelt having already won group. In rmal circumstances, Atletico would be confident of deeming Leverkusen's result in Germany irrelevant but disappointment and doubt means faith in team, and ir coach, is wavering. Simeone cant afford ar slip. 

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