La Liga Discussion 2016/17

Safe to say Atleti are out of the title race

What happened to them this season? Fully concentrating on CL?

It's a combination of aging lineup and "world against us underdog" motivation starting to wear thin.

I dont think Simeone has found his best line up yet. He keeps juggling between Torres and Gameiro, between Savic and Gimenez and between Saul and Tiago. It also looks like some players are failing him. I remember against us after Ronaldo scored his third goal, Koke stopped running and Simeone berated him on the sidelines. Not to mention Griezmann and his drop in form. They relied on his goals last season, nowadays he is happier giving interviews every other week than getting out of his slump

halamadrid2 wrote:I dont think Simeone has found his best line up yet. He keeps juggling between Torres and Gameiro, between Savic and Gimenez and between Saul and Tiago. It also looks like some players are failing him. I remember against us after Ronaldo scored his third goal, Koke stopped running and Simeone berated him on the sidelines. Not to mention Griezmann and his drop in form. They relied on his goals last season, nowadays he is happier giving interviews every other week than getting out of his slump

It's almost mid season. Simeone has been here for years and they hardly changed the squad. Then again, I can be wrong.

I think it's more due to the new signings not settling, their defence making mistakes due to Gimenez or Savic and Saul not playing as good as he did last season, not to mention Carrasco breaking into the line up after being on the bench last season

None of the teams capitalised on our draw with Barca. Sevilla lost, Atleti and Villarreal drew

Atletico are a team undergoing a change in philoshophy, which is coming with a price. There have been a lot of debates in the spanish press about the transition Atletico Madrid are trying to make, and that's pretty much what it boils down to.

Simeone is a coach well aware that the way he has been playing in the past 3 or so seasons, with double DMs and defensive wingers is not sustainable. It's near impossible to stay at a club so long and not to make the way you play football evolve into something different. It's as natural as it's necessary. They have lost that defensive edge they used to have while trying to become a team that attack faster and faster. It's become natural now to see Koke sitting in midfield as one of the double pivot while in past season he was outwide. On the left Carrasco is playing more often, Gaitan has arrived as well, Saul plays even further forward at times.

This Atletico is changing, and while they are transitioning, they will struggle a great deal in la liga week to week. You can look at the way RM beat them down, that game was night and day compared to the one we played last february. And while we played a great game, i also think we played a different Atletico side.

People making fun of Ronaldo asking for offside on Morata's goal but what about this. Pique asking for handball on Rakitic

lmao

he's asking for handball so that people don't blame him for suspect defending, but rather deflect the blame to rakitic

RealGunner wrote:What happened to them this season? Fully concentrating on CL?

lmao they were always going to be a 1-2 season wonder

when simeone leaves they'll be back to the scrubs used to be

You should give them their due. Simeone has been with them for 5 (?) seasons and they have been competing on all fronts in every single one of those seasons. They are in abit of a funk but they have Theo Hernandez on loan doing really well for Alaves and who will replace Luis who has always been average, they just bought Versajlko who will take over from Juanfran another defender stealing a living. Like Nick said they are in transition but not due to style of play but by being in the process of phasing out the old guards and introducing the newer ones

They are not a "1-2 season wonder" because they have been elite for way more than that.

For what they have done so far, they deserve to be respected. One league title and two CL finals in three years? Right there, that's the very definition of elite.

halamadrid2 wrote:You should give them their due. Simeone has been with them for 5 (?) seasons and they have been competing on all fronts in every single one of those seasons.

they have been on THAT level for 3 years

before 2013 they were europa leauge level at best, blessed with great strikers over and over again

They have been great since 2012. Hardly a 1-2 season wonder like you describe them as

Myesyats wrote:
lmao they were always going to be a 1-2 season wonder

Myesyats wrote:
they have been on THAT level for 3 years

stop flip flopping,If you cannot even get the basic rights, i think we should not listen to you lol

not a 1-2 season wonder, they've overachieved since simeone...based on what they where before him, winning the europa league twice was a major achievement, so too coming 3rd in the league. and they didn't slip on a banana peel and stumble into the forwards they did. you cannot put that down to luck

i do agree with you (Myesyats) that they'll go back to regular scheduled programming when simeone leaves.

3-3 with Betis and Celta and once again, Betis getting done in by a late equaliser. I think this the 3rd time in 4 matches they are letting this happen.

Mr Nick09 wrote:

Myesyats wrote:
lmao they were always going to be a 1-2 season wonder

Myesyats wrote:
they have been on THAT level for 3 years

stop flip flopping,If you cannot even get the basic rights, i think we should not listen to you lol

They are in CL for 2 years..... so I was "right" in my initial post

Made it 3 years just because i am generous but it still made Hala's post look dumb

linetty, pls

Lol. Unbelievable

Sandro killing it for Malaga this season

terrance511 wrote:linetty, pls

eh? It was Hala who said Atleti have been on THAT level for 5 years whereas not too long ago they were casually losing 5-0, 4-1 etc to Barcelona on regular basis.

btw i meant 1-2 YEAR wonder, not season (that makes 3 seasons + the one we are currently in)

Hm I wouldn't call them a 2 season or year wonder myself but I can kind of see where he's coming from.

Thing is: Simeone took Atletico to a new level. They are a major force in spanish and even european football now. That's why I wouldn't call them a 2 year wonder myself. But in the league they only competed with Real and Barca twice. I guess that's the idea behind calling them that. Simeone took them to a new level but these two years were still outliers.

Myesyats wrote:

terrance511 wrote:linetty, pls

eh? It was Hala who said Atleti have been on THAT level for 5 years whereas not too long ago they were casually losing 5-0, 4-1 etc to Barcelona on regular basis.

btw i meant 1-2 YEAR wonder, not season (that makes 3 seasons + the one we are currently in)

you said 1-2 years, then 3 years, now 3 seasons.

make up your mind lol, or maybe... pipe it?

I said 1-2 years, then 3 years. Then I concluded that it makes 3 seasons -- 15/16; 14/15; 13/14

Everything makes sense, so seriously if you have nothing to say then bounce.