Himannv...................................................................................................................................SirScholes
..........VS...........
Team Himannv (J. Rep dropped for R. Houseman)
Tactics
This is a take on Simeone's 4-4-2.
Simeone Tactics Overview
The following image (figure 1) is how they line up currently for most part.
Figure 1: Current Atletico Formation
As you can probably guess from Figure 1 and your own experience of watching them, this roughly involves the following:
Wingers
- Narrow formation.
- Players more suited to playing as CMs or AMs featuring on the flanks.
- Clever attackers who know how to find space.
- Interchangable attack with players switching positions frequently.
- Counter attack can start from anywhere on the pitch. This means players will have to be able to play that first pass well.
- Well-drilled offensive lines. Each player knows when to drop deep, when to rotate, which gap to fill, etc.
- Mid to low block depending on the opposition.
- An aggressive CB to deal with the balls lofted into the box.
- Well-drilled defensive lines. Each player knows when to drop deep, position themselves well to hold the structure, etc.
- Press can start from anywhere on the pitch, but typically it starts deeper.
- Dominant keeper.
Let's go into the above points in more detail in the following section.
How Simeone's Tactics Compare to Mine
Wingers
- Suitability: Players are more suited to playing as CMs or AMs featuring on the flanks. Koke is a good example here as most would categorize him as an AM or an attacking CM. In my case, we have Litmanen and Houseman. Both these players are well suited to playing through the middle, while also operating wider when it suits them.
- Differences: Both Litmanen and Houseman are instructed to be more offensive minded, so their focus will be on positioning themselves for a quick attack and switching positions with my attackers as oppossed to being behind the ball all the time.
Attack
- Suitability: Atletico Madrid have also built quite the reputation off of their counter attacking style of play. After winning possession, they don’t typically look to go long. Instead they look to play quick intelligent passes into their attackers. Their attack is quite mobile, often looking for spaces to run into and gaps to fill. They have a very vertical approach to their play, looking to spring their attacks quickly. Notably, they’ve also been caught offside more than any other team in the league. This is a statistic that they’ve often been at the top of the charts for over the years, but not one that they’ve ever attempted to change. In their quick counter attacking style, offsides are simply bound to happen more often.
They’ve also continued to rely on the individual ability of players like Correa and Koke to create chances through skill rather than elaborate combinations and team possession turning into brilliance. This is easily replicatable with Litmanen and Houseman in my view. Griezmann was one of the main proponents of this kind of attack as he played a big role in linking things up. In my case, I have similarly intelligent and mobile forwards in Dalglish and Keegan who will take turns in playing this role. Litmanen and Houseman also switch positions with Keegan and Dalglish at times, making this a very fluid front 4 in the attacking phase.
- Differences: Atletico operate with a more aerially dominant attacker like Morata or Diego Costa. In our case, Dalglish is reasonably good in the air, but we rely more on his ability to create space for himself and his teammates. Due to the narrow nature of the formation, this approach suits this team tactically and his intelligence will be important for this attack to function seamlessly. Keegan, as we know, is better aerially and will play that role for the team, while also being a player who can operate deeper.
Defence
Figure 2: The structure
- Suitability: As you can see in Figure 2, the team is very narrow and generally structured in two banks of four. Pressing typically starts deeper and the idea is to congest the spaces. This, of course, allows the opposition to have the ball further away from the defensive lines and the stats back this up. The central midfielders in front of the defence will patrol, close down, challenge and force backwards, leaving the defence behind them to clear any lofted deliveries into the area. They’ve kept 48% of possession in La Liga last season, only the 11th most in the league. Unsurprisingly given their block, they force their opposition into shots from outside the eighteen yard box more than any other team in La Liga. 50% of their shots against come outside of the 18-yard box, compared to 43% inside the 18 (the lowest in the league) and 7% in the 6-yard box.
Due to the high amount of lofted deliveries into the box, the likes of Diego Godin or Jimenez are vital to their success. They need that kind of an aggressive CB in there who will be an absolute beast in the air and deal with deliveries into the box. My answer to this is a player I rate a lot; Barry Hulshoff. He's an absolute physical speciment and a beast of a player. He attacks the ball brilliantly and is an exceptional fit. Blankenburg is obviously an ideal partner to have as he has loads of experience playing alongside Hulshoff and is a good defender in his own right. He cleans up behind the big man and only didn't feature for Germany because one Franz Beckenbauer happened to be playing around the same time. The fullbacks are also, first and foremost, good defenders who will join the attack only when needed and are hence ideal fits for this system.
As far as midfielders are concerned, both Giles and Szymaniak have high energy and workrate, with Szymaniak being better defensively and will mostly be playing as the DM in my setup. As such they are an ideal fit to patrol, close down and shield the area in front of the defense.
- Differences: Not many significant differences here. The setup and personnel are quite complementary for most part.
Other
- I haven't talked about the goalkeeper much for obvious reasons. Jan Oblak is obviously a perfect fit here. The numerous clean sheets are, of course, in large part down to the overall structure, ability and mentality of Atletico's team, but Oblak is a fantastic player to call upon at the last. His large frame gives him dominance inside the penalty area on high balls and a great reach for shots high or into the corners; add to that his fine reflexes and ability to spread himself and it's clear why he's such a tough goalkeeper to beat.
Team SirScholes (S. Agüero dropped for Edmundo)
Defence
We all have great players in our teams, where I feel there is an advantage is in the incredibly well balanced and functioning defence that's been assembled here, they compliment each other so well.
Tassotti (RB in AC Milans greatest ever defence) and our very own Tony Dunne (known for his lightning speed) have great athleticism to support the midfield when in control of the ball and then recover when without.
Beside Tassotti we have fellow his countryman Collovati regarded as one of Italy's greatest defenders and he is partnered by John Terry, both CBs are strong in the air, excellent man markers and very competent passers of the ball.
Midfield
Casemiro will be the shield, a strong combative player who again has a great range of passing as well as a fierce shot if left unguarded. He will be my ball winner, dropping the ball off to Hoddle who will be the main playmaker looking for the movement of the front 4. Hoddle gets a bad rep in England at times so I’ll leave Platini to sum him up;
“If Hoddle had been French, he would have won well over 100 caps and the team would have been built around him”
Hoddle is assisted in creating by Brady, where Hoddle has a vast array of passing Brady will pose a different threat with his fast dribbling, gliding past his man, drawing in others and slipping in the runs from my wingers and forward.
Forwards
Some South American flair up top, on the left we have Tostao, not blessed with speed or strength but incredibly intelligent, he can play anywhere across the front line, if Edmundo drops deep Tostao can run in behind, 249 goals in 378 apps for a player that was not recognised as all out striker is not bad. Where the left has a more “david silva” style player the right side has a speed demon, one of the greatest dribblers in his prime in Ariel Ortega, the highly talented playmaker who had an eye for goal with his little chips. Tostao and Ortega have licence to run in behind Edmundo who likes to come short and make space for others
The front 3 are incredibly mobile, their ability to create space will cause all manner of problems, wide players supported by fullbacks, Edmundo dropping deep followed by his marker so Liam Brady can dart in the space created.
Overall I feel part of the team I’m most happy with is the balance, the defenders are all quick, intelligent, with great distribution, known for being the right type of aggressive. The threat posed by Terry at set-pieces can’t be ignored.
