Soccer Fan Blog

Something has changed in the Athletic one of Madrid. At least, the set rojiblanco does not look like now this common, awkward and exasperating team that was does not many parties behind. The pieces keep on being basically the same ones, but the incorporation of the Portuguese Tiago on the winter market has provided of major consistency to this so disorientated midfield. Enclosed Paulo Assunçao is offering a better face, when one month ago it was exasperating most of the athletic ones with his losses of ball, his absence of creative sense and his repeated cards. Here, the arrival of his compatriot has balanced a task that, as many allege in his defense, was relapsing only on ex-of the Oporto.

In the goal, the Gea jovencísimo has provided from a major safety to the defense, a line in which another canterano has become the chief: Domínguez. The head office is the best defender of the Athletic one, at least, the one that more has surprised and fills with enthusiasm to the step. Perea, that one day promised not to complicate any more the existence, it seems that it has won in confidence, although I have to admit that I did not see the party in Almeria and, therefore, I do not know what each one offered. Perhaps the Colombian will tie it up and I do not realize, but in the last meetings I remember that it even played the foot with something of calmness instead of resorting to the everlasting big kick — although without rejecting this resource, only it was missing—. Something that to reproach Domínguez, perhaps, is many cards that it receives. One day it went out expelled, and, now, one loses two important duels, before the Galatasaray in the Europe League and before the Valencia in the League.

Independently of individual figures, the group has chosen to prepare slightly more the game. It did it before the Barcelona and the Galatasaray, at least in the first half. Earlier it had already showed some improvement symptoms, although the team is so intermittent that only to fits it allows to appreciate his real qualities, his strong points. Because, of course, the dweebs he has been in charge of showing them along not already of this campaign, but also of years behind, in which it demonstrated this fragility so criticized in the rearguard and serious problems at the time of managing the game, the ball. That’s why Tiago’s clairvoyance has come so well to the group, since he has been able to read the needs of the team and contribute a positive note.

But it happens to the Atleti that now that it has found a more natural way of facing the soccer, more coherent and reasonable — without seeming that we speak here about a style similar to that of the best Villarreal — it keeps on coming across an evil that has presented like innovation this period, the mistake to him before the goal. In this paragraph, the sticks have stolen enough points from those of the Manzanares this course, from the beginning, from his visit to The Rose bed in the first day. And if to his problems to materialize the occasions before the goal rival we add the facility to lose the meetings in the last sigh, we meet a team surrendered to his rivals, good for bad luck, bad aim or different mistakes. For example, before the Galatasaray it could sentence the meeting in the first half, but the occasion allowed to escape and he ended up by paying it, transferring a tie to an adversary who scarcely offered soccer.

Kings, Forlán and Omen

We have already spoken in several occasions in the importance that has for those of Quique the recovery of José Antonio Reyes, who little by little has gone being intoned and approaches this player desequilibrante that were waiting in the Caldron when it came. The utrerano has begun already to contribute, in addition to his quality dose, some goal, and physically enough good is, being involved in defensive tasks, preventing with his effort — and that of Simao — the team from breaking in that one 4-2-4 so awesome and criticized.

But precisely now when the Andalusian attacker is intoned, there is a vital player for this Atleti — who went so far as to live of his goals — that is not in a good moment. Diego Forlán is not himself. I doubt that there are the years, since one does not spend completely to anything concerning months supporting a suitable professional work, but the physical state of the Uruguayan is much underneath of what once it showed. With the natural smell of the ‘Butt’ this one Athletic would not be so evil classified under the League.

And if it was small that Forlán does not appear, the big current banner of the club, the ‘Kun’ I Predict, it has us already used to these appearances as stellar as sporadic. Not because it does not show his quality whenever it jumps to the lawn, but because too many times it starts the meetings from the stool or is replaced, anything that is part of the strategy not only of Quique but also of other technical staff. To reserve the best player to give him rest while the team suffers, thinking about other competitions perhaps. Since it is necessary to remember that, although the descent seems impossible, the dangerous area is to only seven points; something that does not do but to endorse that to face with options several competitions it is necessary to have a good closet fund, and the Athletic one does not have it. It trumps the gasoline, and that’s why it is not capable of making use of his best moment.

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