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I know most wouldn’t accept Simeone’s style of play but a personality like him is exactly what this club needs to move away from this culture of mediocrity and give us a new identity.
Emery is a likeable guy but I do have a lot of reservations from what I’ve seen this season.
You mentioned possession earlier - Atletico’s is shockingly low for their status in Spain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
His style is pretty outdated and given what they’ve been able to spend in recent years it really should’ve evolved by now. They are no longer the plucky under dogs. They say most managers have a ten year window when they’re at the peak of their powers (which could be applied to many walks of life) - with many of the Atleti old guard nearing the end of the road if will be interesting to see what he has left. Plus, were he to ever leave I think he’d probably go back to Inter before anyone else.
Oh they are definitely a little too negative for my taste and I would like to see Simeone in a different environment as well, but there's obviously a ceiling in Spain unless you're Barca or Real Madrid. The same applies to clubs here really with City so dominant currently.
I just respect what he has achieved with them. 2 CL finals as well, minutes away from winning one and then losing on penalties in the other. Fine margins.
I feel like this club has lacked an identity for years now and a warrior like Simeone (or anyone who can inspire some fight) is what the team needs most. We've always had talented players but over time the team has had everything else you need to be successful stripped away. Lack of leadership is something we've bemoaned for years.
The part in bold is very true. Since the likes of Vieira and Lehmann left, I cant think of one players I'd want as a leader. The closest we had to a leader IMO was Flamini in the 07/08 season. We have timid ass wipes since then..Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I agree, he has done wonders with Atleti during his time there. I think leadership comes from the top down rather than the other way round, so I’m not sure we’ll find a clear identity with anyone under the current ownership.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I'm glad Simeone will never darken our doors.
You know, I think that under the Wenger and Fergie years a lot of us learned to look down on teams that played defensive and got overtly physical. It's so ironic because that's what our identity was pre Wenger and even in his early years of success in the late 90's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
In general things got worse for defensive minded enthusiasts with the rise of la liga, the Galacticos, later Barca's tippy tappy and the reoccurring failure in Europe of Italian teams. It seemed like the only fashionable thing was for big teams to attack and attack more, but if that failed hold the ball while really doing nothing with it.
I think it was only till Mourinho replicated his successful formula with Inter, that again people started appreciating defensive football. And obviously Simeone has done more than anyone to show what can be achieved when you prioritise that part of the game.
I always thought that after AW we should get a more defensively sound coach. Emery's performance so far and what Liverpool has been able to achieve by really just improving their defence (with arguably one major signing) has just reinforced my view that getting the defence right is the basic building block to sustained competitiveness for any serious team.
Besides the likes of Simeone, I think we should also have our eye on emerging coaches like Vieira who's doing a pretty solid job building Nice from the back and making his team hard to beat. They might sit 7th but have the 3rd best defence (goals conceeded) and the joint best defence by a clear margin when it comes to away games.
If we are looking for an identity, which I think you are 100% right that we need to rediscover , could an ex captain and a strong character like Vieira be the answer?
I think deep down every football fan wants their team to atack attack and play a lot like yesteryears Brazil; though they haven't won the WC since 02, and that was with Scolari playing really defensive football even with all their superstars at that time.
The worst aspect of most modern coaches is that they carry the same coterie of assistants around with them wherever they go. Wenger was a salient case in point but Im guessing Emery is the same, using the same assistants that couldnt win away games in Spain and failed spectacularly at PSG. If he is who he is described as, a very analytical coach poring over hours of tape. Then he and his deputies must be staring without seeing. Even our bunch of klutzes can be trained to get 3 draws against Wolves, Palace and Everton. Im sure even Neil Warnock could do that with our players. What Bould is doing in the current setup is beyond bewildering. If he has no input why doesnt he resign?. If he has input and we are still crap, why doesnt he resign?
It's always been a bit weird to me when people want to blame Bould. He's an assistant. One of a few. He does as he's told.
Thats the definition of a servant, not an assistant.Quote:
Originally Posted by GP