#360view: Intelligence behind Atletico's rise to the top

Andy West 08:50 28/04/2016
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Winning between the ears: Atletico Madrid.

    One of the many memorable moments of ‘Do I Not Like That’, the infamous 1990s documentary which gave an inside glimpse into Graham Taylor’s ill-fated spell as England boss, showed the exasperated manager berating his players for lacking composure at a crucial moment.

    “Heads!” he bellowed and spluttered, purple with rage: “You play football with your heads!”

    Although a squad containing Carlton Palmer and Andy Sinton probably wasn’t the best placed to heed his advice, Taylor was absolutely right.

    As much as it is a game of kicking, running, tackling and jumping, football at the very highest level requires an enormous mental effort. It requires good decision-making; coolness under pressure; knowing your strengths and your limitations, and working together as a team to effectively implement a well-designed and clearly communicated game plan.

    And if any team ever showcased a bulletproof collective ability to “play football with your heads”, it is surely Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. Let’s face it: there is no way Atletico should even be competing with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, never mind beating all of them – as they have done in the last two months alone.

    On the basis of budget, reputation and talent, the best Atletico should really be hoping for is a decent league standing and an occasional cup run. Instead, here they are challenging hard – again – for the La Liga title and on the brink – again – of progressing into the Champions League final.

    It is a ridiculous level of overachievement, and manager Simeone is rightly showered with plaudits for his ability to turn a good but not world-class squad into a team capable of consistently beating anyone.

    Simeone, however, can only do so much. He can prepare his team with tactical precision, he can generate intense camaraderie and a sense of identity, and he can send his players onto the pitch confident in their ability to execute his plans. But, as the saying goes, once the players cross that white line the matter is largely out of his hands, and Atletico’s success comes down to how well they perform.

    As much as anything, it comes down to how well they use their heads. On Wednesday night against Bayern, they were magnificent. Not magnificent in a ‘tearing the opposition apart with fancy dribbling and creative passing’ sense (aside from Saul’s outrageous goal, of course). Atletico don’t play that kind of game, because they know it is not their strength.

    Instead, they do what they’re good at. They stay organised and disciplined, with every player knowing exactly where he should be positioned at any given moment and mentally committing to their collective aims.

    You won’t see Atletico giving the ball away in dangerous positions with an over-elaborate clearance. They just get rid of the danger, hold their positions and wait for it to come back so they can get rid of it again.

    They attack when the opportunity arises, but not to the extent that it leaves them vulnerable. They push up when they see the opposition can be harried, and otherwise they sit back and wait, calm and composed, trusting they will win by repeatedly doing the right thing at the right time.

    Yes, Graham, you play football with your heads. Atletico Madrid do it better than anyone, and look how far it is taking them.

    Recommended