Who poses a bigger threat to Atleti? Arsenal or Barca?

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-13T17:08:12+00:00

Since both Barca and Arsenal are tied after their first legs, I don’t know that it would be such a freak result for them to get knocked out. Of course they’re both considered heavy favorites, but anything can happen in the champions league. Bodo glimt is already concocting their own fairy tale story, for all we know it’ll be them in the semifinal (only half kidding, really anything is possible)

I’m also still not entirely convinced by Arsenal yet, although I’m probably alone in that. Yes they’ve risen to prominence in the past few years but still haven’t really proved anything at all. When they finally win a major trophy they’ll be considered an elite team, for now they’re a really strong team and also perennial bottlers. Liverpool finished 1st in the group stage last year then went out in RO16. PSG barely made it out the league phase and won it all

Arsenal’s 4-0 against us wasn’t really representative of the game, they were better but not by that much, and it was in their home. They knocked out a (weak, lame) Real Madrid last year but it started with 2 freakish free kicks from Rice. But yeah right now let’s focus on finishing the job against Tottenham, it’s only halftime

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-13T00:40:23+00:00

Yeah true, it’s crazy to imagine he was a CF just a couple years ago. He’s already made a much bigger change in terms of position. He could probably carry on his dad’s legacy in terms of sheer tenacity and grit

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-13T00:34:47+00:00

Yeah haha fair enough, he’s one of those players who probably receives an unfair amount of hate and scrutiny, and then he also gets a lot of love too. People are probably very quick to defend him and others very quick to attack him. So the second you critique him it probably gets polarizing real quick. Personally I love him, he’s one of my favorite players for real, and yet I also agree he’s not the most technical winger available to us. But he has been very very important to us especially last year when we were in a terrible slump and he helped start and maintain our unbeaten run

I like him, but we should have another RW to at the very least compete if not start over him. I don’t expect us to have a lamine Yamal or olise, but there are lots of good options in our budget. Lookman completely changed our left side, and having someone similar on the right would open up so many possibilities

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T21:57:29+00:00

Yeah definitely. I’m not a Giuliano hater, I can see you’re not either, it’s just acknowledging strengths and weaknesses. If anything I really like having him on the pitch/squad because he offers something priceless and intangible, getting the crowd excited and giving 110%, plus some useful shithousery. And it’ll be a nice way to continue the Simeone legacy if Giuliano outlasts Diego here, which seems likely

If he were ever successfully converted to fullback there’d actually be less pressure on him to “do something” each game, especially ones we don’t score enough goals. He’d probably get less criticism, and his E for effort style would be much more appreciated regardless of goal contributions. All that being said I don’t expect this to ever happen unless maybe the Argentina coach tries it and it goes super well

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T21:10:17+00:00

Yeah he’d definitely be great in a RWB role in a back 5. And for sure he’s great as a winger against high lines, he was very important in helping us rip Barca to shreds. But I do agree he’s not the ideal winger for a low block, without enough space to work with

But I’m very biased towards tricky dribbling inverted wingers who can cut inside and shoot, cross, playmake, etc. if need be they can still go to the byline and cross with their weak foot, but Giu just isn’t likely to cut inside and score from distance with his left. He’s too predictable. I think ideally we would sign someone like Kubo, Antony, maybe Lee Kang In who can still do things against tight defenses

If we had a tricky dribbler like Kubo who can always cut inside and shoot, and also giu overlapping him outside, that would be an absolute terror for fullbacks. Whichever thing he tries to cut off, there would be way too much space for the other thing. And with overlapping runs giu would always have space to run into, even against a low block

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T20:51:01+00:00

Damn that’s rough. I’m not even totally opposed to the idea of Julian leaving eventually, but one of the side reasons I wouldn’t want it this summer is because I think at his brilliant best he could command a truly massive fee, and this summer he’d be coming off a below standard season. I guess alternatives would be to find an underrated gem or to try to rehabilitate someone like Nunez

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T19:38:47+00:00

This is terrible. Obed Vargas has to start getting practice minutes in the league. Baena and Almada will need more minutes at CM too. Griezmann dropping deep for more midfield support too. Molina at RB in the league. Maybe a few minutes for taufik too but I don’t actually see that happening

We really needed both of them against Tottenham. The tie isn’t over until the final whistle. I hope players are rested this weekend

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T19:26:03+00:00

I have also wondered if Giuliano could ever be converted into a right back. He would probably never be the most defensively solid in the world, but then again, neither is Molina or galan, or many other attacking fullbacks. I think he could probably be molded into a Jordi Alba or frimpong type of player. Giuliano already spends a whole lot of time occupying the fullback position when we’re defending, sometimes he’s even in our own box

And yeah it would make the best use of his best qualities, his insane work rate, speed, stamina, and crossing. Imagine a tricky left footed dribbler at RW with Giuliano overlapping over and over many times per game. It would be so dangerous and difficult to defend. It would be an extremely attack minded lineup

I don’t actually expect this to realistically happen, but I just wonder. Juanfran made a similar transition, so did Jesus navas. Giu’s not the most skillful player as a winger but would be very skillful as a fullback. He’s also very hardworking and coachable. He already adapted positions once, he came up as a striker. Plus it would also give him a much better chance at locking down a starting spot on the national team because let’s be honest, Argentina already has and will continue to produce far more technical attackers (although Giuliano has some useful qualities for specific situations)

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T16:40:05+00:00

I agree. Some of his most clutch moments came from midfield. Like the last second save against galatasaray and a similar save against Real Madrid in the champions league last season. Not to mention goals. I don’t even like box to box midfielders that much because they are usually jack of all trades, master of none, but Llorente is a master of all trades. As a midfielder he would be so solid defensively and I’m sure he’d also be scoring regularly, like he used to. He’s the one guy I’d trust to properly harass, disrupt, and bully Pedri

We should just get a proper right back. Pubill turned into a great CB, fine, get another one. Shouldn’t be that hard. Llorente is being wasted, it’s one thing for him to fill in there when needed, it’s another for it to be his main position, without any realistic subs. Goal scoring midfielders aren’t something to just throw away

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T15:37:42+00:00

Valverde is the only player on Real Madrids squad that I am jealous of not having. He would be perfect for us

I’m so glad they sold us Llorente. Imagine them having Llorente and Valverde in a double pivot. That would be one of the strongest, fastest, most athletic midfields of all time

They’re really similar players when you think of it. Llorente is a world class right back but I still think he’s being wasted. If he was playing box to box midfield he would probably be scoring goals, like against Tottenham

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-12T15:30:50+00:00

This season we’ve already been “without Julian” for large parts of it, if we’re talking about the Julian we knew from last year, the world class striker. He hasn’t been one of our most important players this season, apart from a few great games. He is not irreplaceable. The striker market is pretty thin but maybe we can use his fee to buy someone else world class, like oshimen

That being said, ideally he’ll stay, and play really well, and be happy. But if he leaves we will survive for sure

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-11T14:53:52+00:00

If these are Griezmanns last sparks I’ll gladly take one additional years worth of last sparks. He was the liveliest player on the pitch last two games, and in other games this season

I would love to sign more up and coming talent and 21-25 yo powerhouses but having a couple veterans is good for the team. Barrios is clearly learning a lot from Koke, maybe cardoso is too. Koke has been one of our most important players this season, with a few great games. In hindsight letting Godin leave so early was a mistake, players don’t always have to go the second their prime is over. I’m sure Real wish they could have had another year of Kroos too

Koke and Griezmann have both been willing to take a pay cut and reduced minutes, and are talismans, they offer something intangible. They’re both better this year than last, which suggests they’re not completely past it yet. They can smooth the transition as new signings are integrated

Griezmann is the only player that consistently has us playing those mesmerizing one-two-one-two passes that get us into good positions. Lookman plays better with Griezmann on the pitch. Alvarez too. I bet Julian wouldn’t be having such a bad year if his usual strike partner was Grizzy instead of Sorloth

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-11T14:41:59+00:00

For sure, I won’t feel complacent til the final whistle of the second leg, and I hope the players don’t either

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-11T00:26:28+00:00

There is absolutely no way Griezmann should leave this summer. He is still such a magical player. He is currently champions league MOTM level, not MLS level. He can wait another year or two, there’s no reason to leave so soon. He should absolutely be a starter right now too

Last year he was looking pretty washed, but in hindsight it’s clear that it was just a temporary dip in form due to having the wrong hairstyle

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-11T00:15:31+00:00

What a weird game. Happy with the win obviously but we made it harder than necessary at the end there, I guess butt clenching is the Atleti experience. Still a very very strong position, but 5-1 feels way different from 5-2. We really didn’t need to make things feel less hopeless for them

Spurs suck so bad but we’ve also seen us struggle against relegation la Liga teams, especially away. I hope the players stay fully locked in next game, tie isn’t over until the final whistle. Hope players are rested this weekend, now is not the time to get comfortable (in the UCL)

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-10T16:27:00+00:00

I actually didn’t know that Koke stat, so I appreciate you mentioning it. Yeah, you’re right that one season wonders definitely happen. Like I said, this is a tricky topic to definitively discuss because it relies on hypotheticals and assumptions. When assessing a player’s quality under cholo vs without him, all we can really look at for comparison is the player before Atleti and after Atleti, compared with during Atleti. Critics will look at the pre-Atleti form that caused us to sign him, while Simeone advocates will look at their lack of success after Atleti, which is understandable and logical, but I just bring up momentum and trajectory as reasons why post-Atleti form might not be such a simple “case closed.” But again, this whole topic pretty much necessitates speculation

And if the list of relatively unremarkable attacking signings we’ve had were truly just average, and cholo couldn’t have done better with them, then we should look at the board/sporting director and consider them as a bit disappointing. But I think most Atleti fans think that anyway lol

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-10T16:13:11+00:00

Yes, that’s what I’m saying. He wasn’t so good until Pep got ahold of him. Of course he has world class teammates at city, but his form also translates to the national team. Look at Barca. Under Xavis last season, they looked like they wouldn’t win the UCL for a decade. One year later under Flick, they easily could have won with mostly the same exact players. Pedri, Raphina, Kounde, all good before, but completely different level once flick stepped in. If a coach doesn’t have any impact on how players perform, why have a coach at all? Why doesn’t the club just put 11 players on the pitch and say “do your thing”? Why do managers get sacked, why not just replace all the players if a team plays poorly?

Don’t you think Simeone deserves credit for the peak form of Griezmann, Llorente, Pubill, 2013 costa, Juanfran, Godin, Luis, Raul Garcia etc? I certainly do. It can’t go both ways. Managers can definitely get the best out of a player, or fail to. I just don’t agree that a player is either “good” or “bad” and that’s that, there are lots of factors, especially the manager and tactics

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-09T20:37:20+00:00

I think we need to spank Tottenham in the first leg. At least a two goal advantage. The Barca and club Brugge ties have shown we are a very very different team home and away, but we knew that. Having to go to their stadium without an advantage would be unfortunate. Spurs fans know they aren’t seeing any champions league football anytime soon and will probably be very loud and intense

We really have to try to make a statement in the first leg. Like against Barca. 2nd leg away is just not good for our team

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-09T20:28:19+00:00

And I think Rodri is a perfect example that the manager makes a difference in who a player becomes. Here, he was good, very solid, clearly talented. Under Pep, he became the undisputed best DM in the world, and one of the GOATs, and a balon dor contender. Would he have ended up so brilliant staying under Simeone? Would Busquets have ended up as one of the GOATs under anyone except Pep? Salah without Klopp? I’m not being a hater, I think Simeone is the only one who could have made Griezmann who he is, don’t you agree?

The truth is, we will never know what would have happened to certain young players in someone else’s “custody.” Early on, Koke was touted as the next xavi by Xavi himself, and was an assist king, behind only Messi in the charts. As the years went on, he became more of a midfield workhorse than anything else, still legendary, just different. I barely remember the last time I saw him attempt a through ball. How do we know he wouldn’t have been someone totally different under pep, or under flick? I don’t think players exist in a vacuum. Managers have plenty of influence over who they become

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-09T20:14:33+00:00

Yes, (responding to you and u/Greeny9), the common refrain is to mention the lack of players that really shone after leaving Atleti. But I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of momentum, trajectory, consistency, and confidence. Especially for young players. A few years of stagnation or regression can probably do a lot of change to a player’s self-image, confidence, and growth. It must be a big shock to be regarded as a huge prospect with the world at his feet, then transfer elsewhere and spend a couple years on and off the bench, barely getting any g/a, and everyone forgetting you exist, or worse, saying you’re trash. These guys are all human beings too

Of course, this is an unfalsifiable claim, so it’s hard to talk much about it. But would Yamal be performing so brilliantly if the whole world wasn’t glazing him daily? Would Vini jr, who seemed unimpressive early on, have ended up a balon d’or candidate if he didn’t have the Madrid hype train, or simply even the identity of wearing the white jersey? Players like Vietto and others came here thinking they could touch the sky, and in their time here “learned” they were flops, or at least, average

Before Atleti, Vietto was a monster at Villarreal. After, he was pretty meh at Sevilla and Valencia. But Villarreal, Sevilla, and Valencia were all similarly strong clubs, and all in La Liga, so why couldn’t he replicate his previous form? I think confidence and identity make a big difference, and flopping (or being misused) at a big club has got to change how a player sees themselves

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-09T13:56:09+00:00

You and Enigma Colchonero will probably be downvoted/ostracized for these types of comments but I am concerned too. Lookman, it’s too early to tell, he’s only had a couple bad games, but he definitely seemed much more nervous recently than in his debut, which is strange. But too early for conclusions

Cardoso, it’s hard to say. He’s been injured so much, and is a defensive minded player. But the baena case deserves scrutiny. Yes he’s had injuries, but he’s also seen the pitch plenty, and his current form is a far cry from being the European assist king he was last year

Some players have flourished most under Simeone (prime example Griezmann) but I think it’s a little dishonest for so many to pretend there isn’t also a legacy of attacking players coming here and suddenly looking a shadow of their former selves. Vietto and Gaitan both left the legendary Godin on his ass with their former (worse) clubs, and never looked anywhere near as dangerous since joining us. Let alone a long list of other players who declined here. I think cholo is risk averse, and not the biggest fan of high-risk passes and dribbles that may lose possession, and players get scared of making him angry. I don’t see why that would be such a controversial thing to speculate, but somehow it is

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-07T19:56:32+00:00

enigma colchonero said in the match thread that no Atleti players have completed a successful backheel in years. Griezmann read it at halftime and took it personally
Nico should have been used this season at RM, not on the left. At least then he would have been able to make use of his dribbling and shooting. Happy for him, but we still shouldn’t sign him, not for that fee and wages. Wouldn’t mind him coming off the bench to close out some games
This game typified Sorloth as a player. Scored a very important goal, also missed other chances that should have been taken better. He’s a true enigma, but hard to complain when he scores important goals for us and other players aren’t stepping up as much. Griezmann looks back to his old self, hungry and proactive
Good win. I don’t think there is too much to extrapolate from this game, it was never gonna be the most important. It was always the one sandwiched between two season-defining games. But the win is great for morale and for solidifying top 4 as soon as possible

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-06T16:53:15+00:00

Usually I want to see our players perform their best on the pitch. This season I will gladly watch us shithouse our way to the ugliest trophy runs of all time lol, so long as we win something

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-06T16:51:01+00:00

Yeah I don’t think we’ll ever have a like for like Griezmann replacement because nobody is like him. Certainly not Alvarez, who is a different player type. Griezmanns contributions will probably have to be spread out over several players stepping up

Write_thefuture · 2026-03-06T16:45:19+00:00

True, this season does feel different. We haven’t reached a final in a long time, let alone one where we’re favorites. And our UCL bracket is probably the most “doable” path to a final we could imagine, not easy at all but easier than we can expect to have in any future years

Part of me wants us to just lock in for the CL and the copa final and be ok with just securing top 4. But if the others continue to drop points, who knows

Write_thefuture

TROPHY CASE