Ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Brugge, Diego Simeone has challenged star summer signing Alex Baena to deliver more, after a disappointing first six months at the Metropolitano. Baena was brought in to be the primary playmaker, but has been in and out of the side through injury but more recently performance.
Baena did not start against Barcelona in their Copa del Rey semi-final, and was withdrawn after an hour against Rayo Vallecano during a 3-0 defeat on Sunday. Baena was the most expensive of Atletico Madrid’s nine signings this summer, but is yet to carve out a role for himself.
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Simeone wants more from Alex Baena
Simeone has told the press that he too is expecting more from Baena, but seemed confident he would get it.
“He has a positive attitude, with a willingness to always give his best, with a unique talent, we need more from him and we are going to demand from him what we see he has,” he told Diario AS.
El centrocampista del Atlético de Madrid Giuliano Simeone (i) se escapa del suizo Ricardo Rodríguez, del Betis, durante el partido de la jornada 10 de LaLiga EA Sports que Real Betis y Atlético de Madrid disputan hoy lunes en el Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla. EFE/ Julio Muñoz
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‘I can’t ask for more from the players’ – Simeone
Another topic of conversation at Atletico has been the mixed form of late, with two comfortable wins over Barcelona and Real Betis coming between defeats to Betis and Rayo Vallecano.
“The match against Rayo wasn’t good in the second half; the first half wasn’t so bad. The same against Betis. But there were stretches where we didn’t win, and it’s a run of consecutive matches where winning is what matters, and if we don’t, it creates some bad situations. The team is willing to give their all; I can’t ask for more in terms of commitment, intensity, and desire to win. We do, however, demand that each player contribute more from their respective position.”
Captain Koke Resurreccion, who also spoke to the media, was also unable to give a clear answer beyond natural variation.
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“How do I explain it? We’re human, we have good days and bad days. If we had the recipe for playing perfectly, like against Betis or Barcelona, we’d play like that every day. We’re the first ones who want to win, we’re the first ones who suffer, and we need to understand what’s happening to us and strive for consistency to achieve great things. We’re in good form in the Cup and the Champions League, and hopefully we’ll play a good match, like we’re playing in the Cup,” he told Diario AS.
Image via EFE / Marca
‘People thought I was finished’ – Koke Resurreccion
On a personal level, Koke has been enjoying a fine season, rolling back the years to become Atletico’s most consistent midfielder alongside Pablo Barrios.
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“I’m in the right place right now, doing what my coach asks of me. I want to help, I feel good, I’m happy, a lot of people thought I was finished because of my age, but at 34 I feel good and I can contribute to the team.”
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