Why Yannick Carrasco Will Only Be Atletico Madrid's Super-Sub in 2016-17
Yannick Carrasco shot to prominence last season with Atletico Madrid, his debut campaign in Spain after being signed from AS Monaco last summer as part of the restructuring of midfield following Arda Turan's exit.
The Belgian impressed once he worked his way into the XI and played a notable role in the team's challenge for both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, and he is also playing with his national team at UEFA Euro 2016.
It has been a great year of development for Carrasco, and he's a player with the quality to help Atleti to silverware next year and beyond. But there's also every reason to think he'll need to be patient in 2016-17, to work for his chances in the team again and be a weapon for Diego Simeone from the bench more often than might be expected.
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Rise and Shine
Carrasco didn't start the 2015-16 campaign in Atletico's first-choice XI, and he didn't end it in there, either.
Indeed, he took until October to earn his first start in La Liga, and throughout the entire campaign, he made just a single 90-minute performance in league play: against Barcelona in January, when Atleti had two players sent off and Simeone had to make adjustments elsewhere.
In all competitions, Carrasco only played the full 90 on four occasions, and his total game time was 2,400 minutes, outside the top 10 of the squad.
Simeone was clear about his use of Carrasco. He's a fantastic player, and he helped the team an awful lot tactically but only in short bursts of an hour or off the bench for half that time.
The manager was spot on too.
Carrasco's first real run of form was spectacular, initially off the bench and then as a starter, but he didn't maintain that high level of performance for longer than a month or six weeks. His goal and all-round performance against Valencia in October was the peak of that run of form, but he still made an impact afterward on a faster style of play with his ability to trouble defences cutting in off the flank and linking with the forwards.
Later in the season, Carrasco again enjoyed a good run, during which he was critical to Atleti's succesion of wins and enjoyed a high profile thanks to the difference in his style to the rest of the squad—faster, better dribbling, more exciting and capable of breaking the lines—but all this came with a caveat: a lack of end product.
Effect over All Else
In the run-up to the Champions League final, we discussed here why Carrasco should miss out on a starting spot.
Of course, he was left out—and came on to great effect, bringing impetus and a new dimension to the team's attack, as predicted. Because that's what Carrasco is: a burst of energy, a sudden alteration to the team dynamic.
At 22 years of age, he's not yet consistent or mature enough in his game to start every week and bring his best traits, without fail, against defenders who are switched on, in form and not fatigued by 70 minutes or play against others. His pace and dribbling can be negated by clever positioning, a midfielder backing up the full-back or simply by Atletico not getting the ball to him quickly enough, and it shows when he has a frustrating 50 or 60 minutes and Simeone brings him off.
Indeed, there have been games when Carrasco starts and does play well, but Cholo still brings him off around that time because he knows his winger has a tendency to fade.
Above all else for Atletico and Simeone is the team balance and effectiveness in both halves of the pitch. Were Carrasco able to be the tricky, speedy outlet he was against Real Madrid and the defensive workhorse, tactically astute wide midfielder he has shown he can be and put both together for three or four games at a time, he would play. No question.
At present he cannot, and that's where Nico Gaitan comes in.
4-3-3 on Tilt
The 28-year-old Argentinian attacker, who is at the Copa America, has been confirmed as a summer signing by Los Rojiblancos, and he will form part of the team next season. Gaitan has featured mostly on the left of a four-man midfield for Benfica but has also excelled from the right side of a front three for Argentina.
The most likely scenario is that he, along with Antoine Griezmann, will allow Simeone to further implement his flexible 4-3-3 system that can seamlessly switch to 4-4-2 thanks to versatile homegrown midfield duo, Saul Niguez and Koke. Both are as comfortable in the flat four, sitting narrow and compact in the channels, as they are playing centrally in a three-man midfield, depending on the positioning of the second forward, Griezmann.
When he drops out of the front line and makes it five across midfield out of possession, Atletico are solid, tough to break down and have great pace on the flanks as an out-ball. With the left-footed Griezmann habitually pulling wide right, it naturally means Gaitan can be expected to reprise his left-midfield role at the Vicente Calderon—and from there, he offers far more goals and end product than Carrasco has managed so far.
Four goals in eight games in the Champions League and 11 for the season overall puts Carrasco's five—only one in Europe—in the shade. Gaitan is also credited with 20 assists this term, though Benfica's position of dominance in the Primeira Liga has to be taken into account here.
Battle
Positionally and tactically, both Gaitan and Carrasco suit the wide attacking roles in a 4-3-3-to-4-4-2 system almost perfectly, with Carrasco also capable of playing as a second centre-forward as he has done to great effect at times.
It essentially means Atletico could be looking at five players for three roles next season, all of whom are of a quality that would see the team remain more or less on the same level regardless of which players start, a fantastic indication of the depth they should have in 2016-17.
Add in Fernando Torres and Angel Correa as bench players and irregular starters, and Atleti's battle for offensive places will be intense, interesting and exciting for fans to witness. Correa and Carrasco in particular could go head-to-head for game time, with both excelling most when played from the left channel, cutting infield.
Gaitan, the more senior, the more expensive and the more consistent in his end product, will likely get the nod to start. That means patience and progression will be key for Carrasco, and his Champions League performance must serve as a reminder that even subs are of paramount importance in the team's pursuit for success.
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