Atletico Madrid: Full Report Card for Every Position for September
It's taken a little while for Atletico Madrid to recapture their brilliance of last season, but in the 4-0 thrashing of Sevilla at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday—their last outing of September—the defending Spanish champions returned to the sort of form witnessed in their remarkable 2013-14 campaign.
To begin the month, Diego Simeone's men clinched a valuable 2-1 victory over crosstown rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, but stuttered somewhat in the following games.
An uncharacteristic 3-2 defeat to Olympiakos in the Champions League was followed by a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo, leaving doubts over Atletico's ability to repeat last season's heroics.
But the consecutive victories over Almeria and Sevilla to round out September helped to restore Los Rojiblancos' confidence, possibly setting up Simeone's men for another stunning run in 2014-15.
Across the following slides, we grade each and every Atleti player across the various positions for the month of September.
Goalkeepers
1 of 9
Miguel Angel Moya
Grade: B+
When he switched to Atletico Madrid from Getafe this summer, it was expected that Miguel Angel Moya would be Diego Simeone's second-choice goalkeeper behind the talented Jan Oblak.
But amid the Slovenian's early-season battle with injury, Moya has been able to entrench himself as the manager's primary option in goal for the capital club.
While his previous seasons in La Liga were hardly outstanding at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, Moya quickly endeared himself to the faithful of Los Rojiblancos with a number of superb saves against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on September 13.
Since then, the Spaniard has looked secure as Simone's No. 1, putting together a consistent string of performances for the month of September.
Jan Oblak
Grade: C
Oblak's only performance for Atletico Madrid so far came in the side's 3-2 loss to Olympiakos in the Champions League on September 16.
Watching three goals blasted past him on the evening, the 21-year-old endured a tough night as Simeone's men slumped to their first loss of the 2014-15 campaign.
While all three goals can't be blamed upon the Slovenian, Arthur Masuaku's opener really should have been saved by Oblak, who was late in moving for the Frenchman's low shot from outside the box.
Right-Backs
2 of 9
Juanfran
Grade: B+
Juanfran has been utilised at right-back in every one of Atletico Madrid's outings this season, with Diego Simeone clearly in the belief that the 29-year-old is among his most dependable performers.
For the most part, the Spaniard has justified his manager's faith, extending his excellence from last season into the opening months of the current campaign.
Of all Juanfran's contributions in September, none were more decisive than his assist to Arda Turan to help clinch the Madrid derby 2-1 for Atleti.
But if there was one criticism of the full-back's month, it would be that he was too easily brushed by in Olympiakos' second goal in the first half of the clash at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
Jesus Gamez
Grade: N/A
After switching from Malaga in the summer transfer window, Jesus Gamez is yet to make his competitive debut for Atletico Madrid, with Juanfran holding down the right-back post for each of the Spanish champions' outings thus far in 2014-15.
While the Spaniard ensures Simeone has depth in experience on the right side of his defence, the Argentine's tendency to maintain the same back four from game to game means minutes are likely to be scarce for Gamez this season.
Left-Backs
3 of 9
Cristian Ansaldi
Grade: B+
When he was brought to the Vicente Calderon on loan from Zenit St Petersburg this summer, it was hard to know what to expect from Cristian Ansaldi.
At 28, it was clear Diego Simeone was intent on replacing the experience lost with Filipe Luis' departure to Chelsea, but with the €10 million acquisition of Guilherme Siqueira from Granada, it looked as though playing time might be limited for the Argentine.
But that hasn't proved to be the case, as Ansaldi has already made five starts this season for Atletico, with three of those coming in September.
Two of those starts were fault-free performances against Celta Vigo and Sevilla, while his error that cost his side a goal in the loss to Olympiakos was offset by his brilliant cross that found the head of Mario Mandzukic for Atleti's first of the night.
Guilherme Siqueira
Grade: C
When Atletico Madrid purchased Siqueira from Granada, they knew they weren't getting a similar robust left-back to Luis, who had held down the position superbly in 2013-14.
Instead, Simeone would have known the Brazilian is an enterprising full-back with defensive limitations—hence the loan signing of Ansaldi.
In the derby clash against Real Madrid, the 28-year-old's weaknesses were exposed as Cristiano Ronaldo switched to the right side of Los Blancos' attack to target Siqueira, who eventually gave away a clumsy first-half penalty.
Since that evening, the left-back has only started against Almeria, with Simeone preferring Ansaldi on the left side of his back four.
Centre-Backs
4 of 9
Diego Godin
Grade: B+
A pillar of stability in the middle of Atletico Madrid's defence last season, Diego Godin's form this term has again been strong, but not quite outstanding.
Against Olympiakos and Celta Vigo, the Uruguayan was part of the back four that was breached more easily than what is normal for Atleti, with the latter of those clashes seeing Godin beaten by a superb piece of skill by Pablo Hernandez for the visitors' opener.
But the 28-year-old came back with a goal of his own at the Vicente Calderon that evening, handing in two impressive performances against Almeria and Sevilla thereafter.
Miranda
Grade: A
If you weren't to know better, you could be excused for thinking Miranda is a forward if you looked only at his scoring record this season.
With three goals in five games as a potent set-piece weapon, the Brazilian has helped to offset a somewhat slow start to the season by Atletico's new-look attack.
To top it off, the central defender completed an assist in the 4-0 thrashing of Sevilla.
And while his distribution of the ball from the back has looked shaky at times, Miranda's defensive contribution has been typically solid.
Jose Maria Gimenez
Grade: N/A
With Diego Simeone opting for Godin and Miranda in every one of Atletico Madrid's contests this season, Jose Maria Gimenez is yet to appear for Los Rojiblancos in 2014-15.
A 19-year-old central defender, Gimenez performed superbly for Uruguay at this summer's World Cup, attracting interest from Manchester United and Barcelona, per Ed Maylon of the Mirror.
But the capital club have retained the services of the talented defender, ensuring the team has reinforcements behind the experienced first-choice pairing of Godin and Miranda.
Defensive Midfielders
5 of 9
Gabi
Grade: B-
One of Diego Simeone's most dependable soldiers in last season's success, Gabi hasn't quite replicated his performances of last term in the new campaign.
Against both Real Madrid and Olympiakos, the captain was replaced in midfield early in the second half by Arda Turan and Antoine Griezmann as Simeone shifted Koke into a more central role to develop more flow and rhythm.
Against Los Blancos, the move was extremely effective, resulting in a famous victory for the visitors. But in doing so, Simeone unintentionally cast a small degree of doubt over Gabi's ongoing ability to control the midfield.
After making only a brief appearance against Almeria, the 31-year-old then suffered an ankle injury against Sevilla, hindering an immediate chance to recapture last season's form.
Tiago
Grade: A
Labelling Tiago as a defensive midfielder isn't entirely accurate, given his versatility that allows him to also play as a more creative component of a side when needed.
But when deployed in the central pairing of Simeone's midfield four, the Portuguese plays as one of two shields in front of the defence, allowing the likes of Koke and Arda Turan the freedom to push ahead.
In that sense, Tiago enjoyed a fine month in September, regularly seen harassing opponents and breaking up play with an off-the-ball attentiveness that must be a manager's dream.
His opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu could also prove to be a decisive moment in Atleti's season.
Mario Suarez
Grade: C-
Mario Suarez made just the two starts for Atletico in September, one of which saw him line up alongside Gabi in the centre of the midfield for the clash with Olympiakos.
The switch didn't go to plan for Simeone, with the Spaniard committing a clumsy error that led to the home side's second goal for Ibrahim Afellay.
After that disappointing night, the 27-year-old was substituted rather early for the youthful Saul Niguez against Almeria and couldn't regain his place for the win over Sevilla.
Saul Niguez
Grade: B+
Capitalising on the poor form of Suarez has been Niguez, who's quickly shot to prominence this season after a loan spell at Rayo Vallecano in 2013-14.
A hard-working midfielder with an appetite for tackling and one-on-one duels, it's not hard to see why he already appears to have the trust of Simeone.
After replacing Suarez impressively against Almeria, the Spaniard was superb in the victory at home to Sevilla and registered his first goal at the club to punctuate a sublime free-kick before half-time.
Attacking Midfielders
6 of 9
Koke
Grade: A
Koke will inevitably become the central hub of the Atletico Madrid midfield, with Diego Simeone already showing signs he's ready to hand the reins to the precocious Spaniard.
It was a switch from the flank to the centre in the second half against Real Madrid that signalled the path the 22-year-old seems destined to take. Tellingly, Koke had performed the same role for Vicente del Bosque and Spain against France the previous week.
Mixing his new role with his supreme work rate and dead-ball skills, the midfielder registered an assist in every one of Atleti's outings in September, finishing the month as unquestionably his club's finest player.
Arda Turan
Grade: A
A hub of creativity and flair in an otherwise direct and robust Atletico team, Arda Turan has been superb as his team's most advanced midfielder this season.
Coming on late against Real Madrid, the Turk netted the late winner that stunned the Bernabeu, with his performances for the rest of September carrying forward that excellence.
And most important in Turan's play has been his ability to connect the midfield with the team's attack, given how deep Simeone's men can sit at times—a situation that places a premium on the 27-year-old's ability to maintain possession, run hard and slip through the incisive pass as Atleti work their way out of defence.
Raul Garcia
Grade: B+
Raul Garcia is hardly the most fashionable of footballers, but his relentless ferocity has allowed him to be a key figure in Simeone's team.
Excellent in the derby against Real Madrid, the Spaniard was his typically versatile self for Atletico in September, drifting forward from his position on the right regularly while also tucking in and helping to shield the defence.
And it's that variety that Garcia continues to provide that is invaluable, with his two-way game as a midfielder helping the Spanish champions to maintain an enviable balance across the XI.
Wingers
7 of 9
Antoine Griezmann
Grade: B+
It appears that Diego Simeone is intent on protecting new signing Antoine Griezmann to an extent, with the Frenchman yet to play a full 90 minutes in red and white since his switch from Real Sociedad.
Bright in the playing time that has been afforded to him, the 23-year-old looks to be exactly the type of pacey and intelligent forward Atletico need alongside bigger targets such as Mario Mandzukic and Raul Jimenez.
Most notable was Griezmann's superb display against Celta Vigo that saw the fans at the Vicente Calderon voice their disapproval when he was substituted with more than 20 minutes remaining.
It now just feels a matter of time before the France international is unleashed as the key ingredient in Atletico's attack.
Alessio Cerci
Grade: C
The late deal to bring Alessio Cerci to the Vicente Calderon in the summer transfer window was a somewhat surprising buy for Atletico, given that the capital club spent €16 million on a solid but hardly spectacular 27-year-old.
To date, the Italian has struggled to break into Simeone's XI, only making three late substitute appearances for the side in September.
And given that the Atleti manager has never been one to heavily rotate his squad, Cerci's role might be limited to that of a back-up this season, filling brief holes in midfield and attack when needed.
Cristian Rodriguez
Grade: N/A
Cristian Rodriguez didn't feature for Atletico Madrid in September after making a pair of extremely brief substitute appearances against Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in late August.
A regular for Uruguay, the 29-year-old appears to be a second-choice option for Simone, who has rarely used Rodriguez as a starter since his switch from Porto in 2012.
Strikers
8 of 9
Mario Mandzukic
Grade: B
Signed to cover the departure of Diego Costa, Mario Mandzukic has already shown that he'll thrive in Atletico Madrid's direct style, with his physical approach and excellence in the penalty area from set pieces aligning perfectly with the essence of Los Rojiblancos.
But a nasal fracture in the 3-2 loss to Olympiakos in the Champions League brought about a halt to the Croatian's fine beginning to life at Atletico, sidelining him for the clashes with Celta Vigo and Almeria.
In his return against Sevilla, the striker battled hard with the visitors' centre-back pairing but was rather ineffective in the final third—a theme that could continue if he's not joined up front by a more agile partner.
Raul Jimenez
Grade: C+
It's been a tough beginning at Atletico for Raul Jimenez, who arrived from Club America this summer with the expectation that he'd grow into another fine striker for the capital club.
Of course, the 23-year-old will need considerable time to settle into Spanish football, but the lack of conviction in his actions during the Mexican's opening performances heaped a degree of pressure upon the striker.
Pleasingly, Jimenez got off the mark with his new club in the resounding victory over Sevilla and will hope to build some confidence and form after that important moment in his career.
Manager
9 of 9
Diego Simeone
Grade: A
Grading Diego Simeone for the month of September is extremely difficult, given that the Argentine didn't return to the touchline until the clash with Sevilla after serving a ban for misconduct during the Spanish Super Cup.
But although he wasn't able to whip both his players and the club's fans into a frenzy from pitch level for much of the month, the Argentine's tactical nous was evident throughout, helping Atletico to a reasonably strong start to the season despite key summer departures.
Moulding the team into the most potent set-piece outfit on the planet, the Atleti manager has relieved some of the burden on the side's revamped attack, affording time for Los Rojiblancos' new stars to get comfortable.
Yet it's in midfield where Simeone's influence has been seen most, with the gradual change in Koke's role to that of a deep central playmaker standing as evidence that the manager is prepared to alter his team's methods in possession across the course of the season.
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