How Atletico Madrid Can Line Up After Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto Signings

Atletico Madrid will have a completely revamped attack in 2015-16, having acted swiftly in the summer transfer market to sign Porto's Jackson Martinez, as reported by BBC Sport, and Villarreal's Luciano Vietto. According to Marca, Benfica's Nicolas Gaitan could soon join them, too, with the 27-year-old potentially set to cover the likely departure of Arda Turan. 

It's an impressive early haul for Atletico, and one that remedies the primary issue Diego Simeone's men faced last season. Following the departure of Diego Costa—and to a lesser extent, David Villa—the arrival of Mario Mandzukic forced Atleti to change. Significantly.

Stripped of their ferocious, one-man battering ram who led their lethal, counter-attacking method, Los Colchoneros had to develop a re-worked style to feed Mandzukic, who plays as a target man. Costa, of course, had hunted for himself.

As such, Simeone's men spent a year in transition, playing with a higher defensive line, pushing on the full-backs further, retaining more possession and using a more intricate approach in an effort to score without their talisman of the year before.

To an extent it was a success, with Mandzukic scoring 20 goals in all competitions and the outstanding Antoine Griezmann bagging 25 flanking him. But as a team, Atletico suffered: They scored less, conceded more and won fewer points. When Barcelona lifted the league trophy to end Atleti's title defence, Simeone's men were 16 points adrift. Change was necessary.

So here we are: Two new signings, with potentially another on the way; two of them are elite forwards; one is a marquee addition capable of recapturing the dynamism and ferocity of Atleti's 2013-14 attack. In fact, Martinez is more than that. He's an archetype for Atletico, a player who extends the club's lineage of lethal, hard-running, South American-born strikers.

Diego Forlan. Sergio Aguero. Radamel Falcao. Costa.

Martinez.

Joined by Vietto and possibly Gaitan, the Colombian should be a hand-in-glove fit at the Vicente Calderon. In 2015-16, the red-and-white half of Madrid should be compelling to watch.

So let's have a look at how Atletico Madrid could organise their new-look attack.

Simeone's Most Likely System: A 4-4-2 Pairing Martinez and Griezmann

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During his tenure at the Vicente Calderon, Simeone has rarely strayed from his characteristic 4-4-2, trusting the system's defensive strength to underpin his team's success. In 2013-14, it was Costa and Villa who formed the "2" and led the formation. In 2014-15, it was Mandzukic and Griezmann. And next season, it will most likely be Martinez alongside the Frenchman.

Yet, the 2015-16 incarnation of Simeone's 4-4-2 will also differ from those that have come before it. In an interview with AS (h/t Football Espana), the Atleti manager said:

"

We're in an important situation. The team needs a change, a new stimulus. I think it's not easy for a coach to be so long with the same players. And it isn't easy for the players.

We've spent a lot of time together. They know my strengths, my weaknesses, and I know theirs. I'm convinced we need a change, an internal movement where the team takes a step forward.

The way I see it, for example, is for Koke to go in the double pivot. That is going to start generating a team from another idea. And we need that. I'm convinced it's that time.

We're a team more ready to play in space.

"

Having used Gabi and Tiago as his central-midfield pairing for so long, Simeone is ready to use younger, faster and more incisive talents in the middle. Koke will lead the shift, aided by Saul Niguez. Oliver Torres might help, too. 

What looks likely is that Simeone's midfield stalwarts, Gabi and Tiago, will rotate alongside Koke in the middle, flanked by Saul and possibly Gaitan (and sometimes Raul Garcia). In such a system, Vietto will come off the bench, particularly in the season's opening months, with Simeone likely to view the Argentinian forward as his 2015-16 development project, much like Griezmann was at the beginning of 2014-15. 

The Alternative and The Shape Fans Want to See: An All-Out-Attack 4-3-3 

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On a small number of occasions last season, we saw Atletico Madrid switch away from their robust 4-4-2 and toward a more flowing 4-3-3 led by Mandzukic, Griezmann and Turan. In October, that shape brought about one of the club's finest performances of the season, when Atleti thrashed Malmo 5-0 in the Champions League group stage.

Naturally, fans wanted to see more of it, but Simeone largely reverted to what he's more comfortable with. Next season, however, the 4-3-3 makes even greater sense following the capture of Martinez and Vietto.

In 2014-15, Atletico only possessed one true winger in Griezmann, though he would eventually be converted into a second striker. Thus, with Turan, a No. 10, playing on the other side, a 4-3-3 was vulnerable to becoming narrow in attack with the Turk cutting inside, thereby increasing the demands on the right-back and stretching Simeone's back four—not what he wants. 

Now, however, with Vietto available, Simeone has a forward more capable of playing the hard-running wide role on the right, balancing the system and giving Atleti the chance to deploy a very imposing front three of Griezmann, Martinez and Vietto. 

Would a 4-2-3-1 Work?

If Atletico Madrid want to return to their preferred method of staying compact and hitting teams on the break, a 4-2-3-1 system would make a lot of sense. The double-pivot (or "2") would provide the midfield shield Simeone likes, Martinez is a natural fit for the lone-striker role, and Griezmann, Vietto or possibly Gaitan could take up the wide slots and maximise width when counter-attacking. 

But there is a problem with the 4-2-3-1 for Atleti: The absence of a natural No. 10. 

With Turan headed for the exit, Los Colchoneros are left with a talented group, but one without an experienced attacking midfielder capable of controlling the game behind the striker. Indeed, Koke, Saul and Oliver Torres are all expected to become elite central midfielders, while Griezmann, Vietto, Garcia, Correa and Gaitan are all forwards or wide men.

For a 4-2-3-1 to function optimally, a midfielder possessing a cocktail of vision, guile and technical quality is necessary; the system isn't efficient without a natural No. 10. Atleti need to address that before the 4-2-3-1 formation is a viable third option.