Antoine Griezmann Double Shows He Can Carry Atletico Madrid on His Shoulders

VICENTE CALDERON, Madrid — Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Angel Correa, Fernando Torres. Some on their way up and some on their way down, but it's clear Atletico Madrid have a lot of good forwards. And one great one.

Antoine Griezmann continues to impress in Rojiblanco and has proven that he can take the weight of Diego Simeone's team on his shoulders.

The coach won't come out and say that, but he knows it. In his post-match press conference after Atletico Madrid's 2-0 win over Getafe, in which Griezmann scored both goals, a French journalist took the microphone to ask a question.

Simeone recognised the reporter and cracked a smile before a word was spoken. He knew that Griezmann was going to be the subject of discussion.

Asked if Griezmann was irreplaceable in the line-up, Simeone reacted in his usual way.

"He is in a very good moment, he's grown enormously and he's a very important player for the team," explained the Argentine manager.

"It's up to him, whether he can be what you ask."

The fact of that matter is that Griezmann can.

Uncredited/Associated Press

The French forward will be a key piece of his side's bid to win Euro 2016 on home soil, and if he keeps progressing at the rate he has done under Simeone's tutelage, that will happen.

When he first joined Atletico Madrid, from Real Sociedad, Griezmann was used sparingly.

Not only that, but when he was used it was without any real positional consistency, with Simeone deploying him in various positions.

That made a big change, as at la Real he was usually played on the left wing.

After a while, it became apparent Simeone wanted to use him as a striker, with his pace as a good asset for an Atletico side that like to soak up pressure and then hit their opponents on the counter-attack.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

He scored just one goal in his first 10 Atletico Madrid matches, but then five in the 10 after that. Seven followed in the subsequent 10, as he continued to thrive in the team.

In April 2015 he scored an incredible eight goals in eight games, which is close to a Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo standard. And that's the importance he has to his side.

Not in terms of sheer quality. For any player to be considered close to those gods of the modern game, they would have to perform consistently exceptionally for at least two whole seasons.

But in a team that is challenging for the title, Griezmann is the man to carry the weight.

He has five goals in six games this season, including two away at Galatasaray and one on the opening day, against Las Palmas.

Uncredited/Associated Press

All of his goals have won his team points. When Griezmann scores, nobody else on either side does, so far this season.

Of course, the way Atletico Madrid is built, it's never about one star, it's about the team as a whole—the defence, the sweat and blood of the midfield unit, even the strikers, applying huge pressure high up the pitch.

But Griezmann offers something different.

As well as working hard, he is blessed with the star dust that makes great players great.

Whether he can ever reach the level of the aforementioned duo who play for Atletico's title rivals is debatable.

That doesn't matter, though, if what he is doing is good enough to win Atletico vital points. And so far, it is.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Quotes taken firsthand by the author.