Analysing the Importance of Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has come under scrutiny recently after a poor run of form, with the French attacker struggling in front of goal and his team similarly finding it difficult to pick up victories at a key point in the season.

Griezmann is comfortably the team's top scorer for the campaign, with 19 to his name across three competitions, but he hasn't netted in a month in a run that has seen Atleti knocked out of the Copa del Rey, fall off top spot in La Liga and draw the first leg of their round-of-16 UEFA Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven, 0-0.

Indeed, it was Atleti's fourth 0-0 in the last eight matches.

Even so, there's no doubting that Griezmann is regarded as one of the team's most important players and has often been in demand from clubs around Europe, so where does his importance stem from?

Recent form

Griezmann's struggles aren't just in front of goal, but that is where his greatest on-pitch value lies for Atletico.

A run of good form at the start of 2016 saw him net six goals in just 17 days across seven matches, but he's now without a goal in five La Liga matches, as well as Wednesday night's blank in Europe. Griezmann has been a peripheral figure over the last few weeks, often being moved out wide by Diego Simeone in an attempt to continue to use his pace and trickery even if things aren't going right in front of goal.

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Unfortunately for Atleti, Griezmann isn't just off-colour with his finishing, but his first touch is also lacking, his runs infield with the ball are without purpose or belief, and he isn't linking well with the likes of Koke, Saul or Luciano Vietto.

It's a tough time for the French forward, but his importance to Atletico is actually highlighted by the fact that, despite this bad run, he is continually in the starting XI without reservation. Simeone trusts his No. 7 implicitly, and the attacker continues to work hard off the ball, a prerequisite for the team, meaning he still has value on the pitch. 

Griezy in good form

When he does hit the heights he is capable of, though, Griezmann has few peers in La Liga. A career-high 22 league goals last season were mostly netted in the second half of the campaign, when he really came to the fore as a striker rather than a winger.

Some of his goals this season have highlighted not only his composure in the box, but his acceleration, close control and ability to beat defenders one-on-one; strikes against Real Sociedad and Athletic Club, for example, were individual efforts that few would even attempt to pull off, outside of the likes of Neymar or Gareth Bale,.

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Whether playing centre-forward alone, in a pair or cutting in off the flank, Griezmann is a direct runner who is able to play one-touch passes to exploit space and get shots away quickly.

Nobody else at Atletico matches his goalscoring, his running behind defences or ability to dribble through the centre, much less offer it all in one package that also works tremendously hard defensively. He has very much become a player moulded in Simeone's image, but that now also needs to include the mental strength to bounce back from a tough spell and recapture his best level.

Off-pitch importance

Of course, there's no point pretending Atletico Madrid are one of football's superpowers; they might be one of the best teams around on the pitch, capable of challenging for major trophies every season, but the perception and the reality remains that they have less financial muscle than the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Chelsea.

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If a big enough offer comes in for one of Atletico's players, they will be prepared to sell. Last summer, Simeone acknowledged that only Diego Godin and Koke were "non-transferable," and not too many more will be added to that list each year, regardless of how vital they are to the starting XI. If a player can fetch €30 million or more on the market and a bid comes in, Los Rojiblancos will cash in and look to replace.

Therein lies another aspect of Griezmann's importance.

Not only could he pick up a hefty fee for the club, he also elevates them (and their other players by association) into the eyes and minds of those who make summer deals happen, be it agents, media or scouting networks. A reputation does, like it or not, matter in football, and Griezmann and Atletico have a near-symbiotic relationship in that regard.

It won't last forever, nothing does in La Liga, and when Griezmann moves on, they'll find a new hero to replace him. For now, though, and even woefully out of form, Griezmann is a major asset for Atletico, and his importance to the team is far from limited to putting the ball in the back of the net.

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