Breaking Down the Role Matias Kranevitter Will Play at Atletico Madrid in 1 Year

Atletico Madrid's purchases in the transfer market over the past 18 months or so have clearly pointed to a new direction for the squad, as they add a number of talented younger players who can keep the aggression and tenacity the manager demands, but bring a little more flair.

Matias Kranevitter was one of those signings last summer, though he only joined Los Rojiblancos in January after competing in the FIFA Club World Cup with former side River Plate in December.

Now easing his way into the squad and finding his role under Diego Simeone, who has notoriously made players bide their time before becoming regulars, what can Kranevitter expect lies in store for him by this point next season?

Midfield style fit

Kranevitter has been referred to at times as a new Javier Mascherano, but it's not really the destroyer role which the younger Argentinian proved his worth in. Sure, he can break up play and is an aggressive individual at the base of midfield, but the real strength in his game in South America lay in his passing range and vision between the lines.

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Playing either at the base of a diamond or in a double pivot, Kranevitter was often the man to initiate quick attacks by feeding balls diagonally to the flanks or straight through the opposition midfield into the feet of attackers dropping into space.

He hasn't really found his comfort level or confidence at Atletico yet, so the proactive side of his game hasn't been on show with any frequency, but he's capable enough, and Los Colchoneros can expect to see far more of that once he gets to grips with La Liga and the tempo required on and off the ball from a Simeone side.

So far, Kranevitter has mostly been restricted to coming on as sub to try to influence the flow of the game in midfield, but he did complete his first 90 minutes just before the international break—a late 2-1 defeat to Sporting Gijon.

Team development

More and more often this season, Atleti have opted to switch in-game to a 4-3-3, with two attackers picking up wide starting positions but looking to run centrally and link with a centre-forward. Antoine Griezmann has played both the No. 9 and the wide role in this set-up, with Luciano Vietto often involved, too.

It's a good way of getting the likes of Yannick Carrasco and Angel Correa closer to the penalty box and in scoring positions, and it's not inconceivable that Simeone wants to move ever more toward that being Atleti's go-to formation over the next year.

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They will still feature a 4-4-2 with some regularity, too, and often it's out of possession when the team switches from a three-man midfield to a quartet that stretches across the pitch, but again it needs tactically aware and disciplined players to do this seamlessly. Those who have been under Simeone for some years—Gabi, Koke, Saul and so on—do it as a matter of course now, but it's not yet going to be second nature for Augusto Fernandez or Kranevitter.

Kranevitter has played in both systems already, but his sub appearances have been notable for the manager trying to get his double pivot being a little more creative on the ball, feeding passes to the front four with greater frequency.

Kranevitter in the XI

If the three-man midfield persists, it's feasible that Kranevitter will see his (average) game time reduced rather than increased. Gabi has signed a new deal and isn't going anywhere, and he'll likely remain in place as the central holder, with Koke and Saul then able to push on from central areas and affect play in the final third.

Kranevitter is a good option to come into that system, and he can be more positive and proactive about his play than Gabi, but Simeone doesn't rotate or take out his established players without a good reason. It could take Kranevitter another 12 months to dislodge Gabi entirely from the role, though if he improves his own game in that time in terms of positional play and protection of the defence, Atleti end up with a much better all-round player afterward.

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In truth, even if Atletico continue to rotate systems, as seems probable, Kranevitter could well find himself in exactly the same position 12 months from now: coming into games late on, making a few starts to continue his adjustment and trying to prove himself worthy of starting.

At 22 years of age, 23 this time next year, time is still on his side, and he'll be playing a secondary role in a team fighting for titles, so it's far from a bad thing. But he'll need a greater on-pitch impact than he has managed so far, and more consistency in his game, if he's to dislodge one of the three established midfielders and become a regular in his own right.

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