Who Offers Most to Atletico Madrid: Thomas or Matias Kranevitter?
Atletico Madrid showed just how strong their squad was over the course of the 2015-16 season.
They fought for honours on both domestic and European fronts until the final two games of the campaign, though they ultimately ended up empty-handed after losing out to Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, respectively.
Plans for improvements in 2016-17 are already well underway, with Atletico confirming the signing of Argentina international winger Nico Gaitan and Diogo Jota also on the way, per Marca.
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It means that head coach Diego Simeone will have plenty to ponder as he balances his squad ahead of the start of the season.
Will some faces from last year be surplus to requirements? Can everyone get sufficient game time?
That's particularly a concern in the midfield, and two stylistically different players could go head-to-head for a place in the squad: Thomas and Matias Kranevitter.
The latter has been linked with a loan move away, per Marca, to ensure he receives adequate time to progress, while Goal suggested Thomas might be surplus to requirements.
But which would the team be better off keeping for this season?
Crowded midfield
The established central-midfield pairing of Gabi and Tiago were finally broken up at the Vicente Calderon last year, thanks only to the latter's broken leg, which sidelined him from November to May.
During that period, Saul Niguez established himself in the first team, Koke moved centrally with greater frequency and Augusto Fernandez was signed from Celta Vigo, starring in a ball-winning capacity as the season went on.
Add in the arrival of Kranevitter in January, who fought for game time, and Thomas' emergence as an impact player over the second half of the campaign, and it's obvious why someone has to give way—especially in light of Tiago renewing his contract for a further year.
Even if Simeone opts to have an extra central presence by playing 4-3-3 with increasing frequency rather than 4-4-2, Gaitan's arrival on the flank means Saul and Koke—who often featured wider last term—will be central options first and foremost, being first-choice players.
Thomas' Traits
Most frequently used as an impact substitute over the second half of 2015-16, Thomas' physical capacity makes him a unique presence in Atleti's squad.
He will come on, help close down and win the ball, then surge forward in a manner perhaps only Antoine Griezmann can match for pace and directness. His control of the ball isn't always as methodical, disciplined or smooth as those of others in the side, and his timing in releasing the ball can be frustrating, but Thomas is a huge asset to the team with his runs to break opposition lines.
On the counter-attack when leading or when chasing the game and needing a brute-force option to power through a defence, Thomas uses his pace and strength to barge his way past tackles, hit pockets of space to open up passing lanes. In addition, he can dribble over great distances to relieve pressure and let his team-mates join up with the attack.
Thomas barely featured in the first half of the year, and Simeone suggested on Spanish radio that he'll be a better option out wide in the future rather than centrally, but he showed in his loan spell in 2014-15 at Almeria that he can dominate games from the middle—and his best role so far has been that of a box-to-box player, where his athleticism really comes to the fore.
More than once during the course of the season he was vital in Atleti finding points late on, particularly his rampaging run which led to a last-minute winner at Levante.
Kranevitter's Quality
Argentina international Kranevitter is a different player entirely.
Immensely composed and controlled in possession, he arrived from River Plate after their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in winter, having initially signed a deal the previous summer.
Playing either from the base of midfield or in a two-man pivot, Kranevitter has displayed for both club and country his exemplary range of passing, his ability to split the lines of opposition teams from deep and a hugely aware positional sense which sees him protect the defence of his team with aggression and intelligence.
More comfortable winning back the ball by reading developing play and intercepting rather than going in for the big tackles, Kranevitter nevertheless has the energy and mobility to play the width of both penalty areas and roam throughout the middle third.
He should be a tremendous link between defensive lines and attackers, a conduit of possession not all that dissimilar to Tiago's style of play. But so far, it hasn't happened for him. Diego Simeone has shown many times before that he wants his players to earn a spot in the XI with commitment and patience as well as quality, and Kranevitter has had to be patient.
A run of games soon after joining didn't highlight the best of his game, and he quickly fell out of favour when Augusto's experience and instant impact was preferred, as silverware was on the line.
Short and Long
In theory, they could even be a pairing: Kranevitter sitting and playing from deep, Thomas bombarding throughout each third of the pitch, winning the ball, playing simply and surging forward.
It won't happen, though, with both aged 23 and Saul, even younger, already ahead of the duo in retaining Simeone's trust and in all-round quality.
For the upcoming season, it's tough to see either racking up 1,500 minutes of game time—which they realistically need to contribute significantly and continue their own progression—if they are both vying for a place on the bench.
If one leaves, however, that player should feature heavily at an alternative team and be better-placed to challenge for a first-XI role in a year's time, while the player who stays at the Calderon stands a better chance of being involved more often with reduced competition.
In the short term, the player who stays should be Thomas.
His ability to impact immediately off the bench is a rare gift—Lucas Vazquez has it at Real Madrid, but Barcelona arguably didn't have anyone outside the first XI last season to match that ability—and his direct style is such a unique trait within the Atleti squad that Simeone should keep that variation available to him and utilise Thomas when required.
Further down the line, though, there's no doubt that Kranevitter has a far higher ceiling than Thomas and a much greater likelihood of being a regular starter than the Ghanaian international. Playing out a full season in La Liga—Valencia or Celta Vigo might be the best bets, stylistically and positionally—would benefit him immensely, and he'll still be comfortably young enough to return and play a key role in 2017-18.
Managers in Spain don't always have the luxury of planning for the mid-term and getting to see those plans come to fruition, but Simeone is in the advantageous position of being able to do so.
Kranevitter was a very good signing for the team, but it looks difficult to incorporate him into the team at this moment given the depth of midfield. Protect the asset, loan him out and retain the effectiveness of Thomas this term, and Atletico should get the best of both worlds from their promising midfield talents.
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