Never in their history have Atletico Madrid been as stable and consistent as they have been with Diego Simeone, which means new demands from season to season. Having won the LaLiga title in 2014 and 2021 with different styles, the Cholo now has to reinvent his philosophy again, especially as the summer transfer market has been particularly important.
In their Champions League opener, Atletico almost came away from Anfield with an almost miraculous point as Liverpool dominated the game, scoring twice in the first six minutes.
Marcos Llorente, who specialises in doubles for the Reds, struck again, but in the end it was not enough, as Virgil van Dijk's agonising header made it 3-2.
Victories over Villarreal (2-0) and Rayo Vallecano (3-2) may have been reassuring, but the overall picture at the start of the season is not a good one. As has been the case for many seasons now, Simeone does not know where he is going tactically.
2014 and 2021: two titles and two versions
There are two Cholismos: that of the 2014 title and that of the 2021 title. The first is arid, the second more playful. But in both cases, and this seems rather paradoxical, it was the strikers who were the vectors of the coach's choices.
Much more than the assistants German 'Mono' Burgos and Nelson Rivas, the identity of the attacking players has conditioned the rest of the team.
In 2014, the figurehead was David Villa; in 2021, it was Luis Suarez. But what about today? In both eras, we were dealing with great players at the end of their careers who imposed immediate verticality.
In 2014, the wingers were predominant in a 4-4-2 formation backed up by a Diego Godin-Joao Miranda hinge, especially as the attacking sector included players who were not the fastest, such as Diego Costa.
In 2021, it was the 3-5-2 system (4-3-3 at the end of the season) that finally brought Atleti a paradigm shift, with success. The presence of Kieran Trippier, a formidable crosser, provided an additional solution for bringing danger into the box (the idea was to limit Suarez's efforts outside the box as much as possible) and his departure to Newcastle was never really compensated for.
Griezmann, the new 'old boy' in attack?
A third way should now be opening up, especially given the summer investment. It could be embodied by two players: Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sorloth. The aim is simple: to put Julian Alvarez in the best possible position to make the difference, as he did against Rayo with a hat-trick.
At 34, Griezmann can no longer run around like he used to. Starting against Villarreal and Liverpool, he was barely visible. Simeone has to make a change if he wants to use him to best effect.
The combined arrivals of Alex Baena and Thiago Almada, who are currently injured, should lead Simeone to position 'Grizi' in a free attacking role that would benefit a nine.
In the same vein, the Argentinian is clearly refusing to install Sorloth in the starting XI, even in the absence of Alvarez. Yet Sorloth offers obvious solutions in the air and in the final third. His abilities deserve to be seen at the start of the game, not just at the end.
Giacomo Raspadori, a newcomer to LaLiga, seems less suited to this task at the moment.
In that respect, will the arrival of Matteo Ruggeri from Atalanta to cover the left flank be able to offer the same range of options as Trippier in his day? Llorente can do it on the right, but he's also very attracted to the centre, which can unbalance the edifice.
Not really Simeone's style, although the all-defensive approach is long gone. But if he wants to relaunch his Atletico, it will require new ambition. Otherwise, he will do nothing better than run against time.
Balance to be found in defence
The Cholo's reinvention will also involve his defence, which will come as no surprise given that the double-decker bus cliche has been used for many years. Atletico are no longer a defensive team and, compared to the past, they have defended rather poorly for several years.
This season, they are changing shape all the time and conceding a lot. In LaLiga, they have let the ball slip through their net seven times in six games.
In the Champions League, they have sunk at the start and end of matches. The errors are systematic, not to mention at the restart, the recovery or the connection with the midfield.
Javi Galan and David Hancko share the left flank, pending the emergence of Ruggeri, who is not yet ready. In the defensive phase, this means that the opposition is left with plenty of space to exploit, and the Colchoneros are left with a number of uncertainties, especially as the Slovak player has already suffered an injury that has kept him out of several games.
Add to that the poor form of Nahuel Molina on the right, and it soon becomes apparent that Atletico's attacking options are far from being properly manned. Llorente, as mentioned earlier, is too forward-looking - and rightly so, given his old role as an attacking midfielder. This makes it easier for opponents to get forward.
Finally, the central hinge is generally made up of Clement Lenglet and Robin Le Normand. Occasionally, Hancko and Josema Gimenez also feature when he is not injured, which is becoming increasingly common. Does the French-speaking pair offer the best guarantees? It's still far from being the case. The Rojiblancos ' opponents are favoured by ball losses, marking problems and recovery problems.
To compensate for these shortcomings, Pablo Barrios, positioned in midfield, has to be even more committed if he is to avoid disaster, as does Koke, called upon to come to the rescue when the boat is rocking, but with less volume as the years go by. They run, but perhaps too much, at the risk of spreading themselves too thin as the keystone wobbles.
Should they renew themselves through attack or defence? Tilt more towards 2014 or 2021? El Eterno Derbi on Saturday afternoon could already provide an answer against a confident side that has won its first six league matches.