Diego Simeone focused on power of squad depth ahead of Stuttgart tie

Atlético Madrid will take on VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday night in Germany and coach Diego Simeone previewed the tie in his pre-match press conference on Monday evening.

Asked about the squad’s depth, Simeone responded that, “as I always say, when the season ends, that’s when we can assess what sort of squad we had”. He insisted that, “right now we’re a work in progress; I’m still saying the same thing I’ve been saying all along, that the team is growing; the new guys are settling in bit by bit, some much faster than others, and that’s very good for the team as a whole, and we need to keep that momentum going”.

Simeone continued by explaining that the process of helping players adapts is focused on, “giving them the playing time we believe will be beneficial, and as for the periods when their performance starts to dip, given that the team is competing as well as it is, we’ll obviously make changes and try to bring on fresh players, players who can continue to contribute and, well, help us achieve the goal we’re all aiming for”.

Diego Simeone on the importance of winning away in the Champions League

“To be honest, as always, I’ve forgotten everything that happened before because it no longer counts. What matters is what we do tomorrow, and that’s how you’ll judge us; you’ll soon forget all this praise you’re heaping on us now and judge us on our performance tomorrow. Tomorrow we’re in for a tough match against a side that’s made a good start in the Champions League, a physically strong side with a clear game plan, based on pressing the man in your half almost all the time, or at least that’s how they’ve played so far, and dropping very deep when they need to defend. And, well, we’ll have to take the game to where we think we can cause them problems.”

Simeone on Cuti Romero’s absence

“I think Cuti’s importance is clear, but obviously the team as a whole makes us all better and we’re not going to stray from that approach, the approach we’ve followed for 15 years, where the team is more important than the individual, and we won’t change that tomorrow.”

Simeone on reacting to mistakes

“I always say that matches have their moments. The other day, in the first half, we played very well and Espanyol had a big chance from a header that could have been a goal. It wasn’t because he headed it wide. But chances will come, difficult moments will arise, and mistakes will happen. The important thing is how you react to whatever happens. And, well, that’s the path we’re on: reacting to whatever happens in the best possible way so that the best outcome emerges.”

Simeone on Jan Oblak’s form

“I think he’s been improving massively year on year in that area, just as goalkeepers all over the world have. And he, obviously, with the ability he possesses as a goalkeeper, combined with this, clearly makes us better as a team and improves his own form. I think his performances at the start of the season have been crucial; above all, he’s been involved in decisive moments, quite apart from the positive results we’ve achieved. But it’s clear that we need him at his very best. Juan needs to be ready, because this is a team effort and we’re going to need everyone, that’s for sure.”

Simeone on a return to a historic stadium

“It’s always nice to return to places where important things have happened, but it’s clear that tomorrow’s match will demand our absolute best if we’re to repeat those achievements. And I’m focusing on the opposition we’re up against. A tough opponent, tall players, strong players, players who occupy the box very well, whether in defence when they have to sit deep, or when they pack your box to, obviously, capitalise on any crosses that might come in. So, as I’ve said before, let’s hope we can take the game to where we think we can cause them problems.”

Simeone on whether the plan will change due to Cuti’s absence

“No, we’ll carry on working in the same way.”

Simeone on Hjulmand and Johnny Cardoso’s condition

“Hjulmand had a very good match the other day. Cardoso has been, as you’ve all seen, putting in important performances, despite the virus that kept him out of the match against Espanyol. We’ll see today how he is, how he’s feeling. We need everyone. It’s clear, I’ll say it once again. We need freshness. We need players who can read the game well, whether they’re on for 90, 60 or 20 minutes. I don’t mind. The only thing that matters to me is the team’s understanding. And, well, for now, the players coming on, especially as they’re always the hardest to convince, are doing very well.”