Yesterday's Atlético de Madrid game served to draw some positive and negative conclusions. The effectiveness of Alexander Sørloth or the jump in level of Marcos Llorente were some of the joys that the colchoneros enjoyed. However, defensive weakness continues to be a weakness for Cholo at the start of the season.
But if we have to talk about news that needs improvement, to put it euphemistically, we cannot overlook the performance of Rodrigo De Paul . Disappointing is a generous word to describe the Argentine's performance. It is incomprehensible how there can be such a difference in his performance between the Argentine national team and Atlético de Madrid and this could lead to him being substituted as a matter of course.
Pablo Barrios asks for a pass | X: @Atleti
The future of Atlético de Madrid is a reality
Given Rodrigo De Paul's ineffectiveness, Pablo Barrios is eager to break down the door of the starting lineup. He made his debut on October 29, 2022 at the Nuevo Mirandilla with a very tough defeat in the last minute. That was the most complicated period of the Simeone era and as they say that no calm sea made a sailor an expert , Pablo Barrios applied the saying to the letter.
Little by little he started playing games with the first team, gaining confidence and self-assurance to be the future of this team. If Simeone has any fault with Atlético it is not to have promoted the youth team so much, although it is true that it largely depends on the quality of the players in the reserve team. Only Koke, Saúl Ñíguez, Lucas Hernández or Thomas are some of the youth team players who managed to settle in at a certain moment with Cholo, however Pablo Barrios was clear about it.
"When you see a kid who plays ball without fear, with personality, responsibility, sacrifice, vision of the game . We have been watching him for a long time and the kid has very good qualities. He is a humble kid who listens and wants to learn."
Always focused on the collective, Simeone has little praise for a specific player. However, he was full of praise for Pablo Barrios because the kid earned it through his actions. In this same press conference he also said that the Madrid midfielder was a club man and that, like everyone else, he would have setbacks that he would have to overcome.
Last year he received criticism
The hardest blow so far came last year in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. With the match already over, Barrios drove towards his own area, which led to a loss of the ball and a penalty against him. Only the VAR saved him from criticism that could have been even worse.
"A move that suits Pablo because since he was young he thinks that throwing a ball out of bounds looks bad. And yes it does look bad, but it can be important to avoid possibly unnecessary risks. I'm glad it happened and that it didn't have any consequences because he's young, it's happened to all of us ."
Pablo Barrios against Villarreal | @Atleti
Against Villarreal he was dominant
His game yesterday could have been a turning point in his career and he could have become a starter for Cholo. In 90 minutes: 84% passing accuracy, 3/3 dribbles completed, 5/10 duels won, 4/4 long passes completed and 1 assist. Still with room for improvement and thanks to the experience from the Olympic Games, the player has started this season on the right foot.
The theory says that he is Koke's replacement in the midfield and as captain of the red and white team . However, the theory does not always end up being fulfilled. Bale with Cristiano or Neymar with Messi, are replacements in Spanish football that ended up as broken toys or poor performances for the expectations created.
You don't have to go far to see that Jose Maria Gimenez is not even close to being like Diego Godin. That's why you have to be patient with the kid and give him time. Not burn him out and know how to dose him so that he has organic growth.
It won't be because of his characteristics, nor because of his work - so far - either. Pablo Barrios is here to stay and if he continues to grow as he is doing, he will achieve it sooner rather than later.
