Atlético Madrid head coach Diego Simeone believes Ademola Lookman still has more to offer the team as he continues to make his mark.
The Nigeria international starred in Atletico’s 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday night
Lookman’s 31st minute strike proved decisive as the Rojiblancos won the contest 3-2 on aggregate.
Simeone has been highly impressed by the progress shown by his January signing.
Read Also:The Highest Paid Footballer In The World: Salaries, Rankings, And What The Gap Reveals
Simeone Lauds Lookman
“He’s growing, he is growing a lot defensively, which makes him even more important to the team,” the former Argentina international said after the game.
“He’s courageous and has taken more responsibilities of the team.
“He’s brilliant offensively, very good on 1v1.
We want more from him and he has more in his tank.”
Lookman has scored six goals and registered four assists in all competitions for Atletico.
By Adeboye Amosu
10 Comments
“And he has more in his tank.”
LOL…But the same cant be said of that Gala guy…lol
That Gala guy looks exhausted….lol….
From picking up injuries left right and center like iya basira picking beans…..lmao…
This season, dude is not even among the top highest goal scorers in turkey….lol
He allowed common onuacho who couldnt make it in common southampton to be the king in a league he is suppose to dominate…
I mean I thought they said he dominated in italy, france and germany?
So turkish league would have been so easy for him irrespective of the arrival of onuachu….
Lmao….look I wouldnt be surprise if he decides to hang his boot at 30…
Cos right now at just 27, dude seems short of ideas, exhausted, no elite suitor coming for him…..lmao
This Simeone guy. Why buy a forward and then ask him to improve defensively. Lookman’s main game virtue is the fast counterattack. Asking him to defend and sit behind the ball negates his main goal scoring virtue. If you watch Lookman, you will always see him “crouching like a Tiger” poised to accelerate and counter attack when the opposition are attacking his team in their half. This is how he scores. Asking him to defend and sit behind the ball totally destroys his game.
I’m sorry to say this but Lookman needs to consider some other team, his relationship with Simeone would not last, especially as Simeone is substituting him for the Norwegian Sorloth, and not asking Sorloth to do any defending.
It is a near truism in today’s modern game, that full-backs and wing backs are failed wingers. Ola Aina, Osayi-Samuel and many other full-backs started their careers as wingers but did not make the grade so were relegated by necessity into fullbacks. Successful wingers Moses Simon, Lookman Chukwueze have established abilities to beat their markers, proven in the professional game.
To turn Moses Simon or Chukwueze into fullbacks would be a tactical disaster. Why would anyone advocate that Lookman – more successful in recent years than these two, should be a candidate for fullback conversion at the ripe age of 28. An age where it is too late to learn crucial defensive skills.
I watched Lookman defend against Yamal in a recent game (won by Barca.), it was a disaster. Yamal played him like a fool. Yet in an earlier game (won by Athletic M.), I watched Lookman attack and make Yamal look impotent.
If Lookman was 22 and as effective (in attack) as he has been I would question any defensive conversion. At 28, that boat has sailed.
This conversation will only hold water if simeone remains in athletico after this season (rumours say he’s leaving this May after 14 years).
In my opinion, lookman should listen to him for these few weeks left and pray managerial change to one that suits him happens. If not, becoming “dependable” on both parts of the pitch isn’t a bad idea sha
Lookman is a world class BIG game player.
Yamal tires very quick.
This is true .
Great comments from Simeone here. As highly gifted as Eberechi Eze of Arsenal is, a lack of defensive rigidity and acumen is killing his game. Even the most lethal centre forward in world football at the moment contributes immensely to his team’s defensive efforts when he is not scoring. Speaking of Erlin Haaland, he is as delightful defending as he is in attacking, as he goes full throttle to help his team retrieve the ball and recover possession in deep areas in helping Manchester City regain the initiative.
Our own Victor Osihmen is a beast defensively; you only need to revisit his all-round performance at Afcon 2022 to find out.
Lookman is in the best club of his life!
With Simeone’s well-drilled, fully-developed, cutting-edge defensive orientation, working under him should mould Lookman, in the longrun, into a complete winger who can also function as a wingback like the Victor Moses of Chelsea and the Super Eagles of 2028!
It’s a no-brainer, football, modern football is a collective effort. Players like Lookman will do well to develop “dynamic capabilities” that will serve them well to function in multiple formations.
“He’s growing, he is growing a lot defensively, which makes him even more important to the team,” the former Argentina international said after the game.
“Lookman is courageous and has taken more responsibilities for the team,” said Coach Simeone enthusiastically.
He’s courageous and has taken more responsibilities of the team; we want more from him, and he has more in his tank.” Stated Simeone.
I agree. Lookman is courageous and willing to take more responsibilities. With the tiger in his tank, he will use his time with Simeone to become a well-rounded winger.
It is a massive falsehood to conclude that developing core competencies and dynamic capabilities is the same with outright conversation: that’s missing the point.
Who wants to convert Erlin Haaland into a centre back? Was Didier Drogba converted into a centre back? Samuel Eto under Jose Morinho: was the Ivory Coast legend converted into a centre back? I can go on and on with examples. Yet, when called upon, these legendary strikers performed their defensive duties with aplomb!
Be it modern football or ancient soccer, any winger who can’t support his fullback colleagues with defensive duties when the need arises is a waste of space.
Someone will help Lookman sharpen the defensive spear in Lookman’s armoury. That way, Lookman will be versatile, dynamic and (most of all) dependable all across the pitch.
This is not a conversion conversation, rather, it is a dynamism discourse.
Based on the impressive Afcon showing, one can only wonder what would have transpired at the world cup if Nigeria had qualified. We likely could have had our best world cup ever.
Thanks to Onigbese NFF, Lookman, Osimhen and our other players will not be at the world cup.
To think players like Lookman and Osimhen may never play in a world cup is so sad.
NFF, una well done ooo!
Actually, in Levante, Spain, Moses Simon played as a left wingback with distinction, a role he also intermittently played under Gernot Rohr with pass marks.
Labelling wingbacks and fullbacks as failed wingers is crass! Most footballers set out to score goals, but, there is only so much space in front, so many footballers have to be redeployed and then readjust to their redeployment.
Aina and Osayi-Samuel didn’t fail in anything. Rather, like Victor Moses in Chelsea, their chances of making match-day squads are greatly enhanced by accepting a redeployment and growing into that redeployment.
The Calvin Bassey I knew was a fullback. Abracadabra, he is now a centre back! I didn’t see that coming; I guess neither did he! Oh, I guess Calvin Bassey failed as a fullback, if we are to apply a faulty logic!