Ademola Lookman: Simeone’s 4-3-3 plan to restore his best form

Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman could be moved onto the left of a 4-3-3 at Atlético Madrid, as coach Diego Simeone looks to bring back the form that made him a hit in his first half-season.

Lookman has two goals and one assist for Atlético in all competitions this season, according to Afrik-Foot. That is well short of the nine goals he scored after joining from Atalanta in the winter window, a spell in which Atlético reached the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-finals.

Simeone has also taken him off at half-time in more than three league games this season. Soccernet looked at that pattern in our half-time substitution piece.

The plan: wide, with less defending

Mundo Deportivo, as cited by Afrik-Foot, reports that Simeone is considering a 4-3-3 with Lookman as the left winger. The system was tried in recent matches against Stuttgart and Deportivo A Coruña.

The idea is to let Lookman receive the ball wide, beat his man and cut inside, while limiting his defensive workload.

What Simeone has said

Simeone described Lookman's game earlier in October in comments reported by Afrik-Foot.

“He is a dribbler; we need him to be one, to lose the ball and keep trying.”

The message is that Simeone accepts the lost balls that come with a dribbler, as long as the attempts keep coming.

Analysis: a role that suits his strengths, if the form follows

A wide role with fewer defensive duties suits a winger who is asked to receive the ball wide and cut inside. If the 4-3-3 becomes the regular shape, a simpler brief could also ease the half-time substitutions.

The risk is that a change of shape does not by itself bring goals. Two in all competitions is a thin return, and the reported plan depends on Lookman first improving his own performances.

For Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, a Lookman who is back to his best would be welcome with the Tanzania qualifiers coming in November. Our Group L breakdown shows why Nigeria need their best players in form. Atlético's next league games will show whether the 4-3-3 is more than an experiment.