As is the case with every great team, there is always a focal point of attack; a striker who carries the team on his shoulders by scoring those all important goals. Not to diminish the significance of the players in other positions, but only by scoring goals can you win matches and trophies, such is the law of football and that is what makes the game of a striker all the more important.
Atletico Madrid has had a history of producing world-class strikers over the past decade or so and much of Simeone’s current success has been due to the excellence of Griezmann. The manager has produced a hard-hitting and battling side who refuse to concede goals but Griezmann adds that much-needed deftness and magic at the top which is required to complete the balance of the team and scores the important goals for Atletico.
The trick to the Griezmann card, however, lies with the player feeding him the chances, or in other words Kevin Gameiro. Simeone has been quick to point out to everyone to look at the stats which clearly show the effect of Gameiro on Griezmann’s game. Gameiro is now as vital as Griezmann himself. However, with game time hard to come by despite being so important in their team, reports are now coming that Swansea City is ready to swoop in for the striker.
Although it would be silly to leave Atletico, Gameiro must be wary of Costa being eligible now that January is here. The Spaniard will surely play as a first team player given the money they spent on him and the quality he brings to any team. In such a scenario, Gameiro may be forced to move.
As for Swansea City, this season things have gone downhill for them and the Swans are currently staggering at rock bottom 20th place with just 17 points after twenty-three game weeks. In their last seventeen English Premier League matches, Swansea City has lost twelve of them. The results have been horrendous and the nature of defeats even more depressing. It is tough to see the Swans surviving this season in this form, a situation that led to Clement’s demise as manager at the Welsh club.
The stat of so many defeats has left the fans frustrated and the players must shoulder some responsibility. This is Swansea’s seventh straight season in the top flight since their promotion in 2011. The Swans must look to themselves as their top-flight run clearly proves they have the quality in their squad to cut it in the league. However, the players are looking demotivated and are now facing an uncertain period under new manager Carlos Carvalhal. Swansea has been terrible going forward and the strikers have returned with a paltry total of 13 goals in 22 games.
In this January window, the club will be desperate to add another striker to the team to help their bid to stay afloat this season. Apart from Tammy Abraham, none of the players has been in a scoring form and Gameiro might be the solution Swansea need to survive this season.
