Diego Simeone has insisted that Atletico Madrid’s summer signings will come good, despite only Filipe Luis establishing himself as a first-team regular.
Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Stefan Savic and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco are among the new faces yet to make an impact at the Vicente Calderon this season.
Nonetheless, the Coach feels his new recruits need time to adopt his philosophy, citing Diego Costa, Jan Oblak and Antoine Griezmann as examples of his theory.
“[Luciano] Vietto is a boy I gave a debut to in Argentina. He’s had his first year in European football with Villarreal at a very high level,” he told UEFA.com.
“Obviously we wanted to bring him here so he can provide greater competition up front. He has the attributes the squad needs.
“He’s a good forward who can play as a second striker. He can get assists and goals and is a hard worker.
“Of course he'll have to develop. I always tell the new players that when I joined as coach, Koke wasn't a starter.
“When Diego Costa came here after loan spells elsewhere, he wasn't a starter. When Jan Oblak arrived, he wasn't a starter.
“When Antoine Griezmann arrived, he wasn’t a starter. The new boys need to integrate as well as possible so they quickly understand what the team need. Of course the Coach will see that even faster.
“Jackson is a finisher. He’s also very strong in the air and good with both feet. He's a bit older than the likes of Angel Correa, Griezmann and Vietto.
“He has a few years’ more experience and that’s what we need: people who are ready to play. He can put on the Atleti shirt and play.
“We have competition for places here with Fernando Torres and now Luciano too. All the players like to compete, which is great for us.
“I hope and want Jackson to have a great season because that would definitely mean the team and the club will have a great season.”
