Is Diego Simeone in trouble amid Atletico Madrid’s crisis of Cholismo?

Amid a frustrating season, Diego Simeone is facing questions about whether he’s still the right man for Atletico Madrid, a club he built in his image.

For the best part of a decade, ‘Cholismo,’ Diego Simeone’s trademark soccer philosophy, has been inseparable from the identity of Atletico Madrid. The two became one, with the capital club a reflection of their manager and spiritual leader, not just in terms of his coaching methods and profile, but his character too.

Indeed, Simeone molded Atleti in their current form, turning Spanish soccer’s greatest underachievers into a force both at home and in Europe. Now, though, the Argentine is facing something of a career crossroads. Atletico Madrid are no longer a reflection of Simeone, with the 49-year-old facing some tough questions after an even tougher season so far.

This season was always likely to be one of transition at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Simeone had spoken about evolving his side’s style of play, because given their new state-of-the-art stadium and megabucks transfer market business of the last few years it was time to leave the underdog complex in the past. Atleti, typecast as defensively sound, counter-attack merchants under Simeone, planned on taking the game to their opponents more often.

In attempting to evolve, though, Atletico Madrid have only succeeded in abandoning the principles that sustained them at the elite level for so long, replacing them with nothing much. Simeone’s side are now lacking in identity, unable to grind down opponents as they used to and incapable of opening up in the final third, as their Argentine manager planned.

Joao Felix, signed for a record €126 million in the summer, has shown glimpses of promise, but has yet to truly find a place in Atleti’s team. The Portuguese teenager certainly hasn’t been able to fill the void left by Antoine Griezmann. It’s only now, in his absence, that the French forward’s importance to Atletico Madrid over the last few years has been underlined.

In fact, Simeone’s transfer market movements have been questionable for some time. Thomas Lemar, for instance, was signed for €60 million two summers ago and still hasn’t been integrated into the Atleti first team. While some signings like Kieran Trippier and Stefan Savic have worked out, twice as many have flopped (see Jackson Martinez, Nico Gaitan, Kevin Gameiro, Gelson Martins, Nikola Kalinic, Marcos Llorente and more).

For the first time as Atletico Madrid manager, there’s a legitimate question to be asked over Simeone’s future. Could another manager (someone like Max Allegri or Jose Bordalas, to name two potential candidates) do a better job with the group of players currently at the Wanda Metropolitano? Has Simeone, for all that he has achieved at the club, reached the end of a cycle? Would a change would be best for both parties at this point?

Even in the context of a difficult season, last week was a chastening one for Atleti as they were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by lower league opposition and held at home by Leganes, dropping them out of La Liga’s top four. Simeone at least appears to recognize a dramatic upturn is needed, and soon.

“I can’t say anything to the people [who do not have faith],” the Argentine said after the goalless draw at home to Leganes – their sixth 0-0 draw of the season so far. “All I can do is show them through actions, not words. Words mean nothing.

“I’m respectful with everybody. I was whistled because I wasn’t doing well in my second spell at the club [as a player]. The fans are critical when the team doesn’t win. And it’s for me to find solutions to that.”

Some Atleti fans have already decided that Simeone isn’t the one to find said solutions. Defeat to Real Madrid in Saturday’s Madrid derby could see new levels of protest, with whistles growing louder and louder almost by the game.

Such dissent would have been unthinkable just a few months ago, but the situation is only worsening at Atletico Madrid as the season progresses.

‘Cholismo’ is gone and ‘Cholo’ himself might not be long in following it out the door.