Kun Falcao prove there is life after Aguero at the Vicente Calderon?

Die hard La liga followers will acknowledge that Athletico Madrid have now been lampooned with the label of a ‘feeder club’, despite winning the Europa league, players such as Jurado,, Simao, Aguero and De Gea have all left respectively over past seasons. Thus, it is fair to say selling has well and truly become embodied within the clubs DNA. 

During the reign of Javier Aguirre the club was forced to sell local boy Fernando Torres to Liverpool, the scenes of furore among Madrid fans further heightened the scrutiny for the club to evade joining the long list of mediocrity which occupies the league from Barcelona and Real Madrid downwards. Despite gaining Luis Garcia, the departure of yet another academy graduate mirrored the switch Raul made to bitter rivals Real when the clubs academy was shut down under the turbulent ownership of Jesus Gil.

However the loss of Aguero has yet again handicapped the clubs inability to remain a potent force, the inconsistent form last term led to Aguero cutting a forlorn figure and with Forlan’s continuous sulks, the club mirrored nothing less than a club in the words of Graeme Souness in ‘meltdown’.  Despite Europa league qualification last season the days of champion’s league qualification seemed a distant memory.

But it is the replacement striker Radamel Falcao who Madrid fans will hope catapult the club back to the glory days. His time at Porto was nothing short of astonishing with stats of 77 goals in 83 games, it is clear why Andre Villas Boas enjoyed such a fruitful season. His impressive displays domestically most notably in the leagues ‘round’ 25 where his trickery annihilated a subpar Benfica. His irresistible form also manifested itself on the European stage with his 17 goals in 14 games setting a new record in the competition’s history. Like South American compatriot Aguero, the striker is capable of sheer genius as seen with his deft back-heel against Benfica in the 5-0 win last term.

So with stats such as those mentioned, many Athletico fans and will be left wondering Aguero who? But Falcao will have to contend with the absence of Hulk, and the defences of Barcelona, Villarreal, and Real Madrid etc. Chances maybe few and far between so the £47 million pound striker can ill afford any barren spells. Much will be anticipated of the Columbian with Forlan destined to leave, but with the club prone to have deficiencies in form, the striker’s patience will be tested as much as the clubs threadbare defence.

Athletico do however boast the talents of Jose Antonio Reyes and promising youngster Fran Merida, with rumours of Wolfsburg’s Diego joining then the striker will find himself embedded in a revived attacking strike-force. So with clubs such as Valencia, resigned to losing star player Mata and Villarreal losing Cazorla to moneybags Malaga, qualifying for the champion’s league could be become more realistic.

Wherever the club finishes this season, Falcao will have to battle to build a name for himself in a club which has entertained the world’s greatest strikers or find himself being hounded as yet another South American flop.

Nabeel Perwaiz