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The statements at the end of the match against Bologna indicate a possible change of direction in the career of Simeone, attacker who has always been dedicated to sacrifice and obscure work
A lot, a lot of movement, a few goals. John Simeone the label of worker striker had stuck on him, especially after last season in Florence. Six goals for a center forward are unsatisfactory loot. Dark work, folding up to the defensive line, deepening: Giovanni Simeone. Every technician who has had it available has slammed us:He must be less selfless, think more about goals », the mantra. And the answer from Cholito it was always the same, dictated by an attitude to fight on each ball and to the run-up to the opponent, sometimes even harmful.
The logical consequence was a lack of lucidity at the door that often distinguished him, even in the first part of the season a Cagliari. A factor we were used to, so much so that we consider the former River and Fiorentina the classic striker to avoid entrusting the fate of the team. Unable to guarantee with certainty the number of goals that clubs choose their attackers for. An unconscious reasoning that derived not so much from Simeone’s characteristics as from his unshakeable attitude to sacrifice, which he always highlighted half with pride and half with a hint of regret. Almost like it was a cross to carry throughout your career. But something seems to be moving.
Yesterday, after the fourth goal in four games, a partial turning point: «I am generous, I try to help and cover spaces in the non-possession phase. But being generous also means filling the area and capitalizing on team work». In these few words there is the metamorphosis of Cholito, always associated with dad Cholo also for the combative character: a matter of DNA. The extraordinary continuity shown by the Argentine attacker after the lockdown does not depend exclusively on the cure Zenga, passed by some as miraculous. But it is clear that the technician has been able to touch the right keys. In those few words, Simeone says it too. South American DNA, but with a new vision: generosity on the field, yes, but aimed at the attack phase. And the chiaroscuro season of Florence is swept away by the tenth center in rossoblu: again double figures, with 9 days to match and – why not – break the personal record of 14 goals with Fiorentina in 2017/18.
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