Ademola Lookman: 2 areas Super Eagles must improve at Atlético Madrid

Ademola Lookman’s importance to Atlético Madrid is not in question, but his first full season under Diego Simeone has already shown two areas the Super Eagles forward must improve, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian arrived in Madrid in January from Atalanta and quickly established himself as an important attacking player for Simeone.

Lookman scored nine goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances for Atlético last season, immediately showing why the Spanish giants had invested in his qualities. However, his second campaign has presented a different challenge.

The 28-year-old has been asked to operate in several positions rather than consistently playing from his preferred left flank, while his attacking numbers have also dipped.

Lookman has scored just once in seven La Liga appearances this season, playing 460 minutes and with no assists.

His latest involvement in Sunday’s Madrid derby illustrated the situation perfectly. Lookman began Atlético’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on the bench before replacing Alex Baena in the 67th minute. He could not add to the scoreline during his limited time on the pitch.

For a player Simeone had described before the match as possessing a profile Atlético do not have much of, it was another reminder that Lookman still has work to do.

Where Ademola Lookman must improve

1. Lookman must become comfortable with Simeone’s tactical demands

The first challenge is adaptation. Lookman has already acknowledged that his role at Atlético is different from what he was accustomed to at Atalanta.

He has played three different positions this season, featuring on the left wing, centrally and as a supporting striker. Rather than resist that change, the Nigerian has embraced it.

“I think it’s a learning process. As you said, trying to learn different positions can certainly enrich my game and make me a more complete player,” Lookman said as revealed by All Football.

He also acknowledged that he needs to understand how to play both with and without the ball in the different roles. That is particularly important under Simeone.

The Atlético coach does not only need Lookman’s ability when his team has possession. He needs him to understand when to press, where to position himself, how to contribute defensively and how to fit into a system that can change depending on the opponent.

Simeone’s pre-match comments before the Real Madrid derby showed that he still values what Lookman brings.

“He is a footballer who has a profile that we don’t have much of. He is the most decisive in one-on-one situations on the edge of the box,” Simeone said.

But that faith comes with responsibility. Lookman must turn his willingness to learn different positions into an ability to influence games regardless of where Simeone deploys him.

2. Lookman must make his quality count more consistently

The second challenge is consistency. There is little doubt about Lookman’s individual ability.

Simeone himself identified his one-on-one quality as something Atlético lacks, while the Nigerian demonstrated during the second half of last season that he can be decisive at this level.

The problem is making that influence regular. Lookman’s quiet performance against Athletic Club earlier this month led former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson to criticise his lack of involvement.

His response was positive against Sevilla, when he scored his first goal of the campaign, but he was unable to reproduce that against Real Madrid.

More importantly, Simeone’s post-match comments showed that even the coach who continues to believe in Lookman’s qualities wants more from him.

“I’m proud. We had talked about the team’s work. It wasn’t just the 10 who started. We needed Koke’s talent, a little more freshness from Julián, for Lookman to come in better than he did,” Simeone said after the derby.

That comment should not be viewed in isolation. Simeone had already said before the derby that Atlético needed Lookman and that his start to the season had not been what the player would have wanted.

The message is clear: the door is open, but Lookman has to walk through it.

His versatility can make him more valuable to Atlético, but only if it does not come at the expense of his biggest strength, which is being decisive in the final third.

For Lookman, the next step is not proving that he belongs at Atlético. He has already done enough to earn Simeone’s trust.