Simeone reiterates Atleti a 'work in progress'
Diego Simeone has reiterated Atletico Madrid is "a work in progress" after his side received more criticism.
Atleti returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Real Sociedad at the weekend, but all three of its goals came from the 84th minute onwards.
Simeone's side has won three of its five LaLiga games this season ahead of a clash with Osasuna on Thursday, leaving it fifth in the table, though it is already five points behind defending champion Barcelona.
Atleti has lost nine of its 25 LaLiga games in 2026, its highest number of defeats in a calendar year in the competition with Simeone as head coach; the last time it suffered as many defeats in a single year in LaLiga was in 2011.
However, after a summer of change, Simeone has urged critics to give his side time to grow as a team.
"We're used to the negativity from a lot of people; as soon as there's a chance of criticism, it's there. It's part of growing and improving, and we welcome it," Simeone said.
"The team is a work in progress. This summer, seven players left and five came in, and there are four or five academy players. It's not as simple as it seems to organise all this.
"We have a competitive team. We'll improve as we play. That's how I feel: we're a work in progress, we need time, which doesn't exist in football."
Osasuna is 11th in LaLiga after five games with seven points to its name, though it has struggled in recent matches.
After starting its campaign with two wins and a draw, it has lost 5-2 against Alaves and 2-0 versus Espanyol.
