Diego Forlan told Revista he wants new Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores to put him back up front.
Put me back up front, pleads Atletico goal ace
Diego Forlan has pleaded with new coach Quique Sanchez Flores to put him back in attack.
The Atletic Madrid striker, Spain's leading scorer last season, has found the net just four times in their disastrous start to the campaign.
That start has left Atletico third from bottom with just one win in 10 league games and, after the Champions League humbling by Chelsea, cost Abel Resina his job.
Former Valencia coach Flores was named as his replacement and his side snatched a late draw in the return fixture with the Blues and battled back from 3-0 down to give Real a real scare in the Madrid derby.
But for Forlan, the sooner his new manager sticks him back in attack, the better.
"I would like to play in my position!" he told
Revista's Guillem Balague.
"At the end of the season I was in that position, the one I am doing now, but the difference was I was scoring goals.
"Now it is a bit more difficult, but I hope I can play in my position which is the one I enjoy and feel more comfortable in."
The former Manchester United man also denied there has been any falling out with Sergio Aguero.
Atletico's wretched start has sparked several whispering campaigns in Spain, but Forlan says there is no problem between the two sharp-shooters at the Vicente Calderon.
Barbecues
"We have a really good relationship," he said. "On the pitch it's really good and off it we keep in touch.
"It's not like we are together all the time for meals, but sometimes we do some barbecues, or someone here does, and we invite everyone and spend the afternoon or night together."
But before Aguerro and Forlan can team up again in attack, Flores needs to sort out the worst defence in Spain.
Atletico have conceded 22 goals in 10 league games and eight in their last three Champions League games, the coach is expected to return to the blueprint that made so Valencia so hard to break down.
And Forlan, who has clearly lost no sleep over the sacking of Resino, agrees that sacrifices need to be made.
"Since he came we've been working on a little bit of everything, but more tactics and also defensively because they (the opposition) have been scoring a lot of goals," he said.
"I don't remember when we let in that amount - and we have to stop, so we can win some games.
"In football, when things aren't going well it's easy to sack the manager not the whole team.
"We were struggling and the people who manage the team thought they had to change something and of course the manager is always going to be the one to go."
