Portugal forward Joao Felix said he left Atletico Madrid to join Chelsea on loan because he was struggling to get used to the Spanish side’s style of play, adding that coach Diego Simeone’s philosophy is not beneficial to every player.

Felix, 23, joined Atletico from Benfica for a club record fee of $135 million in 2019 but has struggled to realise his potential, scoring 25 goals in three and a half seasons before joining Chelsea on January until the end of the campaign.

The Portugal forward was sent off on his Premier League debut last month against Fulham, earning a three-match ban, but is due to return to action on Saturday against West Ham United.

“I had been looking for a change of scenery for some time because it was difficult for me to get used to the way of playing,” Felix told Spanish newspaper AS in an interview published on Friday.

“I left because my head was full of the fact I was trying and not being able to. It had to be in this transfer window and I think it has been good for Atletico and for me too.”

Felix’s dribbling and passing ability encouraged Chelsea to pay a reported $11 million to sign him on loan but his skills have not always dovetailed with Simeone, whose Atletico side tend to prioritise defending over attacking.

Felix stopped short of openly criticising the Argentine coach but hinted the pair have not always seen eye-to-eye with each other.

“He is a very good coach. He has his way of understanding and seeing football that others don’t have. That’s good for some and bad for others. It depends on each person,” he said.

Advice for youngster

Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho needs take more decisive action, manager Erik ten Hag said on Friday, criticising his player for missing chances in their last outing against Leeds.

“I think he is a threat as we saw on Wednesday, he had good actions, he was lively, he created great chances but he had to score. Finally, it is about that - that you have an effect,” Ten Hag told a news conference on Sunday.

“As a striker, you have to be on the scoring list, the assist list, the key action list. As a Manchester United player, we expect you to have an impact, to influence the score, the result, to have a positive influence on the game by scoring goals and having assists.”

FA rap for clubs

London: Manchester United and Crystal Palace have been charged following a “mass confrontation” between their players during last weekend’s Premier League, the Football Association said.

The incident took place in the 67th minute of the February 4 game, which United won 2-1 at home, thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.

Casemiro was shown a straight red card for grabbing Will Hughes by the throat when both teams had clashed following a tackle on Antony.

“It is alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour,” the FA said in a statement on Thursday.

“It is also alleged that Manchester United failed to ensure its players refrained from violent behaviour,” it added.

The clubs have until February 13 to respond to the charges.

Reuters