Can Atletico Madrid really improve this season? This is one of the topics I'm curious about. It is really important for Simeone's future with this team as well. If we see a similar performance this season as well then the board might not want to extend Simeone's contract. They should be able to stay in the title race somehow.
Atletico Madrid is a highly good La Liga team that has been dominating for a long time. But when they get to disappoint you, it will be when you least expect it. Simeone's future at Atletico Madrid will not be jeopardised even if they do not finish in the top place this season, which I am hopeful they will achieve. Just like Arsene Wenger of Arsenal and Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, Diego Simeone is devoted to that club.
In the last few seasons Atletico Madrid was only able to finish the season with the most frequent 2nd and 3rd places but for the 2020/21 season they managed to win the title with 86 points.
For this season it seems that Atletico Madrid will find it difficult if they want to win La Liga and the most that can be achieved will probably only be ranked 3rd.
Simeone has been coach of Atletico Madrid for a long time and he has also succeeded in bringing Atletico Madrid as runners-up and becoming one of the top La Liga teams so that his future at Atletico is somewhat safer even though his contract is stated to expire in 2024.
In the same way I hope to see them achieving a decent success in the Champions League as well. I already see them in last 16. However I think they should be able to reach at least the quarter finals. If they have a solid season like this then I'm pretty sure Simeone would be kept by them.
Atletico Madrid have not been performing well in the Champions League, despite previously reaching the semifinals and even finals under the same management of Diego Simeone. This group stage appears promising to them, and I believe they will advance to the round of 16. After that, I can't say how far they can advance in the competition because we don't know who they'll meet in the round of 16. I hope they can re-create their previous good performance in the UCL, they'll undoubtedly go far, but can they?
I agree with you that Atletico Madrid still doesn't have enough strength to hope to win the Champions League and in all these appearances in the top league Atletico Madrid has also never shown greatness in beating other teams when it reached the semifinals or even the final.
This season they are in group E and are very likely to qualify for the last 16 and advance to the quarter-finals, but in the quarter-finals Atletico Madrid will feel the bitterness of competition and have the chance to be eliminated.