EURO 2020 - Group E

There is no hyperbole the team quite simply is poor whether we compare it to our golden generation or just as a team capable of winning the Euros.

Its like the team has turned into players who are skilled in one very specific feature and entirely limited in the rest.

Enrique I love but his style is too ambitious for a squad like this.

The best of our players are for the most part past their best and very few youngsters if at all, to write home about.

rincon wrote:

Myesyats wrote:I see Spain's conundrum as very much a finishing problem rather than a creativity problem even though they went from Xavi-Iniesta-Fabregas-Alonso-Silva etc to Koke-Pedri-Rodri. It could've and should've been an easy win had Olmo and Morata in particular finished their chances

85% possession and only 4 shots on goal iirc. The first shot in goal in the 2nd half came in the 92nd minutes.

There was a problem creating clear chances as well as a problem in finishing.

5 shots ongoal, 8 off goal and 4 blocked. Olmo and morata had some golden chances but Swedish keeper was great. I thought they had enough chances to finish the game

Spain always had problem up front. Villa was the only real goal scorer as he was a lethal finisher, other than that the possession meant they dominated most games and dont concede much. Occasion goals from the likes of Puyol and other set pieces helped too Expected Spain to be so so, its just their level now. We also know Enrique isnt a spectacularly good manager.

futbol_bill wrote:

The Franchise wrote:Dont understand not having Thiago and Moreno out there.

You know full well you arent winning anything with Morata as your 9, he just doesnt have it.

Moreno is on form and this was the kind of game he would excel in.

I think Pedri did well from a Barca point of view, but this was a predictable outcome in some ways. Not the result, I expected Spain to win, but how Sweden would defend and the type of game it would be.

Agree re Moreno, but Thiago looked poor yesterday. He has put on weight since last time I saw him and it has made him slower! Comparing him to Koke, Koke has played much better.

Perhaps this is true, he misplaced some easy passes also. But in this game, there really was no need for Rodri outside of set piece defending. You know already how Sweden will try and play.

As I said, I think better, more wilier teams than Sweden will exploit the weaknesses I saw in that Spain performance.

The possession game is tough to play against, but that code was cracked a while ago. It is no longer the all-conquering strategy that it was a decade ago.

That and there is just the relative lack of inexperience throughout this Spain team as well. For me, that's just a big a knock for them.

I think the strategy is fine overall, but what I see as the weakness is the lack of top quality forwards. Players with some force, aggression and end product who can make the difference. They feel like cogs in the machine, not players who can take over.

Mikel, Adama, Ferran, Olma, Sarabia and of course Morata, all good players in what they do and worthy of the call up but I just dont see any of them as top players who really can product something out of nothing consistently.

Fati may help this when he comes back and I think Bryan Gil is capable of leapfrogging all of the current guys.

Of course the strategy is fine as I am at harmony with Enrique as coach, one whom I rate.

Its just a naive strategy that wont suit players bereft of ingenuity.

It becomes very predictable, boring to watch for us, boring for neutrals.

I agree. No doubt. Wasnt directing my comment at anyone specifically, just an observation as to why I dont think it is working out (or more accurately, didnt work out in that game. We will see what happens in other games as I think Sweden are more defensively solid than people realise) for them.

When you said "Its like the team has turned into players who are skilled in one very specific feature and entirely limited in the rest", that to me was a perfect explanation of what I saw.

I am not sure what Enrique could do differently at this point. Other than some selection choices (as I said, I would go Moreno over Morata and would find a way to get Thiago in there). But strategically, I need to see the next game or 2 before I personally can say what else they can do. I dont think Poland will be as solid as Sweden so we might see more dynamics.

I dont really know what tiki taka is, over a decade later I still dont get it.

But on this Spain team,I dont think you had 8 chances, unless the first 20 or so minutes or so I missed it was full of them.

For me, there was a lack of ideas and even if im bias, to me the only one capable of opening something up was Pedri. But its not like he created clear chances either. The 1 serious, must score chance I remember was Alba crossing and Sarabia doing IDK what, but a poor finish or control.

Again, unless I missed alot the first 20, I wasnt impressed with what I saw.

The Franchise wrote:I agree. No doubt. Wasnt directing my comment at anyone specifically, just an observation as to why I dont think it is working out (or more accurately, didnt work out in that game. We will see what happens in other games as I think Sweden are more defensively solid than people realise) for them.

When you said "Its like the team has turned into players who are skilled in one very specific feature and entirely limited in the rest", that to me was a perfect explanation of what I saw.

I am not sure what Enrique could do differently at this point. Other than some selection choices (as I said, I would go Moreno over Morata and would find a way to get Thiago in there). But strategically, I need to see the next game or 2 before I personally can say what else they can do. I dont think Poland will be as solid as Sweden so we might see more dynamics.

No, of course. More just voicing my general frustration.
As for Enrique he is replaying the same thing he did in Roma whom only had Totti and De Rossi technical enough to perform in the expertise required for such a system.

You more than anyone will know possession football more than I given your Barça roots and also understand why exactly it succeeded.

What he can do, easier to say, is play to the strengths of the players, rather than re-attempting something that now a decade later, and 7 years after his Roma, is for the most part figured out.


Just makes one appreciate even more what a ridiculous team that Barça was, as only recently I have come to terms how it was the best team of all time.

Morata

The Mortifying MorMor

Spain has to be the most boringest fucking team in this entire tournament, I dare say, the entire world.

Perucho21 wrote:From David Villa and Torres to Moreno and Morata

From Santillana to Butragueno & Amavisca to Tristan, Raul & Morientes to Torres and Villa to Morata and Moreno.

Gerard and Morata had the win there but unlucky. It happens too often with Morata but tbh he did score and Szceczny did block the potential win afterward. Morata is a good player but the man just needs to be sharper ehen it counts. It's his only true hinderance in his game.

Imagine having a dribbling monster like Adama on the bench and continue to play dross like Olmo, Sarabia, Torres, Ozyarbal, Koke, Morata.

Very bad team selection by Lucho. He is making Spain look more bad than they are. Don't know what he is trying to do.

Cant believe our shit team held onto a draw in this game. Nobody expected this

Myesyats wrote:Cant believe our shit team held onto a draw in this game. Nobody expected this

Not only i expected a draw but i predicted 1-1

Already figured out both teams are equally crap