GodShaveTheQueen
We mean it man, we love our queen!
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2018
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------------------------------------ JIM BEAM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GIO-----------------------------------
Jim Beam's write up:
A TRIBUTE TO SPAIN EURO 2008 LEAD BY LUIS ARAGONES
Tactics: 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1; extremely fluid, direct, emphasis on both possession and quick transition in the defensive phase
Finally, I got where I wanted to team to go after round 1 as I couldn't find a proper sheep for a LB. Spain Euro 2008 team finally broke their curse in dominating fashion moving away from the tactics which were previously employed by Spain managers which was a basic "pass it wide and cross it into the box" way while managing to be very different from other versions of Spain team that came after it.
This is the most entertaining version of that generation and the reason why I opted for it. And while Spain at WC 2010 and Euro 2012 maintained their domination through an extreme version of the famous Tika - Taka football, this team was still extremely fluid (Aragones took main principles of Dutch Total Football), but much more direct and dangerous while being extremely tough to break at the back.
Possession stats for Spain in the big tournaments (Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012)
The difference in approach was evident even just with watching those 3 teams throughout the big tournaments, so not a wonder that stats fully back it up. The version of Spain that come later was also extremely dominant, but with Fabregas taking a false 9 role, the midfield of Xavi, Xabi Alonso, and Busquets along with Iniesta and Silva on the wings sucked both the joy and possession out of each game.In Euro 2008, Spain averaged 50 percent in their three group games. In the 2010 World Cup, that number jumped to 59 percent. In the recently concluded Euro 2012, that number went up to 63 percent.
"A bad advertisement for football"; " "Terribly boring", " "Sterile domination" while ending their cycle with a famous 4-6-0 variation at times. I certainly don't agree with such assessments, but I put it there to clearly distinguish those team from the early child that started the domination in 2008.
At Euro 2008 they had 33 passes per shot; at the last World Cup it was 44; at Euro 2012 it has been 58.
What makes Spain 2008 so special?
- broke the curse of Spain national team as mentioned above
- it came before Pep domination, so the world could see the devastating effect of Xaviesta in full flow for the first time
- the team was so fluid that if you go searching around the net every page would come up with the different tactics to describe it.
The team that started the tournament in a more rigid 4-4-2 formation
And the team that ended the tournament to devastating effect
Main characteristics
- A designated, physical holding midfielder (Valery Voronin) which freed Xavi, Iniesta and Silva;
- Fullbacks (Bezsonov and Krol) need to push forward so that the relative lack of width on both sides was always solved with their attacking contribution. It also drew opposition from midfield at times opening more space for Xavi and Iniesta to control the midfield;
- Second striker provides both a link to the attack and goalscoring threat. The role will be played here by Tom Finney who will act in a similar way as left CF during his last peak for Preston North End in 1956/57 and 1957/58 season when he operated along Tommy Thompson upfront and the duo combined for 117 goals in those 2 seasons with Finney getting FWA Footballer of the year 1957 as a result.
Upgrades
That Spain team is upgraded in almost every area with Valery Voronin as holding midfielder, Tom Finney, and Samuel Eto'o upfront and GOAT level defense in Franco Baresi and Fabio Cannavaro.
Gio's write up:
The Argentinian front three is centred on the creativity of Diego Maradona, the focal point of a four man midfield which replicates his Scudetto winning Napoli set-up from the mid-80s. Spearheading the attack the energetic Mario Kempes is partnered by the no-nonsense markmanship of Gabriel Batistuta. All three electrified at the highest level - Maradona and Kempes dominating and winning World Cups, both recipients of the Golden Ball as the tournaments best player - while Batistuta plundered goals in the stingiest Serie A era of all despite never enjoying the level of service he'll relish here (as well as hitting 56 goals in 78 games for Argentina). Together it's a heavyweight attack that will harrass, probe and bully the opposition defence. As proper all-round centre-forwards with physicality in abundance Kempes (lightening off the mark whilst standing over 6 ft) and Batigol (the prototype 6 ft 2 power-house centre forward) should have the aerial presence to trouble the much smaller opposition back line whilst providing the technical quality and off-the-ball dynamism to maximise the creativity of Maradona.
At the back we are bolstered by the introduction of Lillian Thuram taking up a similar role in a diamond as he did in 1998 for France, where he had one of the strongest defensive tournaments on record completely shutting down the right flank defensively whilst provided constant width in attack - Thuram excelled in this role and was the highest rated player in the entire tournament by Kicker (Germany), L'Equipe (France) and Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy). The defensive synergy is increased by lining Thuram up next to his World Cup and Euros winning partner Laurent Blanc. Inside Blanc is the natural Desailly-esque partner of Oscar Ruggeri (Argentina’s second most important player in ’86 and one of the consensus best headers of that era) who maintains the same sort of sweeper / stopper partnership that will compliment both players. And on the left the one-man flank dominator Giacinto Facchetti completes a solid defence capable of withstanding the opposition attack.
TACTICAL CHANGE: MIDFIELD DIAMOND
How the hell do you match up to Xavi and Iniesta in midfield? No idea, but I imagine it's a question of the right personnel and the right tactics. In Paul Breitner and Johan Neeskens we have a custom-designed duo for pressing, containing and countering. Both won European Cups as left and right backs respectively and were instrumental in both central and wide areas which makes them ideal fits for a diamond. With Wolfgang Dremmler renewing his Europe and world beating partnership with Breitner, he will hold behind to enable Neeksens and Breitner to explode on the break. They can capitalise on their non-stop mobility, direct passing range and exceptional goal threat from midfield – tactically both would relish breaking through the midfield lines to plunder knockdowns or lay-offs from Batistuta / Kempes. Roaming ahead Maradona will be a nightmare to contain, particularly as part of a 4-man unit against a 3-man ensemble. As a midfield collective they could be the cryptonite of tiki-taka.
Who is this Dremmler chap?
Breitner's right-hand man and four-time Bundesliga winner for Bayern Munich. Together at Eintracht Braunschweig, Bayern Munich and for West Germany they forged a rock-solid central midfield platform where Dremmler's defensive discipline frequently shut down opposition no10s whilst providing the platform for the team offensively. In possession his use of the ball was typically productive and positive in shifting it forward early to the teammates who could do the most damage. Indeed, Dremmler is the midfielder with the fourth best ball retention statistics in the opposition half in World Cup history (higher than even Xavi or Iniesta which give an indication of his comfort in possession). Moreover the effectiveness of the Breitner / Dremmler partnership is demonstrated in the impact this had on the former’s goal record – with Dremmler holding the fort behind him Breitner transformed from a 1 goal in 7 games midfielder to a 1 in 2 machine.
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