Spain 2008-2012

[VorZakone]

Fecking hell, eh? Been watching some clips. They were just too good.

2 Euro's and a World Cup in a row. Speaks for itself, really.

The ease with which they beat Italy in the 2012 final...

 

[horsechoker]

Essentially Barca as a national team.

 

[Avatar]

Reason #1:

 

[giorno]

First half wasn't easy at all

Second half we were physically done. Game was over for us with Alba's goal

 

[VorZakone]

Essentially Barca as a national team.

You disrespecting Casillas, Ramos and Xabi Alonso?

 

[VorZakone]

Reason #1:

Xavi was unreal. It's interesting that Xavi was 28ish when Guardiola became his coach. That's when his peak years started, from 2008 to 2011ish.

 

[horsechoker]

You disrespecting Casillas, Ramos and Xabi Alonso?

Yes, I hope they read this too

 

[VorZakone]

What helped them was that many players simultanously started hitting their peak. The age gap was relatively small among the starters.

Sometimes you have this awkward gap between an older generation and younger generation that doesn't overlap well enough.

 

[elnorte]

Their football in the World Cup and second Euro win was spirit-crushingly boring.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Marcos Senna was an important piece in that 2008 side.

 

[Flying high]

Their football in the World Cup and second Euro win was spirit-crushingly boring.

It really was.

Brilliantly effective for sure, but oh so boring.

 

[Bojan11]

Yes, I hope they read this too

Just passed it onto them. You really are a piece of work.

 

[horsechoker]

Just passed it onto them. You really are a piece of work.

It's nice to see you're still in contact with old friends

 

[dbs235]

What helped them was that many players simultanously started hitting their peak. The age gap was relatively small among the starters.

Sometimes you have this awkward gap between an older generation and younger generation that doesn't overlap well enough.

That happened to England once the "golden generation" started getting old a bit, a lot of the younger players coming through at that time didn't fulfill their potential which lead to a pretty disasterous 2010s for England.

 

[U99ted]

Reason #1:

Obligatory Reason #2 (or joint 1):

 

[Zen]

They were at their best - to watch - with Senna. Also a time pre-Pep that Euro 2008.....

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

I’ve always had a soft spot for Spain and root for them because I love the country, the people and always followed Spanish football but I did find that team boring. Joy to watch in 2008 but by 2010 then especially 2012 just felt like a choir to watch.

 

[Dominos]

2010 was definitely painful to watch but still must be up there as the best national teams ever considering consistency across a number of years. There's definitely some fine margins that go into winning 3 on the bounce though, a couple of penalty shootouts and some misses from Robben stick out.

 

[Ishdalar]

Xavi was unreal. It's interesting that Xavi was 28ish when Guardiola became his coach. That's when his peak years started, from 2008 to 2011ish.

Xavi was the most underrated midfielder from 2003 to 2005 before he blew his ACL in December, he never recovered his pace and verticality after the injury, but he gained a lot of composure. Still, he was more of a Iniesta-Xavi hybrid on that era (the same thing we saw with Iniesta on his last years, but he lacked speed when he became like that) and I'm sure the 2006 WC would've been his huge showcase if he never got injured.

 

[hasanejaz88]

Reason #1:

Biggest reason. The massive dip they've had since he left tells of his influence.

As great players Fabregas and Thiago are, both aren't able to hold a candle to. Xavi and haven't been able to replace his influence.

 

[arnie_ni]

Their football in the World Cup and second Euro win was spirit-crushingly boring.

Hated watching them by the end.

Part bordem, part knowing they'll win anyway

 

[11101]

Nobody will ever convince me they weren't doping.

The doctor, the destroyed blood bags, the massive drop in performance as soon as it all came to light. Far too many coincidences.

 

[elnorte]

Hated watching them by the end.

Part bordem, part knowing they'll win anyway

It was such a relief when Chile tore them a new one at the Brazil World Cup. It was breath-taking actually.

 

[ValenciasDrilledCrosses]

Like others have said, 2010 was some of the most soul-crushingly boring football I've ever watched. Started actively rooting against them, they should've lost the final as well. Took everything that was exciting about tiki-taka out of the game. 2008 side was brilliant though, by far the best national team I've seen in my lifetime. Some brilliant, brilliant players in that Spanish era. Don't know when we'll ever see a midfield like that again.

 

[ValenciasDrilledCrosses]

It was such a relief when Chile tore them a new one at the Brazil World Cup. It was breath-taking actually.

The Dutch win was so satisfying as well, Robben and Van Persie were embarrassing Ramos and Pique that day

 

[Web of Bissaka]

David Villa is the most important player of that team.
Possession all day long is pointless if no one is finishing it with clinical goals.
David Silva and Fabregas also provided the cutting edge.

Puyol is 2nd most important player.
They miss Puyol a lot. Their whole defense gets worse quickly once he play less and less games.

 

[Lay]

They were lucky to advance from the 2012 Euro group iirc. Croatia missed a great chance (Iker made a great save) in the last couple of minutes.

I enjoyed the 2008 team, not so much the 2010 but was happy they won. The 2012 was boring, I recall they played Cesc as a false 9 and it didn't work for me

 

[elnorte]

The Dutch win was so satisfying as well, Robben and Van Persie were embarrassing Ramos and Pique that day

Haha! Christ, cannot believe for the life of me I remembered the Chile win over that one. I mean RVP's header is already an iconic world cup goal. Shame on me for forgetting.

 

[MrMarcello]

2010 was definitely painful to watch but still must be up there as the best national teams ever considering consistency across a number of years. There's definitely some fine margins that go into winning 3 on the bounce though, a couple of penalty shootouts and some misses from Robben stick out.

And that loss to Switzerland.

 

[el3mel]

They were pretty fun to watch in Euro 2008 but extremely boring in WC 2010.

Didn't watch Euro 2012.

 

[elnorte]

They were pretty fun to watch in Euro 2008 but extremely boring in WC 2010.

Didn't watch Euro 2012.

Yes. Under the Aragones at times they played a peerless entertaining style. Under Del Bosque they sucked the life out of everything.

 

[kidbob]

Like others have said, 2010 was some of the most soul-crushingly boring football I've ever watched. Started actively rooting against them, they should've lost the final as well. Took everything that was exciting about tiki-taka out of the game. 2008 side was brilliant though, by far the best national team I've seen in my lifetime. Some brilliant, brilliant players in that Spanish era. Don't know when we'll ever see a midfield like that again.

To be fair let's not forget that Holland should have been down to at least 9 men reasonably early into that game. The quality Spain had literally turned a proud footballing nation with heritage of great football into a team sent out to butcher the opposition. If De Jong had been deservedly sent of for the Alonso tackle then Spain would have torn them to pieces for the rest of the game.

How much of their boringness was down to how terrified teams were to play football against them too.

 

[Vernon Philander]

Really don't understand the viewpoint that they were boring to watch at their peak.

There is so much to admire and savour when a whole team executes to perfection a technical command of passing and movement in harmony.

 

[Dancfc]

The answer whenever some idiot said Pep's Barca would be nothing without Messi!

 

[Bojan11]

2008 was more entertaining because they played with one holding midfielder rather than Alonso and Busquets in 2010. Also Torres was up top with Villa in 2008 and he wasn’t the same player in 2010 physically, so didn’t start.

 

[Robertd0803]

They were incredible. The semi final vs Germany where a very good German side couldnt get the ball off them literally for about 20 minutes will always stand out to me.

 

[groovyalbert]

2008 was fantastic to watch.

The rest, whilst obviously super impressive, was just utter domination which made for really boring contests.

 

[432JuanMata]

Iniesta was one of the greatest players I have ever seen. That midfield of Alonso Xavi and him was mostly cheating.

 

[Lord SInister]

Am I the only one who didn't find them "boring" in 2010.

2012, yes i agree they deliberately played a defensive game.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Am I the only one who didn't find them "boring" in 2010.

2012, yes i agree they deliberately played a defensive game.

I thought their performance vs Germany was very pleasing on the eye in 2010.

But they were rather toothless in 2012 until the final.