question:

after this WC what direction should spain take ?

continue with the tiki-taka style but with younger fresher players.....
or go for another way of playing ?

I am actually young so I am basing this on the Italian and Spanish teams that won it and kept their manager. Both kept the same teams and signs are not so good with Spain at the moment.

comment by pekster11 (U6618)
posted 40 seconds ago
question:

after this WC what direction should spain take ?

continue with the tiki-taka style but with younger fresher players.....
or go for another way of playing ?
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Keep tiki-taka but refresh the squad. It will easily become successful with some new faces.

Spain have the players. They are U-21 champs after all.

Keep ticqui-taca but don't be so inflexible and have and USE other options if need be.

PS

I don't think the next generation has defenders in the mould of Ramos/ Puyol etc though!

Wump, Italy's team was quite different in 2010 to 2006. He kept Gilardino, Zambrotta and Cannavaro from 2006, who were past it, Gattuso wasn't a first team player, Buffon got injured and they sorely missed Pirlo. No Nesta or Materazzi either. The pool of talent wasn't quite as good and the team in 06 was just a far better unit, plus they were underdogs whereas there was a lot more expectation on them in 2010, as champions, which is usually where Italy crumble.

Difficult question. A lot depends on what happens at club level.

If Barca's style of play because more dominant under Luis Enrique, with a core of Spanish players, then it may be the best bet to go with.

However, if it doesn't and Madrid kick on with their Spaniards it may be worth adopting their approach.

I think a national team has a big advantage if their core players are dominating at club level - Spain have shown this, and as you said earlier, Barca's decline is Spain's decline.

Good point Darren. Pirlo was injured in 2010? My memory fails me here and I am usually good in remembering this stuff.

Yeah he was. He came on in the last game as a sub.

I remember also saying in uhm 2010 that Barca's and Spain's decline will coincide with Xavi's decline and boy do I feel like an oracle now. People always raved about Messi in that Barca team who was phenomenal btw but I always said their most important and best player was Xavi. No other midfielder comes close to him in my lifetime. He destroyed midfields for breakfast that guy!!

comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 10 seconds ago
Yeah he was. He came on in the last game as a sub.


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That must have been quite a huge blow for them! Italy are a strange nation. Overachieve when they are written off but bottle it when something is expected of them! Really strange!

One more thing, I complained incessantly during the last world cup about the quality of football on display but I really can't do that this time. Absolutely brilliant world cup so far!!

Wump, yeah I said the same. Messi was the better player but Xavi was more important and made them tick.

I wonder what will happen with Xavi now. I'd love to see him go and play in Italy. It's less demanding physically than what Barca are in need of and it could prolong his career and refresh him - it's become a bit stale because Barca's level is so high.

Look at Pirlo. His form dipped at Milan and he went to Juve and was reinvigorated, would love to see Xavi do the same over there.

Yeah definitely. Must be a rollercoaster being an Italian.

Yeah this has been a great start to the world cup.

I'm not saying you ought to sack the manager, not if you think you've got the right one, but in our case it's been painfully obvious for several years that by 2014 we would need new blood in the key positions. The crying shame is that we put off the changing of the guard even though there was a wealth of talent coming through.

Yeah good point. He would thrive for about 2 years in Serie A but I think he has a big enough rep to get a mega contract in the MLS like David Villa. I wouldn't begrudge him that and it is also painful to watch him now.

Who's the better player would you say, Thiago or Koke?

comment by itsonlyagame - Jose are you watching, are you watching Jose? (U6426)
posted 1 minute ago
I'm not saying you ought to sack the manager, not if you think you've got the right one, but in our case it's been painfully obvious for several years that by 2014 we would need new blood in the key positions. The crying shame is that we put off the changing of the guard even though there was a wealth of talent coming through.


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ioag

I was disappointed he never experimented with his squad in friendlies and dead rubber internationals! I actually remember talking to you about the choice of squad for the confed cup! Really unnecessary to have picked most of those players imo!

Thiago

That's true. Serie A doesn't have the money for players to go there and prolong their career, it's all about the mls now.

"Robben does remind me of Sterling a bit with the instant bursts of pace."

I'd say Thiago is the more talented player. I've always thought he looks better as an attacking midfielder with Koke better suited as a cm. Could form a good spine for Spain in the future.

I agree Ioag, certainly in CM anyway, Koke is more versatile, but Thiago is the better footballer, can control a game from deep

Agree with both of your statements.

comment by Mex (U6687)
posted 2 minutes ago
Who's the better player would you say, Thiago or Koke?
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Thiago is better but Koke is brilliant too although misused by Simeone imo. The two of them together with Illara and Isco will form a really really formidable midfield for Spain in the future. It might be even scarier if Jese, Deulofeu and all Paco Alcacer develop to their full potentials!


Another question Jese and Deulofeu, who is better?

Who do you think will replace Del Boy?

Jese's the more accomplished player right now, but Deulofeu has more room to develop.

Deulofeu, by a fair chunk aswel IMO