I don't think so. The usual work rate off the ball was not there with Spain this time around and this is key to that style of footy working. Too many people remembering the last cup Spain won where they were very dull and forgetting the 2 before it where they were brilliant to watch.
Spain's style is based heavily on Barcelona's. The humiliating defeat of barcelona in the CL the previous season by Bayern (or was it Dortmund?) signalled that the end was near. Teams have worked out how to counter their incessant passing game. As long as you keep your discipline and let them pass the ball in front of you, they cannot hurt you unless they have exceptional players like Messi and if you make mistakes or lose concentration. Using an older team (starting from the GK through the whole team) Del bosque had his work cut out passing to death very physically fit sides, who can counter at break neck speeds. To make matters worse, he doesn't have any strikers with any pace so that even if he wanted to change tactics, he didn't have the personel. Del Bosque wouldn't and couldn't change the system. How do you change a system that has been brought so much success?
.....ref the bit in bold......."unless, of course, you are Chelsea, in which case you are the enemy and destroyer of football" #oneruleforone
You need to direct this to the Liverpool board, I don't think there any on here who've derided the way Chelsea beat Barca. Well, Shwan aside and he appears to have disappeared. Probably up his own arse.
Chelsea in the CL, and Jose, with Real in la liga, started the beginning of the end of tik tak in April 2012/
