Pretty much sums up why people think they're boring. Take the games against Croatia, France and Portugal. None of those were exciting games by any stretch of the imagination and neiter were they masterclasses in attacking football. Those games were boring and that will be where the impression comes from. And 'boring because they win' is something that's been invented by pundits and the media because they refuse to concede that at times they are actually boring.
I agree with most of your post, apart from this bit in bold. Portugal ahd a great game plan and they stopped Spain... until extra time and then Spain really did step up a gear. The only thing they missed in extra time was a goal.
See this is when games come down to opinions and why our sport (and things like this forum) are so great. My mate is a season ticket holder at Watford and he tells me that Watford play exciting football. How can I argue? He says there is lots of end to end action, loads of chances and loads of "excitement". I couldn't watch that every week. Take those Spain games you mentioned. I could sit and watch that all night. To me it is exciting becasue it is how I think the game should be played. No-one is right or wrong, it's just a preference. It's like Liverpool in the late 70's and 80's; I remember people saying they were boring, but I could watch that every week (and in a few weeks time, maybe I will be watching it every week .... )
Then you missed a few games because he played well in every match, sometimes exceptionally so. He didn't play that badly in the Final either, but was overwhelmed by sheer numbers of Spanish midfielders. Iniesta was an obvious option. They chose him in the last tournament, IIRC. He was very good indeed, but not exceptionally so, in my opinion. He played extremely well in the Final, of course.
As far as the Spain is boring tag, then yes, I do think they are capable of being boring. Boring to the neutral viewer, that is. Sometimes, they don't seem as if they're that bothered, despite all the possession, and appear to want to play pretty-pretty stuff, rather than win the game. Football is often a balance between winning and entertainment, but Spain sometimes add self-indulgence to that mix. They know they can win if they really try, because they have the regular beating of practically every European side, so they indulge themselves in playing to their mood. They weren't indulging themselves against Italy, and played like we know they can play. When they do that, they most certainly lose the boring tag. On the other hand, if Spain were Saints, I wouldn't mind them being as self-indulgent as they liked, provided they won the game first.
It's not really Spain that are boring, it's just that only way to have a hope of beating them is stifle their creativity, so if they end up looking boring it's the other team's fault (and I don't blame anyone for that). Fair point they did step it up in extra time, but why wait until then if they were capable of doing that all along? It was only after Portugal wore themselves out (and they lasted much longer than most teams) that they were able to create chances, and they still didn't manage to score.
I disagree a little with the self-indulgence bit SS. I think it is simply a deliberate tactic. They are taught that possession is key to winning a game. They know that chasing passes trying to win possession is more energy sapping than passing a ball and consequently the opposition tire quicker than they do. The longer they do that the harder it becomes for the opposition; so for me, not self-indulgent, but tactical soundness. It is not about doing it when the game has been "won", but part of the plan to "win" the game.
Liverpool were never boring back then. At Anfield, they played like a runaway express train for practically 90 minutes, and when they didn't, the Kop would gee them up so much that they eventually did so. The styles don't compare.
Part one. Yes. Part two. Do you not think it was Spain that wore Portugal out rather than the Portuguese doing it themselves? I think in this instance it just took longer to wear them down. Yes, I agree that the only bit missing was getting that goal, but that happens. So, that last bit is credit to Portugal for having a great game plan that they just ran out of steam to win. Credit to Spain for standing up to that game plan and sticking to theirs and (apart from the goal) winning through in the end.. If Spain had scored in extra time, no-one could have said it was an injustice.
I disagree again. I remember them passing it along the back line alot and passing it back endlessly to the keeper. They did that after experiences in Europe. There were lotas of those "steam train" heading nights when they were chasing games, but I remember them passing teams of the pitch.
But surely it's reductive to say that Spain's game-plan revolves around tiring out the opposition? If that were the case then I could understand the 'boring' tag, but last night they scored two goals in the first half. And surely the way to counter that is not to press like Portugal did, but to sit in your own penalty area and not move, a bit like how England beat them last year, which would go some way to showing you are right, except that most other teams try this tactic, and still lose. Also I'd argue that Spain didn't win through in the end against Portugal, they failed to score and the match was tied. Hardly a success by their standards.
Yes, there were times when they would pass it along the back line, when it was sensible to do so. If they did it for too long the Kop would either get cheesed off, or start a variation of olé..!
Ok, maybe I wasn't clear. I am not saying their game plan revolves around wearing the opposition out. I'm saying it revolves around keeping possession while looking for that opportunity to open the other team up. A by-product of that style is that the opposition gets worn out quicker (there is a subtle difference there). The big difference to that and traditional English styles, is that we often knock the ball forward early, trying/hoping for an opportunity when often it isn't there or we are trying to turn a 50:50 ball into a c60:40 chance. They scored two goals in the frist half, becasue they saw the opening and took them. a bit picky the last bit. I already said earlier, apart from the goal and you said yourself they went up a gear in extra time. I can't count the England defeat. that day Second Stain's "self-indulgent" quote would definately apply.
I thought Cassano was really poor for the most part. Pirlo, Xavi, Iniesta and Schweinsteiger all controlled games and should be in with a shout. For me though, Alba didn't put a foot wrong all tournament and deserves the honour more than anyone else.
That was certainly a freak result, although England for all their faults have shown they are at least difficult to beat, only them and Spain were unbeaten in Euro 2012! How anyone can happily watch England and declare that Spain are boring though is beyond me.
People happily watch England because they are English and support them. Spain have been boring at times, and not so at others. Just like any team.
Use you imagination PSF. England are generally beyond boring to the point of snoozability, and just about reach a summit of not boring, if they play well. In my opinion, Spain are capable of being boring, but when they want or need to be, they can be very exciting. However, all this is relative. Perhaps I should remind Pepys that I am hardly the typical supporter. I am a Saints supporter, and stopped being a football supporter many years ago. So, a neutral team has to play exceptionally well and/or excitingly so, to get my interest going. Germany, Italy and Spain all got my interest going in this competition. In comparison, Saints merely have to take to the pitch and my interest is 100%.
I don't tire of watching Spain, and I don't get the boring tag at all, it doesn't strike any chord with me. I love watching them, the whole build up is attractive with regards to the pure technical brilliance of their keep ball, patience, and sometimes languid moments when they just slow it down and pass around. They have earned the right to toy a little bit, but I don't think they are ever disrespectful of other teams. Of course, it would be more interesting if there were other national teams (I know Portugal did very well against them) that could compete with them, stretch them more. Maybe the world cup.
