According to this, England makes the top 3 of the sides creating the least good chances.
Also conceding the least:
Also conceding the least:
Last edited:
Do boring teams win trophies more often, and which big team is the most boring so far?
- Thread starter Pintu
- Start date
I wouldn’t define “boring” based on xG, but low-risk football is generally what wins things now.
Top level anything is usually about making fewer mistakes .
Always about control.
It does help to be solid rather than going all guns blazing, especially if you don't have the attacking/creative players. The dutch team looks quite dull but i can imagine a scenario where they grind out results and go far.
I don't quite agree with the idea that France are boring because they do create chances but they are a very powerful and pacey team that can dominate teams and shut them out and the recovery pace in defence is ridiculous. It's obvious that England want to be that way too, and you know, they are 'hard to beat'- this coupled with some exceptionally easy draws has seen some success in progressing through the tournaments under Southgate. I wouldn't put it past them to get to at least the semi final again even with all the criticism.
I don't quite agree with the idea that France are boring because they do create chances but they are a very powerful and pacey team that can dominate teams and shut them out and the recovery pace in defence is ridiculous. It's obvious that England want to be that way too, and you know, they are 'hard to beat'- this coupled with some exceptionally easy draws has seen some success in progressing through the tournaments under Southgate. I wouldn't put it past them to get to at least the semi final again even with all the criticism.
1.82 xG being in the bottom 3 is actually testament to how much teams have created so far, and how competitive the matches have been
But France should have won more. I think they are an example of a team that should have been more dominant, but only won 1 cup. Now they are looking way less dominant.
In my lifetime , 10 years old at espana 82 .
Not everyone will agree , but it's something that I've noticed The big transformation I have seen , is France have adopted the Germans footballing mentality up to 2000 era and the the Germans are trying to be more like the French pre 1994 world cup failure to qualify . The Germans were always powerful and efficient , but they wanted to add flair . Maybe they have , but they've lost some of the aura of power in the process .
The French have become more oldskool German .
That's why they are so dangerous .
Not everyone will agree , but it's something that I've noticed The big transformation I have seen , is France have adopted the Germans footballing mentality up to 2000 era and the the Germans are trying to be more like the French pre 1994 world cup failure to qualify . The Germans were always powerful and efficient , but they wanted to add flair . Maybe they have , but they've lost some of the aura of power in the process .
The French have become more oldskool German .
That's why they are so dangerous .
Particularly if they win the group stage, knockout stages is a different approach and competition, the more solid and less mistakes you do the more chances you have to go far, even if majority of fans and media think England should smash everyone 5:0.
But Southgate needs to find a different partner for Rice in the midfield, as an outsider I always feel the biggest enemy of England during the tournaments is the overblown noise by media and supporters, maybe the price to pay for the global reach the Anglo media has over the world. Looks a stupid thing to say but it's my feeling.
They certainly don't play like the Hidalgo or Platini generation but if by old school Germany you mean those German teams from the 80's the style is different.
Yes, look at Real Madrid.
Or France.
Or France.
Yes and no.
It’s controlled risk that determines outcome.
England could invite more defensive risk if they risked more offensively.
To do that you need a system. England don’t have one. Mitigating defensive risk is easy. Balancing off/def risk to generate better out ones is brave and requires a system and confidence.
England could generate 2-3 XG and keep defensive XG under 1.5.
But Southgate things keeping defensive XG under 1 is more important than getting offensive XG over 2.
Maddening. And boring.
I wouldn't know what to call the style , but even if they don't always win, it's got a certain inevitability about it akin to how I felt about the German sides .
They play a relentless efficient style of football that just seems to grind it out .
I think nationality and me being English has a large baring on how I feel , an Italian may well feel completely different as I believe historically they don't struggle against Germany .
I think England are an underdog against Germany and France , but I'd much rather face this Germany than this France .
I am not italian but i get your point.
Technically, although this isn’t international football, LvG and Mourinho won quite a few trophies playing “boring” football. They both won trophies while managing us, but both were obviously past their best. Had they managed us at their respective peaks, they’d have been way more successful.
I'd say its better in cup competitions. League campaign and the draws would start going against you but less of a problem in the cup. Teams showing up for a 0-0 draw in the league isn't much of an option in the cup.
Depends what boring means.
Maybe but they still have to be good. Being boring by being effecient and well organised/tactically disciplined maybe.
Being boring by playing rubbish footbqll and looking clueless probably won't get you far
Maybe but they still have to be good. Being boring by being effecient and well organised/tactically disciplined maybe.
Being boring by playing rubbish footbqll and looking clueless probably won't get you far
The most boring team considering the quality of players is definitely England. I don't think boring football wins trophies, though, but obviously people are bored by different things. Many footballs for instance fans think Guardiola teams are boring which I couldn't disagree more with for instance.
Control doesn't have to be boring though.
Control doesn't have to be boring though.
Not really about being boring, solidity is obviously valued by many managers, and boring is a value judgment, who's to say which teams that won tournaments were officially boring.
Quite simply if you have a defensive structure you don't need to do as much to win a game at the other end. Ask Greece. It's very important in international football especially because the managers don't have time to work with players, coaching fluid attacking football is the hardest thing to do, coaching a good defensive structure is relatively easier and it keeps you in the game. This is the Southgate philosophy summed up, do just enough to be in the tournament with a shout while exposing to the minimum possible risk of conceding.
But most of the time the probabilities would suggest you cannot be as utterly shite and boring as England currently are and expect to win often. Anything is possible across a small sequence of matches but generally you will need to create some chances.
Quite simply if you have a defensive structure you don't need to do as much to win a game at the other end. Ask Greece. It's very important in international football especially because the managers don't have time to work with players, coaching fluid attacking football is the hardest thing to do, coaching a good defensive structure is relatively easier and it keeps you in the game. This is the Southgate philosophy summed up, do just enough to be in the tournament with a shout while exposing to the minimum possible risk of conceding.
But most of the time the probabilities would suggest you cannot be as utterly shite and boring as England currently are and expect to win often. Anything is possible across a small sequence of matches but generally you will need to create some chances.
Based on what I remember from watching the international tournaments since 1996, only watched the 1994 final, I would say, the most exciting teams (or at least the ones I enjoyed watching the most) and that got far were:
1998 and 2000 Netherlands
1998 Brazil
2008 Spain
2010 Germany
2000 France
2014 Germany
2002 Brazil
2018 France
2022 Argentina (Not because they were good or anything, they were just a bunch of farmers and Messi, but there was something remarkable about their journey).
In that order.
They were dreadful to watch but in a one off game I would still bet the house on 2010-2012 Spain beating any of the above in a one off game or even over a tournament.
So to answer the question, you can be boring, as long as you’ve got the Barca midfield trio at their peak with Ramos behind them.
1998 and 2000 Netherlands
1998 Brazil
2008 Spain
2010 Germany
2000 France
2014 Germany
2002 Brazil
2018 France
2022 Argentina (Not because they were good or anything, they were just a bunch of farmers and Messi, but there was something remarkable about their journey).
In that order.
They were dreadful to watch but in a one off game I would still bet the house on 2010-2012 Spain beating any of the above in a one off game or even over a tournament.
So to answer the question, you can be boring, as long as you’ve got the Barca midfield trio at their peak with Ramos behind them.
Magnificent display of yawn inducing boringness from Southgate and his men last night. Never has the sideways pass been used to such glorious torpor. I suppose it’s even more striking when you are forced to watch positive attacking play from the likes of Spain.
It's only boring if you're not winning.
Let's be fair if it's us instead of Barcelona we'd be creaming our pants winning treble with a ground breaking formation that revolutionized football.
Football fans with their double standard.
Let's be fair if it's us instead of Barcelona we'd be creaming our pants winning treble with a ground breaking formation that revolutionized football.
Football fans with their double standard.
Johan Cruijff already said that football is a game of mistakes. Who makes the least amount of mistakes wins
Everyone who remembers Euro 2004 knows that boring teams can win tournaments 
Or the world cup in 2002
Or the world cup in 2002‘That’d be me, Ted’.
‘Were you asking for a dramatic, exciting voice?’
‘No, he said boring. He wanted a boring voice.’
‘Were you asking for a dramatic, exciting voice?’
‘No, he said boring. He wanted a boring voice.’