The Euro Draft - Round 1 - ctp vs Joga Bonito

[Raees]

Well, why do we dislike anyone we don't know? He's always struck me as a bit of twat, that's all. Probably hugely unfair on the poor bastard, but there it is.

And as a player – well, he was very good, naturally, and I respect that. But for me he wasn't the sort of the player you'd take a shine to – I don't think I can explain it beyond this, it's pretty irrational, as most likes and dislikes in football are at the end of the day.

Probably the most irrational hatred I have seen on this forum which is saying something but as it is you Chester, I will not say anything.. but grin and say it is perfectly normal to hate the bastard that is David Villa

 

[Annahnomoss]

Aye – he has that going for him.

To me, though, that Spain side was an absurdity of sorts. Loaded with brilliant players but somehow averse to the idea of, actually, finishing off a match by...scoring.

Magnified it was by the fact that they scored late in every single knock out game so even if they won with 1-0 it was a 0-0 game for 80 minutes in average. Not a single goal in first half in the KO rounds, the earliest goal came against Portugal in the 63rd minute - against Paraguay they scored in the 83rd - Germany 73rd and then against the Netherlands after 116 minutes.

I bet if they'd have scored the 1-0 early on sat back the feeling that they don't score would be different.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Probably the most irrational hatred I have seen on this forum which is saying something but as it is you Chester, I will not say anything.. but grin and say it is perfectly normal to hate the bastard that is David Villa

Come on – look at that hairline!

 

[antohan]

Magnified it was by the fact that they scored late in every single knock out game so even if they won with 1-0 it was a 0-0 game for 80 minutes in average. Not a single goal in first half in the KO rounds, the earliest goal came against Portugal in the 63rd minute - against Paraguay they scored in the 83rd - Germany 73rd and then against the Netherlands after 116 minutes.

I bet if they'd have scored the 1-0 early on sat back the feeling that they don't score would be different.

It would be different because if they scored earlier they would have scored more as the oppo took more risks to equalise.

But no, they never set out to do that, it was just a snoozefest waiting for tired legs and minds to present them opportunities to wrap it up late on. They bored me to tears.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

It would be different because if they scored earlier they would have scored more as the oppo took more risks to equalise.

But no, they never set out to do that, it was just a snoozefest waiting for tired legs and minds to present them opportunities to wrap it up late on. They bored me to tears.

It was, I now say, some years after the fact – a damn near hideous team.

I mean it. No other team that won major trophies or sported players of that calibre EVER gave that impression of cynicism, or whatever you want to call it. It was the ugly side of “when we have the ball, they can't score” - and the result was a side nobody really liked, apart from trophy starved Spaniards and possibly “hipsters” (the definition being soulless twats who like to make an impression).

It's an immensely fascinating side in many ways, football history wise – but it's deeply unlikeable, and rightly so, in my opinion.

 

[Balu]

It's an immensely fascinating side in many ways, football history wise – but it's deeply unlikeable, and rightly so, in my opinion.

It's all del Bosque's fault. Aragones' Euro winning side was a joy to watch.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

It's all del Bosque's fault. Aragones' Euro winning side was a joy to watch.

It's interesting, isn't it – the transition there, from Aragones to Del Bosque. Aragones' team still had that taint – you know, the old Spanish taint: They look good, but they won't win anything. Which was always the story with Spain – great players, no reason why they shouldn't be a hell of a sight better than they actually were...but they weren't. Their most impressive incarnation was the '84 one, and even that was...I mean, come on, they were nothing compared to that truly great team that won the tournament – even in retrospect.

And even though Aragones did win, it had an air of...Euro not the World Cup about it. And for my money his side did have something of the paradoxical impotence (but not really, because sooner or later they did score) about it, which characterized Del Bosque's.

But, aye – his version looked better. Torres was on song for him – which made a great difference. An actual striker capable of delivering – and who played as an actual striker too.

 

[Balu]

But, aye – his version looked better. Torres was on song for him – which made a great difference. An actual striker capable of delivering – and who played as an actual striker too.

I think the midfield set-up was simply a lot more attacking and direct. Del Bosque's extremely negative version of tiki-taka was horrible, with Busquets and Alonso protecting the back four.