Spain are control freaks who hold on to the ball and keep opponents from scoring by wearing them down
Who thinks Spain are boring?
Approximately 50.00% of the football-watching population. It's the philosophical debate that has defined Euro 2012. Mark Lawrenson says if they win it will be "a bad advertisement for football". Boris Becker says they're boring. In Italy, the Corriere dello Sport says they are "terribly boring".
And are they boring?
That depends. If you equate goals with excitement and interest, then Spain's games are boring. The average of 1.8 goals in each of their matches is 25% lower than the tournament average of 2.4. George Graham would surely approve.
They play without a striker?
Sometimes they play Cesc Fábregas as a "false No9", a nominal striker who wanders all over the pitch.
Nobody denies they are brilliant …
Everyone accepts they have achieved an unprecedented level of technical excellence. It's just that some people like salt in their paella.
So what's the counter argument?
That Spain are one game away from becoming the first side to win three major tournaments in a row. That they play a brand of sophisticated, aesthetic football that transcends conventional notions of entertainment and maybe even goalscoring.
Goals win games, surely?
Yes but Spain usually only need to score once to win a game. They keep the ball so well that they hardly ever concede chances, never mind goals.
It's all about control?
That's the essence of their philosophy. They are control freaks. If they have the ball, you can't score. It's the ultimate example of attack being the best form of defence. Tiki-takanaccio.
Why don't they shoot more?
They believe wearing teams down in this way minimises risk and is the most efficient means of winning games. The approach has become more extreme. At Euro 2008 they had 33 passes per shot; at the last World Cup it was 44; this time it has been 58. Arsène Wenger called it "sterile domination" when Barcelona did it to Arsenal.
So they only care about winning, not entertainment?
Some would argue that, in their own pure way, Spain have become the thing they used to criticise: a team who prioritise winning over glory, entertainment and even fun.
If we do conclude the games are boring, whose fault is it?
Some say Spain's, for their endless foreplay. Some blame their opponents for parking the bus. A minority think it is the consequence of two different but equally defensive approaches.
But there isn't much middle ground?
Not really. Few things engender an evangelistic fervour quite like an arthouse/blockbuster debate. You are a philistine if you don't like Spain or a pseudo-intellectual if you do.
So what happens now?
Like Spain, we go round in circles. There is no right or wrong answer. Boredom is in the eye – and the yawn – of the beholder. Rob Smyth Read More
انسخ الكود التالى و ضعه فى موقعك او مدونتك.
