Euro 2012 has not been kind on some of the bigger teams in the competition.
With Russia, despite some lovely football, and the Netherlands already gone, Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque was forced to defend the defending champions’ playing style after they limped into the last eight with a 1-0 win over Croatia.
Slaven Bilic’s men can count themselves extremely unlucky that Ivan Rakitic was unable to produce a header to match Luka Modric’s delicious cross. If he had, things may have panned out differently.
Having hit four against an average Ireland in the previous game, it was a disappointing return to the blunt performance that earned La Roja a 1-1 draw with Italy.
In a tournament that has seen Germany reap the rewards of a more direct approach and come away from the Group of Death with maximum points, a disgruntled Spanish press has questioned their country’s brand of possession football.
Del Bosque, though, proclaimed his side were the victims of their own success and urged fans back home to keep the faith. It is hard to disagree.
One common misconception about ‘tika-taka’ is that it is always easy on the eye. Another is that it was Spain’s sole method in becoming world and European champions.It wasn’t, and when it was used La Roja often struggled.
While debate has raged over his decision to play Cesc Fabregas as a false-nine since the Italy game, there is a less fashionable positioning dispute further back that has contributed to Spain’s rigid style in this tournament.
Both Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets are excellent holding players, but the decision to play the pair means that Spain’s most creative midfielder, Andres Iniesta, is pushed out wide.
In the games against Italy and Croatia the little maestro was his side’s only player willing to commit the opposition in the final third, but from the left he is far less effective than through the middle where in tandem with Xavi, he reaps such brilliant rewards for Barcelona.
Del Bosque’s tactics have to a large extent also been hampered by injuries before the tournament. You can only surmise why Fernando Llorente has fallen so quickly out of favour but losing the Barca pair of David Villa and Carles Puyol has been a hammer blow.
Villa would have been a shoo-in to start in the Fabregas role against Italy and offers Spain so much going forward and the injury to Puyol, meanwhile, means Del Bosque has been robbed of Sergio Ramos’ attacking talents from right-back as he has been shifted inside.
While Spain have not enjoyed the start to life at Euro 2012 they would have like, it is far too early to sound the death knell for possession football. With different players in key positions this team would still be ready to roar.
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