Liverpool FC Forum

[Dundalk]

All talk about Spain for Euro 2008 in here.



Squad

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Reina (Liverpool), Andres Palop (Sevilla); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Raul Albiol (Valencia), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Fernando Navarro (Real Mallorca),

Alvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool), Juanito (Real Betis); Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xavi (Barcelona), David Silva (Valencia), Santi

Cazorla (Villarreal), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Ruben de la Red (Getafe), Marcos Senna (Villarreal); David Villa (Valencia), Daniel Guiza (Real Mallorca), Sergio Garcia (Real Zaragoza), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)


Spain are in Group D along with Greece, Sweden and Russia.

They are 1/4 to win there group

They are 6/1 to win the competion

Fernando Torres is 9/1 to be the top scorer

Spain to win and Torres to top scorer is 22/1.


COME ON SPAIN

[The Manhattan Project]

According to BabelFish, my Spanish name is "El Proyecto De Manhattan"


Spain will fail as usual, but I'm still supporting them.

Portugal or Germany will win Euro 2008.

[Sabre]

Xabi and Reina make an advert for Marca about a shirt for supporters.

Funny advert

Reina encourages "Vamos, vamos chavales, vamos" (come on come on lads, come on)


Reina tells Xabi, "But machine, we're playing with a red shirt" (machine=coloquial expression to a mate that's good at something, sex machine, alcohol machine, whatever machine)

Xabi says "Ah, vale, va" (Oh, well, ok!)

Xabi comes back and says "Jefe, ahora la amarilla?" (Boss, now the yellow?)

It's funny because it's natural, it's their voices and Reina indeed seems to be pulling the leg of the mates all the time like that, and Xabi makes well the naive role

[henaz]

Come on spain!!
Torres will rip it up and end up top scorer 

[Sabre]

Dalglish has appeared today in Marca basically saying Spain must rely on Torres. About Villa, he says he's a good partner, but should Spain play one striker, Spain should rely on Torres every single game.

About Torres he adds, "He's a player with ideas of his own, but don't think those ideas are all modern" -- as in he has very classic footballing ideas.

About Reina and ALonso he says they deserve to play every match aswell, but he thinks that possibility is hindered by the fact they play abroad.

Actually I disagree this bit. Luis Garcia and ALonso became regular internationals in Liverpool, Arbeloa has popped up in the Spanish squad because of Liverpool, and Torres has earned the "first choice" status in Liverpool.

Reina's case is different, he has to compete against a Madrid player, and against all his media.

You'll understand the problem inmediatly with an example mates: After all the campaign they've done to bring Raul to the Euro, when it comes to select who's Spanish star, they say "Casillas".

Torres? No. Casillas, believe it or not. And they add, "due to the absence of Raul, he's the true star of the team".

Yeah, right.

[JC_81]

Sabre, who are Spain likely to line up with in midfield?  There are lots of top central midfielders and they won't fit them all in!

Will it be Xavi and Fabregas to start with in the middle?

[The Manhattan Project]

I heard on Revista that Bojan didn't want to go to EURO 2008.

That's a bit odd.

[RUSHIE#9]

Sabre, who are Spain likely to line up with in midfield?  There are lots of top central midfielders and they won't fit them all in!

Will it be Xavi and Fabregas to start with in the middle?

Watching Revista de la Liga on $ky the other night they believe that the midfield line-up will be as follows:

Senna (Villareal)
Silva (Valencia)
Xavi (Barcelona)
Iniesta(Barcelona)
Fabregas (The @rse) sitting in behind Torres a la Gerrard.


VIVA LA SELECION!!! 

[Dundalk]

Does Alonso not get his game for Spain?

[Sabre]

Sabre, who are Spain likely to line up with in midfield?  There are lots of top central midfielders and they won't fit them all in!

Will it be Xavi and Fabregas to start with in the middle?

Watching Revista de la Liga on $ky the other night they believe that the midfield line-up will be as follows:

Senna (Villareal)
Silva (Valencia)
Xavi (Barcelona)
Iniesta(Barcelona)
Fabregas (The @rse) sitting in behind Torres a la Gerrard.


VIVA LA SELECION!!! 

Mmm Revista and I must have been seeing a different Squad. Senna hasn't played much since the last world cup.

You must see the Spanish midfield, in two separated blocks, and very defined blocks: Holding Mids, and Attacking mids.

The favourite holding mid of Rafa was Albelda, but he alternated a lot with Alonso, the other main option. Albelda has been separated from Valencia and he lost his place in the squad.

So for the holding mid position, we'll have, Alonso as first option, and De la Red and Senna either to make a double holding mid (I doubt it) or to substitute him. When Alonso was injured, and Albelda unavailable, the next inmediate option was Senna.

For the attacking mid places, the competition is fierce. Xabi, Iniesta, and Fabregas are the main options, and actually they can play all together. Note that Spain has not any Right Winger, no Joaquins, no Navas, all the right wing is for the RB, Ramos.

In the left, Silva without doubts.

So the most likely configuration is, one striker (Torres), one true left winger (Silva), 3 attacking midfielders that touch the ball (Fabregas, Iniesta, Xavi) and letting Ramos run his right wing, with Alonso covering their back.

I doubt, but then I may be wrong, we'll see a Villa-Torres partnership unless we're losing a game.

[LFC2007]

Strange they play with a left winger and not a right, I'll be interested to know how they line up, as one of Iniesta, Xavi or Fabregas will be forced to drift out wide, and they may lose their shape.

[Sabre]

Playing with a false right winger (no right winger) is not what worries me, despite I'd like to have Joaquin or Navas for the sake of "options". Fabregas will be all good behind Torres, and Iniesta will roam everywhere, he moves very well in a football pitch that lad, very clever.

I particularly I'm afraid of something an Italian defender said as a dig about Ramos: it's easy to take his back, and since we force him to go upwards, I fear there a vulnerability that the bloody Italians won't hesitate to use in quarter of finals.

The kind of diagonal ball that Shrek sent to Ronaldo can make us lot of harm.

[Sabre]

I heard on Revista that Bojan didn't want to go to EURO 2008.

That's a bit odd.

True. And I agree, it's odd.

It's odd that a player of his age says he's exhausted and he needs a rest in front of an event like this. Even if true, I'd expect such a young player to be eager to go there.

But well, the lad was honest with Aragones, he preffers not to be there if it's not at 100%, and Aragones seems to have accepted that.

[account deleted by request]

I still want Spain to go out early - I don't really care who wins it, but I want our players back fresh and injury free, not tired, INJURED and flushed with success!

Selfish maybe, but I want the title next season and we wont win it if half our players are knackered and Rafa rests the others like last time.

[Sabre]

I still want Spain to go out early - I don't really care who wins it, but I want our players back fresh and injury free, not tired, INJURED and flushed with success!

Selfish maybe, but I want the title next season and we wont win it if half our players are knackered and Rafa rests the others like last time.

So your Ideal Euro would be:


Greece 5 - 5 Spain. Torres(3), Xabi Alonso (16M tag), Arbeloa
Sweden 6 - 5 Spain. Torres(3), Xabi Alonso (18M tag), Arbeloa.
Russia 3 - 2 Spain. Xabi Alonso (2, 20M tag).

Spain is out, players are fresh, we get more money from Alonso, who we sell the next day. 


In all seriousness though, it's understandable your concern. It's proven that players get more injury problems in seasons after summer events like this.