Liverpool FC Forum

by **Number 9** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:12 pm

Was'nt a great game but Spain are through and will avoid the Dutch which is a blessing!

I was worried about our Nando when he scored!About 5 of the feckers jumped on him,i hope this does'nt happen again as he will be no good to us squashed!

by **metalhead** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:15 pm

lol barry

great goal from nando though, how he sticked his legs to score.

Villa's goal was outstanding, great touch and a great finish.

by **Dundalk** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:48 pm

Greece are out thank god.

They have played 2 now and scored none.

A boring team with nothing to offer.

All the best.

Which means Spain go through to the Quarter Finals

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:26 pm

Number 9 wrote:Was'nt a great game but Spain are through and will avoid the Dutch which is a blessing!

I was worried about our Nando when he scored!About 5 of the feckers jumped on him,i hope this does'nt happen again as he will be no good to us squashed!

I think he was being gang sexed by those 5 players.

by **Bad Bob** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:08 am

I'm glad Spain pulled it out in the end but I'm far from convinced by their shape. There's a lot of pressure on Ramos to provide the width down the right and I think his defensive duties have suffered for it. I don't think he's offered all that much coming forward either. I wonder how they might go if they adopted the 4-2-3-1 we had success with? I'm thinking of:

Torres

Silva Villa Iniesta/Fabregas

Senna/Alonso Xavi

Capdavilla Marchena Puyol Ramos

Casillas

In this set up, Xavi can push up and fill the right-centre area if Iniesta or Fabregas pull out wide. Spain doesn't seem to be a side that feeds on crosses into the box anyway so I don't think asking any of their playmaking midfielders to occasionally pull out to the right touch line hurts them too much. With more support on that side of the pitch, Ramos could pick his moments to bomb on rather than feeling obligated to get up and back every possession.

by **Kharhaz** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:29 am

Theres something about spain that always seems wrong. For years they have had the players but the way they play seems, somehow, wrong ! At the minute they have two world class strikers who are on song with each other but the first really good team they will play against I think its going to be the same story. People scratching there head as to why they have failed. Sweden are a good team, not brilliant, but efficient and that to a point had the spanish team struggling. I hope this isnt the case but any team willing to attack them will win, Portugal for one and for me if they do play against Holland, Holland will win comfortably. Spain have the players but I just cannot put my finger on what is wrong with the setup. One thing is certain Torres and Villa have to play up front.

by **Bad Bob** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:36 am

Kharhaz wrote:Theres something about spain that always seems wrong. For years they have had the players but the way they play seems, somehow, wrong ! At the minute they have two world class strikers who are on song with each other but the first really good team they will play against I think its going to be the same story. People scratching there head as to why they have failed. Sweden are a good team, not brilliant, but efficient and that to a point had the spanish team struggling. I hope this isnt the case but any team willing to attack them will win, Portugal for one and for me if they do play against Holland, Holland will win comfortably. Spain have the players but I just cannot put my finger on what is wrong with the setup. One thing is certain Torres and Villa have to play up front.

Yes, you do get that feeling, don't you? At the moment they're in the drivers seat to top their group, which would allow them to avoid the Dutch in the QFs anyway.

by **Sabre** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:04 am

The things I did like yesterday:

* Spain won against a physical Sweden with very tall CB and a totally different set up than the Russians did, and did so at the end, precisely when the commentator said Villa was exhausted. Spain showed to me at least they know to suffer. Important.

* Senna isn't a better player than Alonso whatsoever. But credit where credit is due, he's given a chance, and he has played pretty well, he hasn't given the opportunity to Aragones to drop him. Very good work in the unsung work. Alonso will play the next game almost for sure, because we're first of group mathematically. Him and other players will try to convince Aragones for the next round.

What I didn't like

* I already mentioned before the tournament the Ramos issue. The issue has been aggravated with the fact that Ramos doesn't seem with the proper concentration and has done a very poor two games, no wonder Bad Bob is not impressed. Iniesta hasn't played at his true level neither.

Curiously enough, I took out the game more positive conclussions than in the Russian game. In the Russian game we just learned we have the best strikers of the tournament which we already knew, but against Sweden we showed we can win that kind of game, unlike some years ago against Norway for instance.

-------

As for the set up you propose BOB, I'd say that's pretty similar to what Spain used in the last world cup. But of course, a set up is different depending who you play on it. We played Torres where you have Silva, you had Raul in the equation, and you never know what could happen. In that world cup France killed us by the wings, which were a highway for Ribery.

So, a set up is done good by the players. Iniesta is not a player to cover the right, but to roam everywhere. At the end of the day mate, I think that should you order to play our players that way, what you'd see is something very similar to what you're seeing now.

------

As for Karhaz post, well, I agree on the past. We're the greatest underachievers in football history and we cannot deny that. That's what's wrong with us.

Mind you, we always had great players, but not great strikers. The Spain that lost on penalties against England in 1996 was very strong on defence and full backs, had good midfielders, but Kiko and Salinas were good, but not as good as Villa and Torres.

IMHO, that may be the difference. Having a world class striker in this short tournaments can make it.

That said, I don't think Spain isn't vulnerable, I think they can be beaten. But I wouldn't say whatsoever Holland will beat us comfortably, to be honest. They will, if they manage to remove possession from us, which won't be an easy task.

by **Ciggy** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:13 am

Spain looked like they where very tired last night and couldnt find a way past the 10 man defence, Sweden where really physical and are only in the comp to make up the numbers.

Spain looked like they missed a leader on the pitch last night there was something missing, even though I want them to win the trophey I wont be to @rsed if they go out so that our Dave & fernando can get a rest before the new season starts

by **Number 9** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:34 am

Our Dave and Nando!! :laugh:

You bloody wish!

by **NANNY RED** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:44 pm

What a rubbish first half i should of gone the bingo :laugh:

by **NANNY RED** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:38 pm

HAHA Peter Cech :laugh:

Barry missed out on a pint there lad :laugh:

by **Number 9** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:46 pm

NANNY RED wrote:HAHA Peter Cech

Barry missed out on a pint there lad

WTF was he at?? :laugh:

Even the 3rd goal as well,he should have stayed on his line,tw@t!

Well done Nan,how much did ya have on them?
Even Portugal got beat! :no

by **NANNY RED** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:57 pm

Number 9 wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:HAHA Peter Cech

Barry missed out on a pint there lad

WTF was he at??
Even the 3rd goal as well,he should have stayed on his line,tw@t!

Well done Nan,how much did ya have on them?
Even Portugal got beat!

20

First half was :censored:

but second half what a half

Cant believe the Portugese got beat though

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:58 pm

Astonishing match

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