Spain No Longer Strike Fear into Hearts of Opponents

Let’s not mince our words here—we’ve been humbled. The prospect of playing Spain, in the recent past, used to strike fear into the best international sides in the world. Nowadays, no one seems scared of us.

Since a miserable World Cup, this is a Spain side that has lost four of the eight internationals it has played, though three of those defeats came in friendlies.

People are saying that this is a Spain side for whom it has become easier to be selected and that international caps are being devalued and dished out too readily.

The accusations are that there is a transition in styles that is not taking place properly, and I have to say that when I spoke to Spain coach Vicente del Bosque earlier this week and asked him how he thought Spain would be in a couple of years' time, he said they would be much as they are now.

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Unfortunately, when you base your game on conservative possession of the ball without enough penetration to score goals, you are going to have problems. Since Brazil, eight different strikers have been tried in search of a solution that doesn’t look any closer to being found.

Others say the loss of Xavi and Xabi Alonso has played a part because they essentially were the Spanish style that won so much. On a similar line, there are also claims that as this is a side that has won so much, it no longer has that hunger to succeed.

It has been mooted in certain circles that, while Del Bosque is a perfect coach when things are going well, as soon as things go a bit pear-shaped, he doesn’t like to rock the boat. As a result, he is perhaps not as proactive in his decision-making as he should be.

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The goalkeeping situation certainly hasn’t helped. Del Bosque still combines Iker Casillas and David De Gea, but the young Manchester United 'keeper still feels very much like the second choice. This is something that should probably have been addressed some time ago.

These are just some of the things that people have been saying. This is what I think.

Spain’s stunning success on the world stage coincided with the coming together of probably the greatest generation of players in its history. And they came together at a time when, despite very high expectations, they weren’t winning enough.

Self-belief, stunning skill and a hunger to win brought that success, and with it the envy and admiration of the footballing world.

Now, as a result of having fewer players to pick from, combined with a failure to take on board and evolve a new style of play, this is a side that has been left exposed and very beatable.

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Luis Enrique’s Barcelona used to play a very similar game to Spain, but it was not long before he realised he would have to find a new style if he wanted his side to rule the roost once again.

Del Bosque finds himself in exactly the same situation. The only problem is that he simply doesn’t have enough time to work on such ideas and new developments.

These days, not even Barcelona play the way Spain play. This is a Spain side of two styles. On the one hand, you have the likes of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique. On the other, Diego Costa, Koke and Juanfran.

Maybe now the time has come to set out our stall and decide just how we are going to play, and maybe that should be with the use of fast-moving transitions—something that Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid seem comfortable with.

What we have now is neither one thing nor the other. There is a lack of clarity and direction as we carry on insisting on the same old ideas.

Del Bosque’s apparent reluctance to change the style, because he feels the old way brought success along in the first place, is unfortunate.

We are being overtaken—and fast. If we don’t get our heads around the idea that we have to change our philosophy, then I don’t see us progressing very far in the European Championship.

Over to you, Don Vicente.