Even if Spain are to eventually fall, it will neither be for now, nor for too long, because their system works. That's why the English FA is trying harder than ever to improve the current academy system to one more closely resembling the Spanish model.
Spain are good because they take mainly from two teams (Real & Barca). So players are accustomed to each other. England have players from all different clubs and it makes it harder for them to jel.
no its not... yes most of them are but the strikers are from atletico bilbao and chelsea.
and i don't see villa being on the squad for too much longer after the euro, but our lb is not from either plus silva is starting become a starter and replace the likes of xavi since he is aging as well
Spain have the best team, and squad, by miles. This is why they are undisputably the best right now, and for the forseeable future.
However people get older! All the greatest sides ever feel the advance of age. France in 1998-2000 on looked invincible, 10 years on they were a shadow of their great triumphs. Casillas is 30, Puyol 33, Arbeloa nearly 29, Xavi nearly 32, Xabi Alonso 30 this month, David Villa 30 next month. These players may all be past their best inside the next 3 or 4 years.
They will be tough to replace.
You have to make the most of the people you have when you have such a huge generation of talent, because it will not last forever....
Casillas 30 - 36 retirement. De Gea in. Arbeloa 29 - 33 retirement. Azpilicueta and Jordi Alba in. Puyol 33 - 35 retirement. (Botía, San José or Domínguez in). Xavi 32 - 34 retirement. Thiago in. Alonso 30 - 32 retirement. Javi Martinez in. Villa 30 - 32 retirement. (Bojan, Adrián, Muniain or Morata in).
Spain can replace their old guard easily, Under 21 side are Euro champions. Several will make it big in the next few years.
Others that could make it; Sergio Asenjo, Ander, Dani Parejo, Fran Mérida, Sergio Canales, Joselu and Diego Capel.
My point is irrelevant RGB??? Your points are actually irrelevant not mine....
You are saying that ALL the replacements that come in, they will be as good, all totally gel together as well as the current team, the manager will stay, everything will be fine and dandy and stay the same forever?
"Spain can replace their old guard easily"
Ummm....you haven't followed football very long have you? Yes, world class players are easily replaced. They are ten a penny. Yes that was sarcasm.
My point is that this spain team will be mostly broken up inside the next 5 years tops, and that future is UNCERTAIN.
Being under 17, 18, or 21 champs does not give teams an automatic pass to be the next best thing 4, 5, 6 whatever years later! Argentina have won the U20 world cup 3 times in 10 years, 3 from the last 5 tournaments. 2001, 2005, 2007. So by your reasoning, dominating the past decade of youth football means that Argentina should now be the best senior team on the planet easily. Right?
Just because you are suddenly Mr Crystal Ball doesn't make my points irrelevant.
Half of the replacements could have better careers period. Players like; Thiago, Javi Martinez, Bojan, Muniain and Morata have big futures regardless. Thiago is practically replacing Xavi at Barca as well speak. Javi Martinez is looking outstanding; young, extremely talented and has 12+ years to play internationally minimum. Bojan hasn't had the rub of the green recently but still is a high class player, Muniain is exceptional and under 20 plus Morata will no doubt be the next Raul at Madrid.
The "gel" process won't be as hard as people always make out. Unlike other nations these players have played with each other throughout the ranks. The "gel" is that foundation, other national teams don't do this. They simply mismatch players when results don't come through or systems don't work. Every nation worldwide is miles behind Spain in this regard, players understand each other and play as one. Other nations have individuals trying to be team players but they really have several loose lone wolves.
The manager is irrelevant, Del Bosque probably has the easiest job in football (more so than Guardiola). Bosque has 30+ world class players to pick from, anyone could replace him and still field a winning team. Bosque's time will come after Euro 2012, champions* or not. (*Probable champions)
With the current players, youngsters and their system Spain could dominated world for the next 10 years minimum. Judging by the way they play, teams are decades behind, some say they've never seen football played so well before. Most would agree.
The old guard is replaceable period and saying the team will be broken up in 5 years is frivolous. They're laying the foundations now with the young players in the national team like Ramos, Piqué, Busquets, Martinez, Silva, Navas, Thiago, Alba, Fàbregas, Mata and Pedro all under or aged 25. The previously listed younger players will follow.
Spain isn't Argentina, my point above stating Spanish players play as a team were as others have individuals... case in point with Argentina. All show (Messi, Higuaín, Agüero and Tevez) and no substance. Additionally having one of the best and youngest strike forces around doesn't mean you have a great team... or a good one for that matter. Besides the front men the rest is lacking majorly; players being changed by the match, system rotations, betting on the elderly instead of the youth all play against Argentina.
You really should look at the logical side of the game and stop thinking about broken systems by teams that have won nothing. The Spanish formula is perfect at the moment and teams using aged systems look stupid in comparison.
I don't need a "Crystal Ball", just my brain. ;)
I also predicted this Spanish domination spell years ago, people laughed. ;)
Nothing you said was particularly useful, unknown, or insightful to the casual football observer RGB. Nothing changes the fact the future is uncertain and your 'predictions' are just guesses, and not particularly educated either as easily demonstrated by looking at supposed 'experts' inside the game whose predictions for the future couldn't end up more wrong.
Nothing changes the fact that the current Spanish side will not be around forever, and beyond that, anything could happen with their future side just as it has done with all the great sides of the past.
Anything written about future players, managers, or situations is pure speculation and crystal balling. Be it from you or anyone else. Actually claiming to have perfect future insight is sheer arrogance and assumption on your part and frankly, it doesn't hold water with anyone who possesses a modicum of common sense.
Thus none of that makes anything i said irrelevant, CERTAINLY not some other user future predictions on a website discussion.
I don't need to read any of your comments to understand that, because football is not to be predicted with high accuracy a year or two ahead, never mind 5 or 6. Everybody who understands a little about football understands this. But then i guess, you predicted United losing 1-6 to city didn't you and everyone laughed? Course you did.....
Much as how easily your youth competition theory is very easily dismissed just by glancing at said youth champs and then their senior teams 5 years later. Your theory is blown out of the water easily like most of them, thanks greatly to huge unknown and unquantifiable factors at play.
If I was Spains manager this would be my starting XI - Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Pique, Jordi Alba (Hopefully Enrique is called up and then he will take the left back position)Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Cesc, Iniesta, Villa, Silva (4-3-3)
Bench - Reina, Arebloa, Juan Mata, Fernando Llorente, Raul Ablilol, Santi Carzola.
The Spain are good because they work together and they have a couple of the best players in the world.
"But would he get into the English first team?" - Well.. Based on skill, yes, perhaps. But the English style is so much different than the Spanish one. Look at Torres for example, and how he performs on the English fields.
They have one of the most powerfull squad of players in football history they have back up for every position
If I was Spains manager this would be my starting XI - Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Pique, Jordi Alba (Hopefully Enrique is called up and then he will take the left back position)Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Cesc, Iniesta, Villa, Silva (4-3-3)
Bench - Reina, Arebloa, Juan Mata, Fernando Llorente, Raul Ablilol, Santi Carzola.
The Spain are good because they work together and they have a couple of the best players in the world.
"But would he get into the English first team?" - Well.. Based on skill, yes, perhaps. But the English style is so much different than the Spanish one. Look at Torres for example, and how he performs on the English fields.