Spain 2008-2012: best team of all time?

PMLF brought this up in the match thread. Thoughts? I'd say they're easily the best in my lifetime.

Yes, probably. Amamzing team. Commentators on BBC reckon its between these boys and the Brazil 1970 team. Easily the best team I've ever seen.

watched football for about 25 years or so and I haven't seen one better when watching live football

I've seen footage of Brazil's 1970 World Cup winning side, the 1982 team that didn't win the World Cup, Holland's total football sides but I don't think those teams really come near the Spanish national team and how they keep possession

Only 20 so my opinion doesn't really mean much. But yes, they're easily the best national team I've seen.

i think they probably are, if they win the next world cup it would be virtually impossible to say otherwise

Ofcourse they are. It's just a shame they are fulll of *****, I'd love to love this side but I just can't. Iniesta, Xavi and Casillas are great, the rest...

I'm only 20, so for me, its an obvious yes

Hungary still better.

As I mentioned there, this is probably the best national team ever.

Brazil 1958-1962 probably the closest to being this good.

Brazil 1970 was very good but was a one-off thing. 1982 team is just overrated, beat mainly smaller teams and then choked against Italy.

Hungary 1954 and Holland 1974-1978 very good too but didn't win anything.

Brazil 1994-1998 was very good but not as dominant as Spain are now.

In my lifetime, definitely the best if we're talking consistently great over such a long period of time. Zidane's France would have done them though ;0

Ofcourse they are. It's just a shame they are fulll of *****, I'd love to love this side but I just can't. Iniesta, Xavi and Casillas are great, the rest...

nothing wrong with Villa, Silva, Ramos, alonso or Fabregas, only ***** are biscuits and alba

98/2000 france would have been a good match vs this lot yeah. Viera, Petit and Deschamps in midfield vs Xavi, Alonso and Busquets would be a pretty good battle.

nothing wrong with Villa, Silva, Ramos, alonso or Fabregas, only ***** are biscuits and alba

nah.

Still not as good as England's golden generation

nothing wrong with Villa, Silva, Ramos, alonso or Fabregas, only ***** are biscuits and alba

As for Alba, give it time the bitterness will go away

nothing wrong with Villa, Silva, Ramos, alonso or Fabregas, only ***** are biscuits and alba

Wanting to join one of the biggest clubs in the world makes him a ****?

Wanting to join one of the biggest clubs in the world makes him a ****?

the way he ****ed the club over to do it makes him a ****, plus the fact hes almost on a par with busquets the amount he dives and feigns injury

As I mentioned there, this is probably the best national team ever.

Brazil 1958-1962 probably the closest to being this good.

Brazil 1970 was very good but was a one-off thing. 1982 team is just overrated, beat mainly smaller teams and then choked against Italy.

Hungary 1954 and Holland 1974-1978 very good too but didn't win anything.

Brazil 1994-1998 was very good but not as dominant as Spain are now.

Everyone seems to forget Germany 1972 - 1976 who almost won 3 tournaments in a row only to lose the 76 Euro final

Everyone seems to forget Germany 1972 - 1976 who almost won 3 tournaments in a row only to lose the 76 Euro final

True, easy to forget them but they were a great team too.

Probably not as good as Spain 2008-2012 though.

Easily. This Spanish team would beat any other, including France with ZZ, let alone any team before that. The teams from before 1990 wouldn't even get 20% possession

Hungary still better.

Hungary never won bollocks though, this team won 3 tournaments on the trot. So the figures say that, yes, they are the best of all time.

The only thing Hungary won was the Olympics in 1952, but results from that time prove little as Eastern Bloc teams fielded their best players (as they were officially amateur) while the rest of the world couldn't.

Italy 1934-38

World Cup, Olympics, World Cup. GOAT.

Italy 1934-38

World Cup, Olympics, World Cup. GOAT.

Titles bought by Mussolini don't count, to be fair...

But Italy 1934-1938 and Uruguay 1924-1930 could be mentioned too.

Was fixed by Mussolini...

Damn you Paulo

The problem is, do we compare achievements or class, ability, playing style, dominance etc?

Achievements could probably be put down to numbers and records and Spain win in this category.

But with a few of us having seen 1980s sides, let alone 1970s, it is hard to judge. Kind of like asking an English lower league regular to compare the best player of his team to Polish 3rd tier players. Even watching videos of WC games from that area is not enough, doesn't put the performances into context.

I have watched football since late 80s, I could make sensible comments from about early 90s, so the only team that could be compared to this one is 1998-2000/2 France. Until the disaster of 2002 they were seen as a dominant power in world football, but I rate this Spain team slightly higher.

Another thing that possibly everyone would agree is that it is more a success of Barcelona and partly Real than the national coaches, perhaps the 2008 title being an exception partly. And that is the main difference between France and Spain. That France team was dictating trends in world football, influencing clubs in the way they play football (anyone still recall that awful 3-5-2 that everyone used to play in mid 90s and everyone abandoned after 1998?). This Spain team is based on what Barca created.

Another thing that possibly everyone would agree is that it is more a success of Barcelona and partly Real than the national coaches, perhaps the 2008 title being an exception partly.

Many great national teams of the past were a bit like this though, Brazil 1958-1962 was basically a Santos/Botafogo team. Holland in the 1970s full of Ajax players, etc...

Probably not as good as Spain 2008-2012 though.

Depends what you mean by good really. In terms of passing and possession then this team is probably the best ever, in terms of clinical goal scoring and demolishing other sides, no probably not that would probably go to the 70s German side. In terms of flair and invention then that would be Brazil. Its easy to forget that in the group and the knockouts Spain were less than brilliant, were almost beaten by Portugal and Italy should have beaten them in the group. Also they were lucky to beat an average Croatian side. Thing that stops them being best ever imo is their lack of Plan B.

Granted their Plan A is devastatingly effective, but when they aren't on top form or if their opponents are up for it they sometimes look totally devoid of ideas except endless passing. One thing I will say though thats the most convincing final Ive seen in many years, easily the best side on the night, but its easy to forget their earlier subpar performances. If Portugal hadn't made a pigs ear of the penalties and got their least technically adept player to take the most important one they might never have been in the final.

Ofcourse they are. It's just a shame they are fulll of *****, I'd love to love this side but I just can't. Iniesta, Xavi and Casillas are great, the rest...

Indeed. Although even then, I don't know if I can forgive them for thwarting my long standing prediction of Netherlands 2010. Called that one right around 2007.

Good = efficient

Flair for example is all nice and good as long as it works. Brazil 1982 had a lot of that and still lost all the same as soon as they faced a really strong opponent.

Spain might not be perfect but they get the job done, which is what really matters. As long as they keep winning, it doesn't matter if it's by 1-0 or 10-0.

Many great national teams of the past were a bit like this though, Brazil 1958-1962 was basically a Santos/Botafogo team. Holland in the 1970s full of Ajax players, etc...

But not golden age France, which makes their achievements a little bit more special.

Good = efficient

Flair for example is all nice and good as long as it works. Brazil 1982 had a lot of that and still lost all the same as soon as they faced a really strong opponent.

Spain might not be perfect but they get the job done, which is what really matters. As long as they keep winning, it doesn't matter if it's by 1-0 or 10-0.

I don't really know how the Brazil 1982 squad is seen as in Brazil but in this country, it's quite remembered for being an attacking team who looked to entertain (seen footage of it, never watched the games live). They obviously weren't the best team but I think in this country we mostly like to watch entertaining football. Another example would be how Holland started Euro 2008 when they demolished France and Italy and then self destructed against a very decent Russia team. They weren't the greatest team but most people probably remember their performances over some of the later stuff that happened in the knockouts perhaps

I don't really know how the Brazil 1982 squad is seen as in Brazil but in this country, it's quite remembered for being an attacking team who looked to entertain (seen footage of it, never watched the games live). They obviously weren't the best team but I think in this country we mostly like to watch entertaining football. Another example would be how Holland started Euro 2008 when they demolished France and Italy and then self destructed against a very decent Russia team. They weren't the greatest team but most people probably remember their performances over some of the later stuff that happened in the knockouts perhaps

Here it is praised a lot and at same time is criticized for being chokers and for not knowing when/how to defend.

I think abroad they respect it far more than here as they are less worried about Brazil winning or losing.

the 1982 Brazil team normally gets mentioned as "the greatest team not to win the World Cup" when they do sporting events like this on UK TV, not a surprise that Brazil isn't as bothered with it considering they didn't win the tournament

did go out to the winners though, little bit of consolation

Front page of As:

'History's best team'

nothing wrong with Villa, Silva, Ramos, alonso or Fabregas, only ***** are biscuits and alba

Ramos is a dirty *******, to be honest.

Is Ramos the Spanish version of John O'Shea?

Depends what you mean by good really. In terms of passing and possession then this team is probably the best ever, in terms of clinical goal scoring and demolishing other sides, no probably not that would probably go to the 70s German side. In terms of flair and invention then that would be Brazil. Its easy to forget that in the group and the knockouts Spain were less than brilliant, were almost beaten by Portugal and Italy should have beaten them in the group. Also they were lucky to beat an average Croatian side. Thing that stops them being best ever imo is their lack of Plan B.

Granted their Plan A is devastatingly effective, but when they aren't on top form or if their opponents are up for it they sometimes look totally devoid of ideas except endless passing. One thing I will say though thats the most convincing final Ive seen in many years, easily the best side on the night, but its easy to forget their earlier subpar performances. If Portugal hadn't made a pigs ear of the penalties and got their least technically adept player to take the most important one they might never have been in the final.

I agree. Although had Spain had not had Villa out, maybe Portugal wouldn't have been an issue. But yeah it was close had Ronaldo scored on that counter- it could have been Spain out in the semis.

The Spain team wouldn't be so good had physical contact been removed from the game. This is the future of football now. Small quick players who can pass and move. In time all footballers will be 5f tall

You can't really say they aren't the best ever after winning 3 tournaments in a row, though they didn't entertain me for the last two tournaments until the final last night. They're great when they're at their best. Wonder who can stop them?

You can't really say they aren't the best ever after winning 3 tournaments in a row, though they didn't entertain me for the last two tournaments until the final last night. They're great when they're at their best. Wonder who can stop them?

Argentina, maybe.

We ALWAYS say this about Argentina about them having the talent to win the World Cup but nothing ever happens with them

You can't really say they aren't the best ever after winning 3 tournaments in a row, though they didn't entertain me for the last two tournaments until the final last night. They're great when they're at their best. Wonder who can stop them?

Germany .

You would hope, but they keep messing up in the semi final.

We ALWAYS say this about Argentina about them having the talent to win the World Cup but nothing ever happens with them

We said exactly the same about Spain until 4 years ago ^^

You can't really say they aren't the best ever after winning 3 tournaments in a row, though they didn't entertain me for the last two tournaments until the final last night. They're great when they're at their best. Wonder who can stop them?

England!

(not really)

They didnt play particularly great and still got to the final relatively easily (arguably) and that to me is the most scary thing, and then obviously the way they just dismantled a decent organised italy team aswell last night was brutal. I think their second 11 would probably one of the favourites for the tournament too had they been a team they genuinely are quite frightening.

The current starting eleven are great, except for Arbeloa. He really looks a bit out of place compared to the others who are miles above him.

The current starting eleven are great, except for Arbeloa. He really looks a bit out of place compared to the others who are miles above him.

Same with capdevila at the last few tournaments if i recall, theres always a weak link but i suppose if youre going to have one then the fullbacks are the best place to have them especially when the other 10 players being on the pitch makes you look like a world beater by default

They didnt play particularly great and still got to the final relatively easily (arguably) and that to me is the most scary thing, and then obviously the way they just dismantled a decent organised italy team aswell last night was brutal. I think their second 11 would probably one of the favourites for the tournament too had they been a team they genuinely are quite frightening.

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous. Llorente didn't play at all, did he? And Mata played about 10 minutes, he'd walk into most national teams. Then players like Arteta don't even have a cap ffs Just insane.

Casillas - Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Alba - Busquets, Xavi, Xabi Alonso - Silva, Villa, Iniesta

Valdes - Iraola, Albiol, Dominiguez, Arbeloa - Martinez, Fabregas, Thiago - Navas, Torres, Pedro

Reina - Juanfran, Nacho Monreal, Botía, Enrique - Javi Garcia, Arteta, Bruno Soriano - Cazorla, Soldado, Mata

De Gea - Azpilicueta, Botía, Montoya, Capdevilla - Beňat, Valero, Parejo - Adrián, Llorente, Muniaín

Four Spanish XIs. All of them are quite good and I still had to left out some players like Negredo, Raúl, Jurado, Reyes, Leon, Canales, Albeida and probably couple of others.