COMMENT: Friday night's 5-1 demolition at the hands of Netherlands
underlined that La Roja are in dire need of an overhaul ahead of their
meeting with Chile
Spain boss Vicente del Bosque had two
major selection decisions to make for Friday's World Cup Group B opener
against Netherlands. He got both wrong - and it's time for him to
reassess what he believes is his best side or his team might be out of
this tournament before everyone could have expected.
There had
been rumours all week that the former Real Madrid coach would start with
Javi Martinez at the back in place of Gerard Pique. However, when it
came to the crunch, Del Bosque erred on the side of caution, electing
against breaking up the longstanding central defensive partnership of
Pique and Sergio Ramos. How he must rue that decision now.
Pique
was dire; his positioning pathetic. The Barcelona centre-half lost Robin
van Persie for the first goal and was also caught in no man's land for
the second before then allowing Arjen Robben to cut back inside him far
too easily.
It would be unfair to pin Spain's defeat squarely on
the shoulders of Pique, though, not when so many around them performed
so dreadfully. Indeed, even the in-form Sergio Ramos was left foundering
in Robben's wake for the fifth goal - despite having had a five-yard
head start on his former Madrid team-mate.
Of course, by that
stage the game had been stretched - as well as lost - so a desperate,
dishevelled Spain had become ever more vulnerable to the counter. That
was because goalkeeper Iker Casillas had been punished twice in quick
succession for terrible errors. First, the captain failed to deal with
an inswinging ball from the left - the story of Spain's evening - thus
allowing Stefan de Vrij to bundle the ball home. Then, Casillas gifted
Van Persie his second of the game with a shocking first touch inside his
own area.
Both Pique and Casillas must surely be facing the axe? Indeed, it was
clear during a most painful 90 minutes for La Roja that this is a side
that, after an unprecedent period of sustained success, needs freshening
up. Netherlands have completely overhauled their line-up since the 2010
final between these two sides; Spain have stood still. That Del Bosque
has stood by men who have delivered three consective major international
trophies is understandable, but now is clearly the time for change.
Of
course, it was hoped that Diego Costa would add a new dimension to
Spain's now predictable approach. However, the Brazil-born forward
looked desperately out of place. The Atletico man won the penalty from
which Xabi Alonso won the penalty but he was a lumbering presence up
front; his finishing embarrassingly wayward. It was no surprise that he
was replaced by Fernando Torres midway through the second half. In
truth, he was lucky not to have been asked to leave the field before
then, having been guilty of a sadly characteristic show of petulance in
throwing his forehead in the directon of Bruno Martins Indi.
By that stage, Spain were already unravelling. By that stage, they
had been brutally exposed. Just like Barcelona 12 months ago.
Del
Bosque's initial post-match reaction was to back his team, to shelter
them from criticism, and maintain control. But it's by doing that that
has brought us to this point. He must ring the changes for Spain's next
game, a tricky looking encounter with Chile.
This is no time for
panic. Spain, of course, lost their opener in South Africa four years
ago. But change is required. Tiki-taka is not dead. Not yet. But it
needs to be resuscitated. And quickly.
