Spain vs France: World & European Champions. Who was better?

[puddleduck]

Difference is people always talk about cricket getting easier to bat, the increase in teams diluting/strengthening the competition etc.

In football, it's without doubt that the standard of the mid level teams has increased exponentially. Very few teams aren't well drilled anymore. Most teams in this tournament have a special player or a well organised team. What Spain have achieved puts every other team in the shade.

 

[Epic]

Difference is people always talk about cricket getting easier to bat, the increase in teams diluting/strengthening the competition etc.

In football, it's without doubt that the standard of the mid level teams has increased exponentially. Very few teams aren't well drilled anymore. Most teams in this tournament have a special player or a well organised team. What Spain have achieved puts every other team in the shade.

This.

Spain is the best I've seen and that's all that matters.

 

[War]

Spain don't match Brazil 1970: JEFF POWELL | Mail Online

Interesting article on the matter.

 

[Epic]

Comparing across eras is just pointless, especially when they are 40 years apart.

 

[War]

Comparing across eras is just pointless, especially when they are 40 years apart.

Nah i don't think its pointless. I've done it for years in cricket. Its a good education exercise on the sports history.

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Difference is people always talk about cricket getting easier to bat, the increase in teams diluting/strengthening the competition etc.

In football, it's without doubt that the standard of the mid level teams has increased exponentially. Very few teams aren't well drilled anymore. Most teams in this tournament have a special player or a well organised team. What Spain have achieved puts every other team in the shade.

Yes the standard of mid-level teams has certainly increased a lot compared to 20-30 years ago in football. But what does that means really?. Are we suggestiong previous great Brazil teams struggle to break them down etc?

The thing with Spain as the below article stated, which i think is a fair point, is if any of their current legends like Xavi, Villa, Puyol, Casillas, Iniesta of their would make an all-time great football team.

It would be hard to say that they would.

 

[Epic]

Nah i don't think its pointless. I've done it for years in cricket. Its a good education exercise on the sports history.

It does, but we are talking 40 YEARS, everything has changed and so has Football.

Yes the standard of mid-level teams has certainly increased a lot compared to 20-30 years ago in football. But what does that means really?. Are we suggestiong previous great Brazil teams struggle to break them down etc?

The thing with Spain as the below article stated, which i think is a fair point, is if any of their current legends like Xavi, Villa, Puyol, Casillas, Iniesta of their would make an all-time great football team.

It would be hard to say that they would.

In my opinion 3 of those guys would, Xavi, Puyol and Iniesta. The thing with Spain is they are a 'complete' team, they don't concede many goals and the same can't be said for the Brazil team of the 70s, at least that's what I've heard. Spain are a real team, that's why Xavi doesn't seem like a star player when he truly is.

 

[Bevab]

Spain don't match Brazil 1970: JEFF POWELL | Mail Online

Interesting article on the matter.

That's really a poor article. You'll have to laugh at his World XI, it contains 3 Englishmen. Also does he realise that Di Stefano played for Spain?

 

[Epic]

I just saw the all times XI, what a joke this guy is.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Spain are better than France 1998 for me.

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That's really a poor article. You'll have to laugh at his World XI, it contains 3 Englishmen. Also does he realise that Di Stefano played for Spain?

'It contains 3 Englishmen'. You really don't know much about football history, do you?

Gordon Banks: One of the best keepers of all time. Keeper of the 1966 team.

Booby Moore: The best defender of all time! Captain of the 1966 team.

Duncan Edwards: His life was tragically cut short - but had he finished his career, he would've been one of the best of all time. England and Man Utd legend. Period.

And I agree: Spain are not as good as Brazil 1970. Let's see how well 'tika taka' would work if someone was kicking lumps out of them every five minutes; that's what Brazil (and everyone else of course) had to deal with in 1970.

 

[Bevab]

There are better players than them. You have to agree with it.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Who: Banks, Moore and Edwards? No I don't have to agree with it. Have you ever seen Banks and Moore in action? Footage of Edwards is more rare, but apparently, he could play with ease in pretty much any position on the pitch.

As the man says: Spain try to pass people to death - Brazil 1970 were goal getters. Read the bit at the bottom.

Do yourself a favour and check out England in the 1966 World Cup - then you'll see how good a team they really were - including two of the three players mentioned.

 

[Auwais]

These cross-generation comparisons are fine, if you don't take them too seriously. There are so many things to factor in that there is often never a concrete answer in most of these comparisons.

 

[Bevab]

Obviously they are good players. I'm not saying that. But there are better players than them.

When even a player like Messi doesn't even find a place in the list, you've gotta laugh on the list.

Seems to be decent for a calm ready, but a passionate fan would easily get angry.