Does Xabi Alonso fit in?

Xabi Alonso is a great player, no question about it. However, his long passes are best suited for a very vertical playing style, such as Liverpool's or Real Madrid's. Luis Aragonés during the Euro2008 used to play Alonso in the second halves, when Spain was already leading the score. His mission was to launch counter attacks with his long passes.

When he plays for Spain in the starting team, he has a tendency to become very disruptive for the combinative style of his team mates. Every player in the team but him is trying to move the ball quickly in short pasess. When the ball reaches Alonso, he would risk it, and often lose it, with a 40m pass. When he has the option of passing the ball quickly to an open team mate close to him, he often waits a little too long. He first has this urge to look for a superb a master pass. When he does not see it possible, then he makes the easy, shorter pass... a little too late. I only wish that he could accept a more modest role in the team and keep the ball circulating quickly. He can do that. He is really versatile. In the end, it is not entirely his fault. He has a coach, Del Bosque, that must persuade him of the importance of playing quick short passes. If only Del Bosque fully believed in the efectiveness of associative football as much as Luis Aragonés did!

Here you have a selection of bad passes (12 in total) and a few extra bad choices Xabi made in the only game Spain lost in the last four years, against the US. It is probably unfair. He does not normally miss so many passes, but it gives you an idea of his tendency to go too direct, as opposed to passing quickly to the closest team mate. The person who did the compliation seems to have a similar opinion. He is being sarcastic with the title "mejores jugadas". Check it out.




To be fair, here you have some good long passes of his:




Del Bosque has played him from the get go, together with another defensive midfielder, either Busquets or Senna. The alternative to playing Alonso would be to play a more combinative player, Fábregas, or else an extra forward instead. Busquets would then have to play right in front of the 2 central defenders, and Xavi Hernández together with Cesc Fábregas in the creative midfield accompanied by Silva and Iniesta, and just one fordward. Or else, only Xavi Hernández as a organizing midfielder (Fábregas on the bench), plus Silva and Iniesta, plus two forwards, Torres and Villa, together.

The problem with all this is that Del Bosque is in love with Xabi Alonso. I am too, by the way, if only he could fully adapt to the collective style!

The good news is that Alonso played much more associatively against Saudi Arabia. He seemed less interested in impressing everyone with his long passes, and much more involved in the collective enterprise of associative football. There are reasons for hope. With such great players, there always are.

If you can read in Spanish, check this out about the purported incompatibility between Xabi Alonso and Xavi Hernández: http://www.as.com/opinion/articulo/raro-xabi-xavi-peguen/dasopi/20090813dasdaiopi_3/Tes