Analysis of World Cup Final Performance

Well done to Spain, Argentina were an absolute disgrace.

Yes, I, um, last night,

I felt like I won last night watching.

I felt like football was the winner, anti football lost.

Shame that Messi's probably last World Cup game was a game where his

team didn't try and play football.

Disgraceful tactics that have worked all through the World Cup.

They've bullied teams and last night,

they tried to bully Spain and it didn't work.

Finally, a referee who decided to give a few bookings, could he give a lot more?

Oh, well, that was Parades.

Yeah, especially to Parades and other players,

but at least he gave that second yellow card to Enzo Fernandez,

who deserved to get sent off.

Football's the winner, once again,

which is what we wanted to see in the Champions League, football being the winner,

and also in the World Cup.

Yeah, that Enzo Fernandes, I've never met him.

He must be a lovely bloke, mustn't he?

After the England game when he said he likes the English because everyone who

cleans and cooks at his house is English. Wow. Wow.

I mean, it's breathtakingly arrogant, to say the least, you know.

I think he'll get a pretty hot reception at the

English football grounds next season.

Every game, every game, just his character, his celebrations.

I saw social media last night, it was absolutely buzzing.

Spain winning, Enzo getting sent off, was the perfect end to the World Cup.

Yeah, and I have to say that, look, I mean, Spain could,

should have put them to the sword much sooner, but they...

They don't have a focal point up front, do they?

They don't have an out and out striker as such.

Yeah, I mean, if they had the old strikers that they had,

like David Villa, he would have scored a lot of those chances.

But some of the football they played yesterday, Spain,

against a team that just wanted to sit back and try and nick a set piece.

I thought they were fantastic at times.

The one tuts passing, the one twos that they were doing.

And finally, Ferran Torres, great finish as well, Jeff,

because when you watch it back, you look.

It looks like he smashes it at first, but he doesn't.

It's a guide,

it's a side foot into the top corner of the net.

And I just think that was coming.

I was happy, because I thought to myself,

please don't let Argentina get to penalties and win this on penalties.

It was the most anti football we'd ever seen in a final.

Didn't get a shot until, what,

the second half of extra time, Geoff?

Only two shots, zero on target.

I think the xG that we don't even like talking about was 0 17.

It was embarrassing at times. Well, you know,

in comparison with Cape Verde, he had six attempts against Spain in 90 minutes,

you know, and Argentina couldn't muster a single one.

And credit to the coach, by the way, as well, who was still left footed.

And look, OK, he's got an embarrassment at Richards,

but the fact is the winning goal comes when Williams,

who he's put on as a substitute, knocks it back for Torres,

who is a substitute as well. Well, positive subs.

You know, Laporta and Rodri taking them off.

I mean, Rodri would have thought, oh, I'd have been a penalty taker.

But the manager's thinking, this ain't going to penalties.

They're there for the taking. They're holding on. They're trying to bully us.

Football was the winner again. So happy for Spain.

Spain, look, you look at the run they had at the final as well.

It was a nightmare in terms of the teams they had to play along the way.

Portugal and Belgium and France, of course, and then Argentina.

So they've done it the hard way. The hard way?

And what I love about them,

Geoff, is you can tell they're a team.

You can tell everybody knows where they're meant to be.

You can tell that everyone makes an option when you get the ball.

You watch some of the World Cup, Geoff, and you see some players are hiding.

If Rodri receives it, he knows Daniel Omo's going to want it.

Yamal might come short and switch himself in behind.

Also, the two centre halves, at all times, they're the spare players.

How good was Kebasi? 19 years of age. Laporte as well. You know, like, fantastic.

Pedro, Porro, Cucurella that back for you.

Do you go if they're going to be vulnerable?

Yeah, that's where they're going to be vulnerable,

but they consider one goal in the entire tournament, you know, and yeah,

as you said, Porro and Cucurella both fantastic even big decisions as well.

Jeff, we talk about managers and on the big states and this manager's done it.

Pedri. No one thought that Pedro would have got dropped for the last three games.

It's no problem because he's on at 5560.

Everyone's together. Even players have been dropped. They're not sulking.

They come on. They make a statement. Fabio Maurizio been very good.

This tournament Pedri comes on almost there. Other players are coming on.

So I think it was a fantastic tournament for

Spain and it's basically set the blueprint of like how to play football.

That's the football you want to see.

People say it's boring, but it's a pleasure to watch when you understand football.