Tiki – Taka. It is to the Spaniards eternal credit that they have given us a phrase to use now whenever three passes are strung together during a five a side game. Total football worked for a while because of course nobody has a set position on the astro turf, but Tiki-Taka is cool. It’s modern, but now it seems if the guy who ends up in goals rolls the ball to a team-mate and receives it back, its fair game to snort Tika-Taka in derision.
The phrase has come full circle. Javier Clemente originally coined it as a sneer at tippy tappy football. A punch in the stomach for pointless possession. The dribble of criticism for Spain’s game turned into something of a flood last week after yet another brutal execution of an international knock-out match. France were the helpless victims squeezed by the Spanish cobra. Spain passed. France ran. France got tired. Spain scored. The script is now that of a well worn sitcom.
The Newstalk presenter Ken Early memorably described Spain on Monday night as “totalitarian”. They were “eleven Manchurian Candidates” who were strangling the game. He has a point. Their control of football games could be written by George Orwell himself. Indeed if Eurasia had a football team in 1984 than surely Spain would be the prototype. A dystopian, all encompassing game in which the scoreline is never in doubt but never too harsh as so to allow the proles the faintest flicker of hope.
It is safe to assume now that whether or not Spain win this European championship then they will be forever respected but not universally loved. Holland lost the 1974 and 1978 World cup finals, but to this day inspire misty eyed remembrance at the mere sight of those orange jerseys. The Brazil side of 1982 similarly couldn’t get the job done but do people still talk about Socrates? La rioja miss the fantasy element in these arguments.
But that is to do them a grave disservice. Spain encounter unprecedented hurdles whenever they take the field now. Laurent Blanc selected a French side that had never trained together and one that featured two right backs to counter them. Slavian Billic of Croatia admitted that he merely wanted to condense their game with Spain into the last fifteen minutes.
The loss of David Villa through injury has also deprived them of their only really natural born killer in front of goal. Fernando Torres’ form remains in limbo while Vicente Del Bosque has so far refused to utilise the unique skill set of Fernando Llorente. The argument could be made that Spain hardly need both Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets screening their back four especially if Cesc Fabregas is deployed in the now familiar false nine role but that is Del Bosque’s way of ensuring control after the loss of his most potent finisher.
It is not Spain’s fault that they mostly encounter cowards now. Barcelona’s dismantling of Manchester United in the 2011 Champions league final was universally hailed as a masterpiece. United to their utter folly, went at Barca, played two men in midfield and tried to attack. The result was piercing. We all remember what happened when Ireland didn’t overly change their system a couple of weeks ago. It was horrible, but no-one was calling it boring.
Those that laud their adherence to passing, to control and their minimal attitude to mistakes are right and those that say perhaps they can stretch out now and take a risk have a point too. The argument shouldn’t be as simple you either being Kent Brockman trying to stay awake as the ball is passed around or his Mexican equivalent in ecstasy as they merely hold it.
It’s the opposition that are boring. Not Tika-Taka.
