2023-11-18 01:38:12
The Luis de la Fuente era in the Spanish team is beginning to reap its first fruits. Almost a year has passed since his appointment on December 8, 2022 and the Riojan coach, who will play ten games against Georgia in Valladolid as senior coach, can now boast of a Nations League title and a solid qualification for the European Championship. Germany next summer.
This great tournament will serve to accurately gauge the scope of his work at the head of La Roja, but with just over half a year until the big event in German territory, the Haro coach’s nine matches so far in charge of Spain allow us to analyze a series of conclusions, which involve many certainties line by line, few doubts, 43 different internationals, a clear tactical scheme and a way of leading very different from that of Luis Enrique, his predecessor in office.
An undisputed goalkeeper and two clear alternatives
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Real Madrid
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Real Madrid
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Real Madrid
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Real Madrid
Unai Simón is Spain’s starting goalkeeper, there is no doubt about that. The Athletic goalkeeper has played six of the nine games with De la Fuente as senior coach and only missed the first two, against Norway in Malaga and Scotland in Glasgow, due to an Achilles tendon injury, and the duel in Cyprus with qualification for the European Championship in your pocket. Kepa Arrizabalaga was Spain’s goalkeeper in Unai Simón’s first two absences and is, along with David Raya, starter in Limasol, the alternative to Simón in a fairly defined trio. Robert Sánchez and Álex Remiro complete the list of five goalkeepers that the Riojan coach has used in his five call-ups.
In defense three starters and one doubt
Dani Carvajal’s great moment turns the Real Madrid defender into the theoretical starting right back, with four starts to his name. Jesús Navas, who played in the starting eleven in both games of the Nations League final four and the match in Cyprus, is the main alternative. Pedro Porro was called up in the first selection window, in March, and played the duel in Scotland, in which he was singled out for one of the defensive errors that cost Spain the defeat at Hampden Park. César Azpilicueta was also part of the squad for the September matches against Georgia and Cyprus.
Robin Le Normand
Real society
Robin Le Normand
Real society
Robin Le Normand
Real society
Robin Le Normand
Real society
In the rear axis Robin Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte start at the top, having started seven games, although the former Athletic and Manchester City player, now in Saudi football, fell from the last list due to a problem in the sole of the foot. Iñigo Martínez is the main alternative to the central pair of French origin, although like Nacho Fernández, David García and Pau Torres, he has played only one game from the starting eleven.
Finally, the left back is a position still in dispute, with the entry of Alejandro Grimaldo in the last call and his ownership in Cyprus, the range opens to four players for a position in which José Gayà (3) has been starters, Alejandro Balde (2) and Fran García (1), and Alfonso Pedraza has also been called up. The now retired national team Jordi Alba signed a dream epilogue to his international career by playing in Spain’s two matches in the Nations League against Italy, in the semi-finals, and Croatia, in the final.
Rodri’s compass; waiting for Pedri
Rodri Hernandez
Manchester City
Martín Zubimendi
Real society
Rodri Hernandez
Manchester City
Martín Zubimendi
Real society
Rodri Hernandez
Manchester City
Martín Zubimendi
Real society
Rodri Hernandez
Manchester City
Martín Zubimendi
Real society
If there is one thing clear in Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, it is the status of Rodri Hernández as the team’s compass from the midfield position. Gone are Luis Enrique’s rehearsals with the City player as an improvised central defender. Rodri has started eight of the nine games with the current coach in charge, with Martín Zubimendi, his alternative, starting in Cyprus.
Mikel Merino
Real society
Mikel Merino
Real society
Mikel Merino
Real society
Mikel Merino
Real society
More variety is detected in the interior profiles of the center of the field. Gavi is the most common resource, with eight of nine starts, followed by Mikel Merino, who has started from the eleven on six occasions but is fighting for a place with Fabián Ruiz, (3), Ceballos played in Scotland but his physical problems opened the door of the national team to Oihan Sancet.
The arrivals of Aleix García and Rodrigo Riquelme complete the interior roster, raising to a dozen the number of midfielders used by De la Fuente, who curiously has not yet been able to count on Pedri due to the Canarian’s muscular ailments, who is at 100%. He is a fixture for the Euro Cup.
Morata, with many escorts
Álvaro Morata is Spain’s 9th. The Atlético striker, in the best moment of his career in this first stretch of the season, has started from the eleven in seven of the nine games of this stage, while Joselu, his substitute, was only part of the eleven in Glasgow, that duel rotations that came out frog, and in the visit to Cyprus.
On the bands, the options are very numerous. The emergence of two unapologetic youngsters like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, who only started two and one games but have revolutionized from the bench, challenges the hierarchy of established internationals like Mikel Oyarzabal (3), Dani Olmo (2) and Ferran Towers (2).
Mikel Oyarzabal
Real society
Mikel Oyarzabal
Real society
Mikel Oyarzabal
Real society
Mikel Oyarzabal
Real society
Yéremy Pino was started by Luis de la Fuente on three occasions, although first Villarreal’s bad form and then his serious knee injury took their toll on him on the way to the Euro Cup. Other options have been Marco Asensio (2), hampered by physical problems, and Iago Aspas (1), Bryan Zaragoza, Ansu Fati (1) and Rodrigo Moreno (1), although the options of being in the Eurocup seem smaller for these last.
Another unquestionable certainty involves the game model. Although Luis de la Fuente often used the 4-2-3-1 during his fruitful time in the under-21 team, in his nine games with the senior team the approach from the board has been based on the 4-3-3, with two interiors, a classic striker and two wide players.
Calm after the storm
The numbers of
Luis de la Fuente
Number of internationals
The numbers of
Luis de la Fuente
Number of internationals
The numbers of
Luis de la Fuente
Number of internationals
The numbers of
Luis de la Fuente
Number of internationals
It was one of the characteristics that, beyond football, convinced the Spanish Football Federation to bet on homegrown talent. After his time with Luis Enrique, a coach of undoubted charisma but very prone to conflict with the press and those around him, De la Fuente has restored tranquility to the national team. Affable in his manner and moderate in his manner, his management has meant, beyond the controversy of the ‘Rubiales case’, a kind of calm after the storm.
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