Luiz Fernandez: "ESP debate is not about false nine, but why they play with two holding midfielders"

Spains 4-2-3-1 formation. Del Bosque likes to use 2 Pivots because to neutralize the opponent attacking, which isn't always the case (show you later) and tells that they could both also play as more attacking midfielders, which they are clearly not. That formation also doesn't do any good for Xavi who likes to drop deeper, get the ball, and play passes around, but he often finds himself surrounding with the two Pivots around him and can't dictate the game like he wants to. (show you later as well)





No need for two pivots defensivly

No need there to play 2 Pivots behind Xavi who struggled to find the pass, whereas one of the could be replace for example Pedro, who could stretch the game and give them another dimension. (come to this later)

This is the situation I was speaking earlier that Spain doesn't need always two Pivots to Cover the opponent attackers because they are so often defending so deep that in this case they have 5 players covering the only France attacker. What you could also see that Xavi struggles to find any passes forward because he likes to come deep to collect the ball and he don't have any players forward to play the passes, for example one of the Pivots could be on the right hand side to strech the France defence.

































Double Pivot offensivly

The problem is obvious. While the game is strecthes nicely by Alba and Silva, the team don't have any midfielders to make deep runs behind the France defence and midfield. Xavi need more freedom in midfield to run around and play passes around but he is surrounded with 2 holding midfielders in the buildup that doesn't make deep runs. To cover Benzema you don't need 2 Pivots+2 Defenders.

























Typical Spain attack and show that 2 Pivots are redundant most part of the game.

Xabi & Busquets always stay close to eachother and behind Xavi. In the attacking part in just takes away one of the attacker and one of them are usually redundant.

As you could see in this sequence that the Double Pivot didn't have much influence in Spains attack and also didn't have to cover anybody most part of the came, the job that one of them could easily handle. Because they play so deep, it just takes one option away from Spain in the build up , while one of them could be replaced with a wider player, like Pedro who caused lot of problem at the end of the game and was very dynamic, which the Spain squad lacks and could beat the players, drag the defenders away and put pressure on defenders when they are building their attack.

Double Pivot France -

Double Pivot doesn't suit for XaviMany people are saying that this spain squad looks like Barcelona without Messi. Well, I don't know if they don't watch closely Barcelona's games or just doesn't understand that Barcelona never plays with 2 Pivots (defensive midfielders) which Spain does, using Both Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets, which automaticly takes away one of their attacking player in the build up.