sport news IAN HERBERT: Luis Enrique is sticking with his passing principles in Qatar trends now
Luis Enrique, a gift who keeps on giving, provided an emphatic sense that he has no issue with his Spain team being considered predictable and no longer world-beaters at the weekend.
‘What are fears?’ he asked in one of his cult open-forums on the online streaming platform Twitch. ‘Distortions of reality. The fears of others seem so ridiculous to you that you laugh. And your fears for others, the same. How can you be afraid of this?’
Enrique ranged through far more profound matters than their last-16 clash with Morocco, who now carry the hopes of the African and Arab worlds.
Luis Enrique insisted that he has no issue with his Spain team being considered predictable
His penchant for eggs, his daughter’s relationship with Ferran Torres and being follicly challenged all featured.
‘He who has hair doesn’t care about being bald, he who is bald wants hair,’ he said. ‘He who is fat wants to be thin. Conclusion — we want what we don’t have.’
When it comes to his football team, Enrique demonstrated in a fascinating, passionate and defensive half-hour of talk last Thursday that he certainly wants what he has: a team who play out from the back, whatever dangers might be attached.
It was pointed out to him that his side did not produce one long ball in a group stage which ended with defeat by Japan.
This discussion grips Spain, where Pedri’s freak own goal against Croatia in last summer’s Euros, taken with goalkeeper Unai Simon gifting Japan their opening goal here, has expanded the demand for pragmatism.
Goalkeeper Unai Simon (pictured) gifted Japan their opening goal as they suffered a 2-1 defeat
It was hard to tell whether Enrique was flushed or had been out in the sun for too long but his face was red as he launched a counter-attack on the topic of topicazos: the ‘cliches’ of football analysis, as he sees them. ‘You look at everything from an overly negative perspective,’ said Enrique.
‘I couldn’t care less about the result. I want to control the things I can. As a coach you want them
