Not Vintage

- Nobody can dispute the fact that Spain were worthy winners of this World Cup. Additionally, nobody can really say that this was a vintage World Cup champion. If they don't continue this run (and they very well could) and expand upon it, they could be remembered primarily in history books only.

- 8 goals in 7 games speaks for itself. One may say that it's because teams came to frustrate Spain, and that is also true. But observe the Spanish starting lineup and see that they had two holding players, although Xabi Alonso is a fine passer of the ball as well. Additionally, with Xavi in front of them, they were hard to break down as well. Spain set out to win the tournament, and that was their primary objective above and beyond any obligation to play aesthetically appealing football. There is actually nothing wrong with that, but the style that they're being praised for simply didn't come off in this tournament.

- Perhaps if Torres was fit, they could have been more explosive. Perhaps if Cesc Fabregas had played more, they would have banged in more goals. Subsequently, does Cesc actually earn the plaudits he deserves this time around? He is virtually a forgotten man when it comes to Spain's Euro 08 triumph, and this time around he started exactly zero matches. That didn't prevent him from instantly changing matches and providing the assist for Iniesta's World Cup clinching goal.

- I think the Spanish players realize how good Cesc Fabregas is. Just ask Puyol and Pique, who today draped a Barcelona jersey around him, taking their campaign to bring Cesc back to Barcelona to an embarrassing level. They're being counterproductive to Barcelona's scheme to buy back Cesc for as cheap as possible. To me, it's clear that Cesc wants to be back amongst his amigos in Catalunya. And if that's what he wants, the Barcelona brass should pay what he's worth. The market dictates how much a player like Cesc Fabregas is worth. If Yaya Toure (a fine player by the way) is worth 25 million pounds, then Cesc is certainly worth double that.

- Certainly, there were teams that I was pulling for in the World Cup. The World Cup is a spectacle that should be enjoyed. Living in the States, you wish that everything would shut down for a month (as most countries seem to do during the World Cup), just so you could enjoy it all. Let's be clear though, Arsenal losing to Stoke affects me far more than anything the World Cup can offer. And with that, let's shift our minds back to the club we hold dear to our hearts.

- Arsene, we're ready for more. Let's go win trophies.