Spartan hype?

[F. Antili Oregensis]

I'd say that confronting the Spartans head on was one of the more interesting aspects of Theban tactics. I've seen more than one comment that the Spartans tended to send their least reliable allies against the best of the enemy troops. That could be part of the complaint against the Spartans.
Didn't the Spartans initially want the Athenians to fight the Persians at Platea, as an example?