Entertainment vs Results

[Tokyo Blue]

Today we had to grind out a bit, due to Palace being well organized and us resting some of our better players, we didn't play great but got the result.

You don't like that though, do you?

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Just to let everyone, but most importantly Gillie, know: I didn't see the game yesterday as we weren't on telly and I couldn't get stream working. Apologies.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Just to let everyone, but most importantly Gillie, know: I didn't see the game yesterday as we weren't on telly and I couldn't get stream working. Apologies.

Get a doodle running so it's easier for us to keep tabs on your whereabouts. Post the link here and we're off.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Today we had to grind out a bit, due to Palace being well organized and us resting some of our better players, we didn't play great but got the result.

You don't like that though, do you?

I don't mind it once in while, especially considering it's the busy period of the season with games coming thick and fast and we'll have to grind out some results as it's not always possible to play great football.

We really ground it out yesterday but I expected nothing less after seeing our starting line up combined with the fact Tony Pulis was their manager.

It's fine to grind out the odd game, but we should in the main aim to play attractive, entertaining football whenever we can. Bar the Hull and Palace home games, we've done that in every home game so far and most of the away games also.

Of course we'll have to grind out some games, but games like yesterday have become an exception to how we play, not the norm.

[Ted Hughes]

We did actually play shitloads of great football yesterday. Just there were dull bits inbetween.

People have been spoiled by seeing the ball hit the net every 5 mins. Still some of our football was still awesome. The pass from Fernandinho to Dzeko, along the ground, perfectly weighted, 1st half, is one of the best things I've seen all season, as was the flick over the defender's head & volley he did. Fantastic, memorable stuff for me.

[South Stand Balti]

It will always be results first for me, as much as I love the football we play and the 'footballing' values we have had over the years. Stuart Pearce has been much maligned for the style of football but I have always held the belief he was a genius to keep that team up. The football was awful but it was better than watching us playing wonderful stuff and being relegated. I'm not sure this really proves the point but if that team had gone down then maybe the investment would never have happened

[frankswift]

I don't mind it once in while, especially considering it's the busy period of the season with games coming thick and fast and we'll have to grind out some results as it's not always possible to play great football.

We really ground it out yesterday but I expected nothing less after seeing our starting line up combined with the fact Tony Pulis was their manager.

It's fine to grind out the odd game, but we should in the main aim to play attractive, entertaining football whenever we can. Bar the Hull and Palace home games, we've done that in every home game so far and most of the away games also.

Of course we'll have to grind out some games, but games like yesterday have become an exception to how we play, not the norm.

I agree, and I also see the need to rest players, but it was still disappointing to rack up to Eastlands yesterday and see how many of our top lads didn't start. I won't turn down the three points, though.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

It will always be results first for me, as much as I love the football we play and the 'footballing' values we have had over the years. Stuart Pearce has been much maligned for the style of football but I have always held the belief he was a genius to keep that team up. The football was awful but it was better than watching us playing wonderful stuff and being relegated. I'm not sure this really proves the point but if that team had gone down then maybe the investment would never have happened

Yes, at the start of the next season we had a maximum of half a dozen players who could hold down a regular place in a mid-table Prem side, which is why Ericson had to recruit the way he did, and some of those were kids like Ireland. A miracle we survived.

Still doesn't mean I would pay to see survival football year after year though. 34 years is enough.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Let this be a lesson to all those who say you have to sacrifice attacking football for results.
We won the league playing the best football any side has done. We never gave up on our way of playing. Sometimes it didn't work like against Chesea but we stuck out, didn't panic and ultimately football came out on top.

Give me Pellegrini and this style of football over Mourinho any day.

Apart from the Barca game, the way we have played this season has been an utter joy to watch.

It's why as I've always said you can't separate entertainment and results, I really believe that the former brings the latter and it has been shown this season.

[bayblue]

Let this be a lesson to all those who say you have to sacrifice attacking football for results. We won the league playing the best football any side has done. We never gave up on our way of playing. Sometimes it didn't work like against Chesea but we stuck out, didn't panic and ultimately football came out on top. Give me Pellegrini and this style of football over Mourinho any day. Apart from the Barca game, the way we have played this season has been an utter joy to watch. It's why as I've always said you can't separate entertainment and results, I really believe that the former brings the latter and it has been shown this season.

Hear hear.

[Slim]

Let this be a lesson to all those who say you have to sacrifice attacking football for results. We won the league playing the best football any side has done. We never gave up on our way of playing. Sometimes it didn't work like against Chesea but we stuck out, didn't panic and ultimately football came out on top. Give me Pellegrini and this style of football over Mourinho any day. Apart from the Barca game, the way we have played this season has been an utter joy to watch. It's why as I've always said you can't separate entertainment and results, I really believe that the former brings the latter and it has been shown this season.

Liverpool might disagree with that. I think we had balance control and patience, we didn't throw 9 players forward, but let them game unfold and knew we were good enough to pick teams off when openings appeared. Then it was floodgate time as teams chased the game.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Let this be a lesson to all those who say you have to sacrifice attacking football for results. We won the league playing the best football any side has done. We never gave up on our way of playing. Sometimes it didn't work like against Chesea but we stuck out, didn't panic and ultimately football came out on top. Give me Pellegrini and this style of football over Mourinho any day. Apart from the Barca game, the way we have played this season has been an utter joy to watch. It's why as I've always said you can't separate entertainment and results, I really believe that the former brings the latter and it has been shown this season.

Liverpool might disagree with that. I think we had balance control and patience, we didn't throw 9 players forward, but let them game unfold and knew we were good enough to pick teams off when openings appeared. Then it was floodgate time as teams chased the game.

Correct.
We were very very efficient and The Engineer certainly used our creative players well but our football wasn't super experimental or particularily attacking. Pretty balanced actually. Our play was very methodical especially once things started clicking. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the football but it wasn't really like "go out there and give them a show and enjoy yourselves" but more like "remember what we learned in training ground and you are free to dribble and switch places in attacking third". Optimal football for me really.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Let this be a lesson to all those who say you have to sacrifice attacking football for results. We won the league playing the best football any side has done. We never gave up on our way of playing. Sometimes it didn't work like against Chesea but we stuck out, didn't panic and ultimately football came out on top. Give me Pellegrini and this style of football over Mourinho any day. Apart from the Barca game, the way we have played this season has been an utter joy to watch. It's why as I've always said you can't separate entertainment and results, I really believe that the former brings the latter and it has been shown this season.

Liverpool might disagree with that. I think we had balance control and patience, we didn't throw 9 players forward, but let them game unfold and knew we were good enough to pick teams off when openings appeared. Then it was floodgate time as teams chased the game.

I'd say you need a balance but the optimum balance is far more towards entertaining and attacking football that it is to results football. Perhaps Liverpool were too extreme but I'd rather see that type of football than a Mourinho 'masterclass' of putting 11 men behind the ball and hoofing it clear.

Whoever we played we attacked and didn't change our style of play at all, Pellegrini stuck to his principles and it paid off.

To try and put the debate in context a good analogy for me would be say we were playing someone like Hull or West Brom at home, before the game what do you want? Just to win however it comes or for the team to put on a show? For me it's the second every time. Obviously the second incorporates the first but with the players at our disposal we should be and are playing great football.