Is good football an end in itself?

[pfim]

Chelsea and Barcelona have similar quality players surely.

Don't know that I agree with that, especially in midfield and if we're basing on current former, striker.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

I couldn't really give a crap if we play good looking football but lose.

I'm only bothered about if we play effective football. Whether its good to watch or god damn ugly it doesn't bother me as long as it gets the best out of the team we have therefor getting the best results.

And some of the guff we've played over the years wasn't good to watch nor achieved decent results, yet the best results we've achieved have tended to come with the best looking, most effective football.

 

[ScouseBlueBoy]

I guess the question should be

"Does good football = results", in my opnion not always. There are many examples of this notably perhaps Wigan under Martinez/Swansea under Rodgers.

Nice football is.. well nice but its all about those 3 points. I would much preffer to be in the Champions League and all that entails that a relagation dodging "Tikka-Takka" team.

Personally I don't like tikky tacky. I think it is dreadful to watch, in general.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I must agree. Winning is great, but watching us play some belter togga at the same time has been a joy to behold. Last time I got this excited for the next Everton match was back in 02/03 when Rooney was on the scene.

 

[tim cahill]

I agree with the OP, but in my opinion if we keep playing like we are then we will also achieve more than 7th. Top 4 is not out of our reach.

 

[BlueLlama]

Obviously we are playing beautifully at times this season, some of the best stuff in beards, last season was horrid until the last few months.

I think the key is that Moyes trusts his attacking players now to keep the ball and use it. The squad has real balance to it when our best XI is playing and we can play a few different ways.

Would I rather finish 12th with good football or 7th with hoofball? Of course.
Would I sacrifice european football for style? Not at the moment because another non-Euro season will probably see a bit of an exodus.

Other teams are weak at the moment we have a real chance to take advantage

 

[Nashtbs]

Do you think last season clubs were more worried about playing Swansea or Stoke?

I was more worried about Stoke, but the media picked up on the tippy tappy crap and it brought swansea much more attention.

The good football we're playing now is bringing attention to us and it'll be making others think 'hang on a sec, these are good' placing possible doubt into defenders mind as to where we could hit them from.

Whereas as Swansea whilst keeping the ball well enough, imo didn't have that much going forward to be overly worried about.

 

[davek]

I couldn't really give a crap if we play good looking football but lose.

I'm only bothered about if we play effective football. Whether its good to watch or god damn ugly it doesn't bother me as long as it gets the best out of the team we have therefor getting the best results.

And some of the guff we've played over the years wasn't good to watch nor achieved decent results, yet the best results we've achieved have tended to come with the best looking, most effective football.

Agreed. I've snorted in derision for years about the West Ham 'tradition' of playing easy on the eye football. It was a pat on the head for perpetual losers.

I'd also say we need to see more than 6 games to be talking about 'Everton The Entertainers'. I have the feeling that if/when we hit a poor patch Moyes is going to draw in our horns and the level of attacking play will dip dramatically.

 

[wandyr79]

I want Everton to win....that is all.

It is nice to be doing it the way we are but at the end of the day 3 points is all that matters.

 

[TomDixie]

With this side out, playing our current brand of "good football", the opposition would need to be wary of the highlighted players threatening their goal in open play:

Howard
Coleman Heitinga Jagielka Baines
Osman Neville
Mirallas Fellaini Pienaar
Jelavic
​

​

So that's 7 out of our 10 outfield players.

With that side out we have great options.

 

[Steven Naismith]

How boss would it be like for us to finish fourth and get into the group stages of the Champions League? Imagine it, all that money it would generate as well! **** me would could go far without investment if we did it and got money from the Champions League, I can only dream..

 

[nigelcoyb]

Good football is everything, the truly great names of world football are great because their history and success is based on good football, Brazil, Barca, Real Madrid, Man Utd. AC Milan, Ajax.

I've just posted on another thread about the RS, despite their dominant period they were respected rather than taken to heart by observers and it's because they were machines, and how they bridled when described as such in the media.

Good football wins more often than loses, look at all the clubs relegated most play defensive garbage, Blackpool didn't and nearly cracked it.

What we're doing now is brilliant, it's the only way - that other stuff we used to play was turgid garbage.

 

[Muggins]

This football stuff is complicated.

 

[LTblue]

This is not the first time we've seen boss football being played by a Moyes team though is it? The Arteta days were often a joy to behold, the spell in 09/10 with Donovan on the right was scintillating stuff, even after his loan finished and Arteta came back culminating in the destruction of City at their own ground in an important game for them, when they were chasing 4th. 07/08 when Arteta and Pienaar kept swapping from right to left and Osman, Cahill and Yakubu were combining terrifically as well. When the players have been there under Moyes, he has had them playing some terrific stuff. The fact that we've got it right from the start this year has me hoping we can hit the top 6 again at least, but I'd like to think 4th is realistic as this is a truly boss team, don't forget that the defence has yet to hit top form yet either but they are all quality players at the back for us and it will only be a matter of time before that tightens up again like it so often does under Moyes' management.

 

[Woolly Blue]

I watched us grind out results to qualify for the Champions League. Whether or not we qualify for Champions / Europa League football next season the last few weeks have sent me on the journey home with a huge smile on my face. I'll take boss football over grinding out results thanks, even if that means a lower place in the league and Europa league rather than CL.