Entertainment or Winning?

BodyButter

BodyButter

Vital Football Legend
One of the big criticisms of Bruce at the moment is our style (or lack thereof) of football.

There are some of us who think that football is about winning and want to see the team win and others who think football is about entertainment and want the team to play attractive football.

Of course, we'd all like to see to see the team win 5-0 while playing attacking, attractive football but assuming you have to prioritise, which is more important for you?

Let's use the examples of 2005/2006 Chelsea and Arsenal.

Arsenal had Bergkamp, Henry, Pires, Ljungberg and Fabregas and finished 4th, losing the Champions League final to Barcelona.

Chelsea had Drogba, Robben, Lampard, Duff and our very own JT and won the league and the FA cup.
 
Oh yeah, I always forget that there's only a choice between the dull, gutless shite we serve up most of the time and Barcelona style all out attack. I seem to remember that Chelsea side winning in style plenty of times, they just ground out results when they were having an off day and needed to. The difference is is that grinding out a jammy win is our only plan from what I can tell. I've seen us play well twice at villa park this season, where we looked like a real team not a group of strangers. Hopefully we can make it 3 today.
 
I should probably note that this isn't the Steve Bruce debate. It's not even about Aston Villa specifically. It's about what the fans think is more important; entertainment or winning.
 
I left my comment on the Sheff. Utd. thread. If I want entertainment I’ll watch Barcelona (like today 0-3 against Real), with Villa I want us to win things and I’m sure in time style will come with it.
 
In the first instance it has to be about winning, because if you are not winning then by definition you are drawing or losing. This will get us or any other team nowhere.
In an ideal world it is both, but the complaints would come in pretty quickly about any team that played great football but got relegated.
I have critisiced our "style " of play as much as the next person on here but I will be amazed if anyone votes for style over substance on this one.
 
Winning at the moment. For a few years until we're established back in the prem. I'm happy to sacrifice style until there's little chance of relegation from the premier league. The time to experiment and developed a style of play is once we are comfortable back in the elite division. Some may disagree but if rather get out of the championship as soon as possible.
 
Winning matters, period. To be able to go out onto the field with the confidence and expectation to win is massive. To be able to use your resources in the best way possible, to be able to adapt those resources to particular circumstances, that is where success comes from.

Winning is different from survival. The Pulis approach is about survival, which is why he gets less applause than if it was about winning.

Very few teams can do breathtaking football consistently. It's nice when it happens, but good results more than make up for it not being at that level.
 
We have neither and won't as things stand.

Winning promotion would be nice but it aint going to happen.
 
Winning.

The reason is, I am not bothered about entertainment. If I was, I would go the theatre. I go to watch my team win, and we rarely do.

Actually, as I know you cant win every game (well, unless you are Man City or Celtic) all I do ask is the team "attempt" to win and they give 100%.

And we are failing miserably on both counts at the moment
 
Winning all the way particularly in this league in an attempt to gain automatic promotion.

In the case of Aston Villa at the moment when we win, it covers over the cracks because all of us are just happy to see the Villa win but when we can't do that it only highlights the inadequacies with the team.

Just to see Villa win is great and if you can do that with a bit of style then fantastic but we have been starved of that for years now at the Villa which is desperately disappointing.

 
Winning. Anyhow, any way.

Entertainment, or decent style is what i would like my u15 side to achieve. I don't give a damn whether they win or lose as long as they try and play and develop.
 
Obviously winning is what it is all about, but for me, I want to be entertained.

If you play entertaining, attractive football, more often that not you will win your matches.

I think "entertaining" and "attractive" are slightly misleading - "forward-looking" and "attacking" are more accurate. Teams which get on the front foot, create chances and score goals are far more successful than teams which park the bus and try and nick something on the break or from a set piece.

When you compare the relative successes of Chelsea and Arsenal back on 2006, both achieved 'success' in a different galaxy to that we have inhabited for the past decade. Love or hate him, we achieved (relative) success under Martin O'Neill playing a far more 'entertaining' brand of football than a anything we have seen since. Soak up the pressure and counter attack it may have been, but the speed and precision of those counter attacks brought us much joy and more than a few decent results.

Just my opinion, mind you :14:
 
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