Other Games - 2010/11 Season

[pauliewalnuts]

Tippy-Tappy denotes style over substance.

Bollocks.
"Tippy-Tappy" denotes a punters dismissive description of good, passing, possession football when they know they're own team either can't do it or is trying but hasn't yet got it right.

There is a reason why most football fans would prefer to watch Arsenal and Barcelona rather than Wigan or Bolton.

 Bollocks? Fuck off.

The reason people watch Arsenal and Barcelona over Wigan and Bolton is because Arsenal and Barcelona know how to win games and trophies.

Do you think Arsenal fans are happier today than when they were winning trophies though 1-0 wars of attrition? Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn and Wright were as important as Bergkamp and Overmars.

Arsenal have hardly been claiming the silverware in the last few years.

Referring to your example, the important thing you seem to miss is that, although they had Bould, Adams and Keown, they ALSO had Bergkamp and Overmars.

My Arsenal ST holding mate is happy as a pig in shit today, because his team beat Barcelona last night AND played good football whilst doing so. To listen to you, you'd think the two things were mutually exclusive.

And as for Aston Villa not being an aesthetically pleasing troupe, one might suggest that given our consistent failure to fill our ground, a bit more entertainment might go a long way.

I said... "Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn and Wright were as important as Bergkamp and Overmars. "

You said... "the important thing you seem to miss is that, although they had Bould, Adams and Keown, they ALSO had Bergkamp and Overmars"

I didn't miss it at all did I?

You said... "My Arsenal ST holding mate is happy as a pig in shit today, because his team beat Barcelona last night AND played good football whilst doing so. To listen to you, you'd think the two things were mutually exclusive."

I say... "How are your Barcelona ST holding mates feeling?"

Winning football matches and playing entertaining football aren't mutually exclusive, it's just that in football one outweighs the other by enormous orders of magnitude.

A bit more winning is what is needed at the Villa, if you're in need of entertainment first and foremost get yourself along to the Hippodrome.

And how many teams win things playing awful football these days?

Your last paragraph just proves my original point about Stoke City.

Football rendered joyless. Id like Aston Villa to be above that.

[WikiVilla]

Chelsea won plenty playing a very bland, boring type of game

[richard moore]

I watched Arsenal vs Barcelona purely because I wanted to see some great football, which I did
 
Likewise Spurs in Milan, where I didn't
 
I never watch Stoke, Wolves or the like because they are the very antithesis of that. Non-league football played by fitter, quicker and more powerful players.
 
We are somewhere in the middle of that band, probably nearer to Stoke than Arsenal. Even during the last couple of seasons when we have been moderately successful, I was never comfortable with much of the style of our play. It was just easier to shove it under the carpet when we were winning games...often quite luckily. My non-Villa friends who have no axe to grind with us at all could see it though and frequently used to comment on the poor quality of much of our football...

[Bosco81]

It's about having a balance, personally one of the best goals you can score is when the winger gets to the byline, crosses and it gets headed in at the far post, Withey against Boro in 80/81 is one of my fav goals.

What I like with Barcelona is the way the keeper never kicks the ball out of his hands, it's always a short pass to the full backs or central defenders.

Also the way if Barca get a free kick 40 yards out, they'll just take a quick one and carry on playing, rather than the centre halves ambling half way up the pitch for a fruitless attempt at getting on the end of the lumped free kick.

We still lump it from Friedel too much for my liking, and also the tactic of putting a centre half up with 10 mins to go if we're losing goes against any sort of passing principle.

[Chris Jameson]

One of the things I love about Barcelona is that even when losing in the last minute of stoppage time when they won a free kick on wednesday they weren't in the slighest bit tempted to lump it into the box.

[MoetVillan]

Chris, while I see the point, surely by NOT lumping it in the box, they missed an opportunity to get that equaliser?  Its great to watch teams play well by all means, but the stat that counts and continues to count is the one usually in the top left hand corner on the TV screen, or on the new (small) scoreboard next to the North stand.

[Bosco81]

Chris, while I see the point, surely by NOT lumping it in the box, they missed an opportunity to get that equaliser?  Its great to watch teams play well by all means, but the stat that counts and continues to count is the one usually in the top left hand corner on the TV screen, or on the new (small) scoreboard next to the North stand.

They've only got one guy over 6 foot so what's the point in them lumping it into the box, it just plays into the hands/heads of defenders.

In the last minute of a game I would much rather have to head the ball away than have a guy running at me.

[MoetVillan]

Ok, fair point.  I guess if it was Villa and we were in Barcas position, I would want them to have a go at putting pressure on the goalie and defenders.  Getting it in the box is a way of making things happen.  Pressure is how you force mistakes, and sometimes winning ugly is, importantly, winning.  Stoke play ugly football, but they do get results.  If they wanted a team to play electric passing, think of the cost of assembling the team.  To be fair in the UK, there is one team that plays like that consistently, Arse.  Spuds do go long ball, and I dont think there are many attractive teams otherwise in the PL today.  West Brom and Blackpool have spells, but equally have more holes than we do

[peter w]

Its also nonsense to suggest that we'd fillt he ground if we played great exciting football. It would get people in but if we kept losing 4-3 then they'd stop coming. Winning is what football is about first and foremost. However, ugly. If you can do that AND play the Barcelona way then you've reached what every football fan wants. To win and play brilliant football.

The two aren't mutually exclusive but history has shown that they may as well be.

[andyh]

I loved watching the way Barcelona were able to keep and move the ball around the other night.
But, for me, the reason thay are so attractive to watch and why the are so admirable, is their approach to the game. As other have said, they refuse to hump the ball for the sake of it, they are prepared to go sideways or backwards to go forwards, but most importantly, there are no histrionics with them.
No diving, no feighning injury, no moaning. They just played the game.
I'm sure they must have their moments and can be as cynical as any team, but the way they played the other night was totally and utterly refreshing.

[WikiVilla]

The point being missed here is yes Barca tippy tapped, played triangles, had everyone fawning over them on Weds

But they LOST the football match

[VillaAlways]

The point being missed here is yes Barca tippy tapped, played triangles, had everyone fawning over them on Weds

But they LOST the football match

having had a perfectly ligitimate goal disallowed

[andyh]

The point being missed here is yes Barca tippy tapped, played triangles, had everyone fawning over them on Weds

But they LOST the football match

Fair point.
Do you thnk they will lose the tie ?

[lovejoy]

In Spain more than England they value winning with style over just winning. The closest we have here is West Ham. Also from the neutrals perspective I would always watch Arse or Barca over say an Allerdyce or Pulis team.

Barca may have lost on wednesday but if they had played long ball and won they would have got much less credit that losing trying to play attractive football, in Spain.

[WikiVilla]

The point being missed here is yes Barca tippy tapped, played triangles, had everyone fawning over them on Weds

But they LOST the football match

Fair point.
Do you thnk they will lose the tie ?

I think Barca will go through, that away goal is of huge value