Why Ugly football is worth its weight in gold

 Why Ugly football or negative football is often derided as being bad for the game, however I believe that Ugly, hard working, strong tackling are qualities not only invaluable for a team to succeed but also good for the game as a whole and contrary to popular belief good and exciting to watch. Brad Gilbert the former tennis player and coach to players such as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray was famed for his unbreakable will and ability to “win ugly”. There are several Premier League teams that are noted for their ability to win ugly, the likes of Stoke, Blackburn and Bolton who have all succeeded in their modest ambitions of remaining in the league year after year after year, Manchester United and Chelsea also have that ability and are the only recent teams to win the Premier League, their old adversaries Arsenal slower to cotton on. Brad Gilbert also author of the book “Winning Ugly” appears to make a very important point that winning ugly is just as important as winning with style and grace, after all you don’t get any bonus points for how good the victory looks. As Jon Stead put it after Bristol City’s loss this weekend “pretty football is all very well, but yields precious little reward if it is not backed up by a solid work ethic and iron discipline.” 

A lot was made of Holland’s hard hitting World Cup campaign marshalled by Manchester City’s Nigel de Jong and Bayern Munich’s Mark Van Bommel but as Arjen Robben said before the final he was more than happy to have the workman like tag attached to the team and insisted all he cared about was the result. “I would much prefer to win a very ugly game than lose a beautiful one,” said the former Chelsea star. While the team had its critics from its homeland after their narrow defeat in the final, few would have complained if the ugly approached had yielded one more good result like Stead was taking about. Frequently you hear football fans claim that they’d rather their team tried to play nice football and lose rather than play negatively and grind out a result. But as Patrick L, Cohn suggests in his article “Winning Ugly: Use Whatever Works to Win” that is surely an irrational state of mind. 
“Some athletes get stuck on making their performance look pretty or perfect and this can actually hurt your chances of winning. Some of my golf students, for example, are happier shooting 72 while hitting the ball well instead of shooting 70 and scraping the ball around, but scoring well.” 
Their surely can’t be many Arsenal fans that wouldn’t like their team to take winning ugly a few times a season away from home when needs must if in the end it reaps a greater good. Indeed many commentators on the sport believe that winning ugly is very important and the reasons Chelsea and Manchester United have indeed succeeded, where others have failed. However the same compliment is rarely shared for teams such as Stoke and Blackburn who base their game on grinding out results and maximising their potential to win by playing the odds and getting the ball into the box as frequently as possible, rather phrases with negative connotations are attached to these teams, who may in fact just be making the most out of the game and indeed winning ugly,that is not to say it is not interesting to watch. 

Blackburn and Stoke are two of the teams that have perfected the art of winning ugly, playing the odds and getting the results. Indeed at one point during last season it was reported that 42% of all Premier League goals had originated from dead ball scenarios and indeed in the past five seasons the percentage of goals scored from the dead ball has never been less than 30%, so why not utilise the advantage that a set play can bring you. Blackburn never say no and in turn 59% of their goals scored in 2009-10 came from set pieces, the highest ratio in the division. That doesn’t look set to change this season and although Mark Schawer was definitely fouled during Blackburn’s goal in their one all draw with Fulham this weekend, the Australian goalkeeper and Arsenal target hardly covered himself in glory though by coming and failing to connect with several of Blackburn’s lumps into the box that looked more like scenes out of a WWII film, it is exciting and fascinating to watch such a test of character and clearly it brings it results. 
The same applies with Rory Delap’s long throws at Stoke, indeed Ricardo Fuller came fractions away from converting one of these throws for what would have been the winning goal in this Saturday’s early kick off against West Ham. One of the main complaints I hear about this “unattractive” football by fellow football fans is that it’s not enjoyable to watch. However I don’t believe that to be the case. Are there any Stoke fans who disapprove of Delap’s throw and the goals they create? Or Blackburn fans who don’t enjoy it when Robinson’s long balls end up in the back of the net? Or Bolton fans when Kevin Davis scores or assists with his head? 
Not only do I believe that fans enjoy watching this, I believe that ugly football is good for the game, and creates a platform where these teams can give the top teams a decent run of their money. Blackburn where undefeated at home last season by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United and picked up three points against Arsenal, all of these games where tense edge of your seat affairs, every tackle cheers as if it were a goal. 
You only had to watch Chelsea Blackpool this weekend to realise that ugly football makes the game better. Chelsea were so comfortably in front at half time, we may well have all gone home after the 4th goal. Despite Holloway telling his team was much improved due to their attacking style in the second half they were much better, the truth is they weren’t, Chelsea had eased down to second gear and missed more chances than they will the rest of the season. 
A team who would have been prepared to knuckle down, work harder in defence and played the odds would have created a much more interesting spectacle.     

Ugly football certainly has its place in the league and without doubt creates some great results for its exponents and that’s exactly why it’s worth its weight in gold, it gives fans something to cheer about, it makes the league more interesting, and at the end of the day that’s all we want .As Robben put it “We have heard enough of talk about how our football is very nice. But it gets you nowhere. We want to achieve something.”

This Saturday's Premier League games might not reach the hype of tomorrows big clash between Manchester United and Liverpool but is sure to be an entertaining affair. The matches must spread fear into this weekends gamblers, with little or no indication as to which way most of the games will go.
Stoke v West Ham, 12:45
This game could spell real trouble for the Hammers who are still yet to have a point on the board after four games. Avram Grant is set to miss the game because of Yom Kippur and although he did well at Pompey last season some of his signings have been questionable and another loss here could see him staring down the barrel. West Ham may not have the best finances however they have far out spent a lot of the other teams in the league but until they get a settled squad rather than their constant mix of changing players this West Ham team looks doomed, perhaps their new owners should look around the league at teams like Blackburn and Bolton and see how a settled squad can create a solid base to perform consistently. Stoke is a really tough place to go and play and it isn't getting any easier as Villa found out last week and although Stoke haven't had the best start to the season I suspect they will pick up all 3 points in this fixture. Prediction 3-0.
 Aston Villa v Bolton, 15:00 
This is a very tough game to call, Villa have won both their home games despite struggling on the road, however their win over Everton a few weeks back wasn't the most convincing, I suspect both teams will cancel each other out however I can see Villa nicking this game with some of their pacey players. Prediction 1-0.
 Blackburn v Fulham, 15:00 
Ewood park is a fortress for Rovers and Fulham have never really travelled well. I don't suspect that this fixture will buck the trend. Fulham manger Mark Hughes of course used to manage up at Blackburn and did a fantastic job and whilst he will know a lot of the players I don't think Fulham will be able to deal with Blackburn today. Rovers are still the only Premier League team who launch every free kick from every inch of the pitch into the the opposition box with Paul Robinson's long  kick raining down from out of space Fulhams defence will have their work cut out. Whilst many people think that Blackburn aren't a good footballing team to watch I am not of the persuasion. I think their ability to use their assets so well is great part to their game and enthralling to watch (not in the same way as Arsenal of course). Prediction 2-1.
Everton v Newcastle, 15:00
I suspect Everton will finally get their first 3 points of the season today. Everton have a very exciting team and if they could only get off to a flyer some season soon then Everton have got the players to challenge the top six. They do of course need to add a top striker or at the very least give Yakubu a start. I suspect they will see off Newcastle today with ease. Prediction 3-0.
Tottenham v Wolverhampton, 15:00
If Spurs could finish a game like they start it they would be a fantastic team, Harry made a mistake last week by playing Bale at left back against West Brom, he is their man who can unlock any defence in the country and needs to play as far forward as possible. If he plays on the wing today I suspect he will have a hand in any goals they might score. Wolves are another team who possibly get overlooked, I believe they will comfortably stay in the League this season and could possible give Harry yet another draw today. Prediction 2-2.
West Brom v Birmingham, 15:00
Big game in the Midlands this, West brom have made a solid start at home this season and I don't think they will make life easy for Birmingham who are far more comfortable playing at home. I fancy West Brom to win this local derby. Prediction 2-0.
Sunderland v Arsenal, 17:30
There is not much left to be said about Arsenal this week. If they can take their form on the road they will be right up their at the end of the season, this will be a tough test though and if they win this kind of game after a CL week then some real progress will finally be showing. A nice early goal and Arsenal will score as many as they want, the longer it stays 0-0 the harder it will be. Prediction 1-3.

We Create our own "News" Of The World.

There's a lot to be said about the relationship between the British press, sport and its stars. Frequently the press talk up our chances of success at every level only to smack it down again until its grovelling in remorse, when the pressures and goals they've created don't come to fruition.

This however for me isn't the biggest problem at the moment, the press are now so eager to sell papers or gain exposure they are willing to wait until the most damaging, inappropriate or in their case appropriate time to release these stories. Now not only does sport and its stars have to worry about what their doing wrong, they have to worry about when everyone will find out, now not only are the press waiting for the expectations they created to fall apart, they actually want our hero's to do it and on their clock at that.

It's as if someone is paying them to sabotage our chances of success or sour the names of sports we love, ever since the media over reaction to John Terry's private life or if you look further back Sven's, sport has often played second fiddle to off the field activities. Far to frequently this has been the case and the end result has eventually negatively impacted our chances of the success the back pages promised us, and yes the whole round reciprocal nature of the press can make you physically sick. Firstly they tell us we are going to win (the world cup), then they create a scenario whereby this is even more difficult (John Terry's captaincy and Capello being forced to act on it) then they lambaste our stars when the success doesn't occur (Rooney), then they do it all over again.

They literally do it all over again, just as England appear to have turned a corner with their 4-0 win over Bulgaria topped off with three and a half Assists for Wayne, the back and front pages are you guessed it, covered with an alleged affair carried out by Wayne Rooney with a hooker during his wife's pregnancy, just days before another important international fixture, to the extent whereas the FA had to confirm that Rooney was travelling with the England squad. This cannot be good for Wayne and cannot be good for England but if it sells papers, who cares about England success.... oh its the papers themselves that will again attack Rooney if he under performs on Tuesday night. Whilst the behaviour in his private life may not be ideal, it is after all his private life and his whole credibility as a role model wouldn't be ruined if the press kept his private life private. Dizzy yet?

A small side note to this is the publicity that has been created during the recent spot betting scandal in cricket. The Cricket this summer has been entertaining but it has not drawn the crowds in like a big summer of test match Cricket, added to that a county Cricket schedule that is under fire. Cricket hasn't had the best summer but it should be warming up this winter as England travel to Australia to fight it out in the Ashes, but the papers again have attacked one our own sports, the News of the World suggesting the story was the biggest of the last ten years. However the only thing that we can be sure of is the fact that the News of the World forked out one of the biggest sums of money to create its own story, in its own Orwellian, Kafkaesque, James Bond villain fantasy, leaving the biggest predicament being who to hate the most, the vindictive out for itself "newspaper" or the gullible Cricketers, one of them as young as 18 whom could only dream of the amount of money being thrown around. The real question is, did they really need to do it? Hasn't Pakistan been through enough recently?