*WARNING - Beware of possible head-scratching contradictions*
Shortly after the Burton Albion Carabao Cup victory on Tuesday, a recap of the game unfolded in a Manchester United chat forum. While, of course, there was a consensus of contentment in the fairly accurate result, others like myself still grumbled about the team's wastefulness and alarmingly re-occurring lengthy patches of disjointedness dating back to the previous league game against Everton which ended in a teeny-bit-too-flattering 4-0 scoreline. And then the following statement was made:
"So in all competitions we conceded just *2 goals (*3 actually, including Burton's last minute Pereira gift)? Scored what? 22?
You guys have all been restored to default ManUtd mode...Spoilt fans...😆"
Fair point.
Does it really really matter if 10 gilt-edged chances are squandered but the team still wins 5-0? Even if Lukaku seemingly prefers to score his rebounds (which is a skill in itself, I guess), isn't the most important thing the fact that he scores? Like the hilarious viral clip of the kid with the awkward ("Lord have mercy...") dab, isn't the key thing the fact that he did (some sort of variation of) it? What would Crystal Palace and Alaves fans make of all this nit-picking? Does it matter if three-quarters of the goals are scored in the final 10 minutes or the first 10? So Ashley Young is not a natural full-back yet he has provided 2 quality assists in as many games in that position; why complain? The (formerly) much reviled Fellaini is apparently not a Manchester United player but he has been an effectual "rim protector" and game-saver a good number of times for this United team. Asides the free-scoring neighbours, no other side in the league has put in as many goals past opponents than United has. So what's the fuss?
But they will be found out against better opposition
Without the benefit of divine clairvoyance, you can only attend to/strategize for such games as they are presented.
What of goal difference?
If you beat the league-leading scorers and closest rivals by a lone goal whether through a dodgy penalty, shades of offside or an own goal, would goal difference matter?
But...but...it's not entertaining football!
As the meme states, if you want to please everybody, go sell ice-cream. This is pragmatic-points-on-the-board-high-stakes football. Winning supersedes entertainment...
So perhaps, the summary of the above is basically this: Utopian ideas of perfect football week in and out should immediately be abandoned. A vast majority of fans and supporters primarily seek some form of glory from their sides (not to be confused with "glory-hunting") and this is perfectly acceptable. It is a sport after all. How this is obtained may vary but except you are Brazilian circa 1990-1994, the end simply justifies the means. Results over aesthetics. Results over performance. Nokia 3310 with airtime over iPhone whatever without airtime and data (Aha!). There's a reason FIFA regularly and controversially (and often incorrectly, in my opinion) rewards the player of the winning team as the Best Player of the Tournament/Year in spite of another player having a more rounded/better performance all tournament or season long (watch this space) - winning is the bigger business.
Original picture of the sainted Lukaku courtesy Independent.co.uk
Like the game against Southampton yesterday, sometimes all you need is something edible to quench the hunger. Taste and flavour are unimportant. Your full belly is. It was a game the team could have lost any other day but they showed great resolve and character to protect the early lead. Considering that a draw would have been a fair result, the victory and 3 points earned were priceless. W > D > L.
That said, I still do not agree with the absolute infallibility of the evidence of 'winning'.
Football is neither chess nor checkers. That's why it is not played on a game board. There is, I dare say, an unwritten obligation to entertain the audience. Football is performing arts. Being a spectator sport, the 'how' is nearly (not as, no...not as) important as the 'what'. Each dive from the platform may not always be a 10 but you damn well need to aspire to that figure every time you jump into the pool. Nobody buys a Ferrari to carry out stately burial processions. There is still a right of complaint to demand certain things a certain way when an outfit costs €784m thereabouts. Jose may call proponents of this ideology 'poets' but I believe the essential truth is not lost on him.
Robert Fulghum's Storyteller's creed begins, "I believe imagination is stronger than knowledge...." It was that inventiveness and fantasy element to the sport and to Sir Alex's team that first made me a fan of the game and the club and not the rudimentary application of the rules to the sport. Simple lay-ups do not maketh the NBA. (Pre-fight) Mayweather maketh Boxing. DJ Kool Herc introduced us to it but Rakim made us fall in love with it. The artists are the ones who live with you forever.
The fact remains that winning a match doesn't mean a perfect game was played and that there aren't areas for improvement. Post-match football analysis and debate are required eternal exercises. That's a major part of what makes it interesting. No two games are the same (even in football video games) so the euphoria experienced today may morph into invoking ancestral curses and expletives on your favourite player next game.
The secret to finding a balance with these contrasting emotions is to realise and accept that football is just a sport and that Mkhitaryan constantly over-running the ball is not meant to be a personal affront to your person but is just part of the game. You can't be overtly critical and also shouldn't be a 'win' robot. It also helps when at the end of the game, your team is the one with maximum points.
So the next time Herrera from a decent position skies a shot to row z (he's the current club Player of the Year), Rashford aimlessly and needlessly runs the ball into a barricade of opposition defenders (He's a prodigy), Martial misses a relatively easy chance (He's special, isn't he?) Romelu does his leg-sorting thingy (He'll eventually end up top goal scorer) and Jones loses his marker from a set-piece (Committed solid lad), just smile. Like a boss. Or you could also wild-out and criticise what you don't like.
Whatever the case, just look at the scoreboard and make sure your team is winning.
And then it's okay whichever way...
Next Stop: 3 points v CSKA Moscow (A) in the Champions League. Wednesday, 27th September, 2017.
Signing Out,
B.L
In Other News:
* The much anticipated boxing match between Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez ended in an unfathomable draw according to the not-so honourable judges (Take a bow, Adalaide Byrd). Churning out these sort of results does the current reputation of boxing no favours and to arrive at this conclusion in a bout meant to redeem the sport's image after the battering it had taken after the high-profile farce which took place weeks earlier, means this was a missed opportunity. I do not care too much about a rematch. Joshua v Wilder anyone?
* Morata, Lukaku and Aguero are all on 6 goals after 6 games. Cavani 7 (7) . Lewandowski 7 (6). Immobile 8 (6). Aubameyang has 9 in 6. Messi 9 (6). Dybala 10 (6). Falcao 11 (7). Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to get going but he can very easily get those numbers in 2/3 games. All familiar names on the goalscorers' chart except one. The Juventus star is having a breakout season and is about to shoot into the superstar stratosphere. Would it be Real Madrid or Barcelona?
* Carmelo Anthony is taking his talents (and baggage) to Oklahoma to form another Big 3 with Westbrook and Paul George with the Thunder. CP3 had previously hooked up with Harden and his beard while Isaiah Thomas had joined LeBron (which automatically makes the Cavaliers a Big 5 - Any star in addition to LeBron is) with Neymar Kyrie Irving going the other way to be THE man in Boston alongside Gordon Hayward and...ahem...Al Horford. Methinks Golden State should still be comfortable. Congratulations, Porzingis! It's yours!
* There is only one way the PSG penalty fiasco will ultimately end - Cavani can still give at least 2 good years to a top European club come next summer.
* And how could I forget? The Gentle Giant of Country Music, Don Williams passed away on the 8th of September at the age of 78. He was an essential part of the soundtrack to my childhood. A master of the simple yet deep lyric.
"I Don't Want To Be The Fiery Sun/
I Just Want To Be Your Candle Honey/I Just Want To Be Your Candle Baby/Let The Sun Shine On...I Don't Want To Be The Deep Blue Sea/I Just Want To Be Your Cup 'o Tea/I Just Want To Be Your Cup 'o Tea/Let The Sea Rage On..."
Rest In Peace, Giant...🌹
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