Winning Over Beauty in Scotland

Writing for Scotland's Daily Mail, Gordon Waddell says:

"I love watching a team who play like they love football as much as I do. Seeing Barcelona beat Rangers in the Nou Camp was a privilege and an education. But I love winning more. And I don't give a monkey's how my team does it."

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Capello and the Media

"His wife, Laura, casts her eye over the newspapers, and occasionally puts journalists right in her eyes, but Capello is more interested in reading books...Capello will simply be himself. In his press conferences there are occasionally smiles but, in general, the mood has been strictly professional. He has an intimidating mien, much like Sir Alex Ferguson, and does not suffer foolish questions. In Madrid he banned the press from training, creating enemies and resentment, and one wonders if he will submit to the FA's elaborate press briefing structure with separate conferences for print, radio and television media. Whether he does or not, his relations with an English press pack that is not short of big egos itself are unlikely to run smoothly. Capello will not care. He is not coming to make friends, he is coming to win."

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The Beautiful Challenge is About to Begin

“For Capello, football is all about winning. He does not see beauty in the game.”

- Arrigo Sacchi

No better way to express it. He's not interested in the beauty of football, they say. But he is interested in the beautiful or in other interpretations of the word.

Winning is beautiful.

A beautiful challenge.

Yes, yes. So many see it that way. Even Mourinho who apparently fantasized about winning a World Cup for England and becoming a hero.

But there is something there in England, perhaps beyond the romance of England having invented the game and beyond the power that is behind TheBestLeagueInTheWorld.com, the Premiership.

Perhaps what is there is talent and potential and passion that has been wasted for generations in England...

If there's anyone that can coax out that latent talent and produce a championship with England, then that will be beautiful indeed.

Mourinho for Milan ?

"Mourinho is perfect for the Italian game tactically. He has the Italian, win-at-all-costs mentality – the Machiavellian concept that the end justifies the means...However for all his genius – is Mourinho the right kind of character for AC Milan?...The Rossoneri are renowned as a club who pride themselves on their class, prestige, history, diplomacy and political correctness."


"Milan on the other hand are famed for their unique brand of beautiful and technical football. It is this that has led them to two Champions League victories, one final, one semi-final and one quarter-final in the past five years."

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Controlling The Rules Of Football

A few weeks back, against Arsenal, he was raging against the referee for being too harsh on his players. This past weekend he thought the referee was too lenient on an aggressive Bolton team that surprised his United 1 nil. And today he has been charged by the FA for abuse of an official. Here is what Alex Ferguson has to say for himself: "You can expect a team in Bolton's position to play that way. You expect a team near the bottom to battle, scrap and fight...Obviously they do not have the quality of opponents like ourselves. That is why they we are in different positions in the league...But the key thing is how the referee controls it. He is the arbiter in terms of the application of the rules of football. That is where we feel a bit aggrieved."

But we think the key really is how Ferguson "controls it". Even after getting himself charged he is trying to use the media to influence Premiership referees to in the future see the game in a way that is ideal for his team to win.

And winning is beautiful isn't it? More >

Tevez's Appetite For The Game

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is relishing the completion of Carlos Tevez's sale to the club:

"I want to make this happen. He has impressed everyone with his appetite for the game...He'll get me 15 goals this season and what's more, they'll be important goals." More >

The Inspiration

This blog was inspired by the Great Beauty Debate in the footballing world that emerged with the clash between the vaunted beautiful teams of Arsenal FC and Manchester United during the 2007-08 Premiership season.

The debate has been chronicled by The Beautiful Game Search Engine and its sources can be found throughout the global media.