Looks Good, Sounds Good

Mikel Arteta has made his name as a true footballer. A Spanish one. Nothing unusual about that - until he declared a passing interest in representing England. A national debate raged.

Paul Scholes also has the nation waiting to see if he will offer his twilight years to the England - this can only mean one thing - where did all the footballers go?

In most teams, at any level, you will find individuals who 'look the part'. They have the best of everything, kit, tie-ups,boots, and at the top level the best hairdressers.In training they perform tricks and talk a good game. On match days, in important matches, they disappoint, but there is always an excuse. Then there are those who 'look the part for a different reason.

They are athletic, can run very quickly or 'run all day', or are physically superior than others in stature. As youngsters they progress because of good attitude, hard work and doing what they are told. Many of them go on to make it into teams at a very high level.

When the teams they play for are analysed by the pundits there is a plethora of phrases to describe them. They show great character; they are a hard working unit; they deny the opposition space; they stop them playing; cannot fault their attitude or commitment.

The great shame is, that for all these 'qualities', good football is all that the majority of spectators want to see.

For a short time they will put up with their team playing this way if it succeeds in them winning something, or is a means to an end, but in the long term they will bored.

Add to that the increasing cost of watching football at the highest level and it does not bode well for the future of the game.

Fans are not gullible and the media 'spin' on some performances will not be accepted. Phrases like the 'target man' and 'someone to play off him' looked to have bitten the dust in the early nineties. Not a chance.

Instead the ball winner was replaced by 'the Makelele role', the target man now 'runs the
channels'.

Natural footballers are just that. Playing in between formations. Indeed, 'between the lines' - the popular phrase adopted in the World Cup by managers acting as pundits who spend their careers playing a rigid 4-4-2.

Footballers in England need to be brought up in the right manner and not have football coached out of them. Perhaps most important of all - they need to have their inner belief to stick to their principles.

Paul Scholes has never once let a good headline become more important than a good performance. Mikel Arteta had to deal with rejection from Barcelona - but he never rejected Barcelona and their footballing priciples.

Football needs a reality check. To put substance over style. Players and coaches alike need to be true to themselves. Eventually the wider public and even the mighty SkySports will catch up.