When it comes to what most of us prefer I guess it is points on the board. Pretty football is therefore a bonus.
Mick McCarthy has made it clear on a number of occasions that he does not give a toss what football purists think of his team.
He says that he laughs at those football critics who brand his style of football ugly and painful on the eye because he knows that like his own personality, the qualities that Town possess gets results!
The words belligerent, stubborn, hard-working and tough are the terms of reference for his squad by his own definition and he is not ashamed to admit it.
In fact, those who sneer at his methodology do not understand football in his view.
It is nice to play pretty football but it should always be regarded as a bonus and it is sheer hard work and determination that gets you out of this league. He should know having succeeded twice before!
Of course we would all like to see Town play football that is pleasing on the eye and I remember the home game against Middlesborough, when we did just that!
We scored two wonderfully well constructed goals that would have graced the Premiership and it only goes to show that on our day we can also play and we have accrued points with good performances on a number of occasions and not just at home.
Who could forget that barnstorming display away at Brentford on Boxing Day when Daryl Murphy got the show on the road with a goal after just one minute and we lead 3-0 at the break. In fairness the home side clawed their way back but we won it 4-2 and with some fine football and some great goals!
We have some quality players in our ranks as well but it is easy to dismiss our squad as a gang of workaholics and little else, if you are only prepared to scratch the surface.
Who can deny the quality that Daryl Murphy possesses or Freddie Sears and David McGoldrick for that matter and young Teddy Bishop and Tyrone Mings are players that are attracting the interest of the Premier big guns, which confirms their pedigree.
Jonathan Williams, Darren Ambrose and Kevin Bru are others that can provide the Town with creative inspiration as well as hard graft.
In the end though if we make it to the play-off’s, which seems increasingly likely, then it is a job well done by McCarthy and co.
We may have to wait a little longer for all that pretty football but I’ll take what we’ve got for now. The rest can wait!
F.W.
