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Playing well matters more than winning

On Tuesday night's ESPN FC show, I got into it a bit with Ale Moreno over one of my pet peeves: the notion that "it's all about results."

The genesis of the discussion was Louis Van Gaal talking about how Manchester United lacks speed on the wings, but the point is a much broader one. The notion that if you win it means everything is fine and you're doing a great job is both misguided and short-sighted. The point of the game isn't results; it's playing well.

Now, let's get one thing straight off the bat. Playing well doesn't mean entertaining, though that can be a by-product and it doesn't necessarily mean attacking football, either.