World Soccer: Long Ball or Silky Passing, What's Best?

European style passing football or good old-fashioned Scottish hoof-it-up-the-park football? That's the question that has bamboozled coaches and footballers the length and breadth of the country for years.

Today at Rugby Park, the question was asked and partly answered.

It's the age old problem that has been perceived as holding Scottish football back for many years. The reason we haven't progressed in European club competition and why the national team haven't qualified for any major championships since 1998.

In recent years there has been a huge influx of coach reports and training techniques that have improved the entertainment factor for the fans through improved play on the park.

Gone were the days that the goalkeeper hoofed the ball up the park at every opportunity in the hope that one of his strikers would be able to win the ball. Gone were the days of playing no midfield as the ball literally shot over their heads. Gone were the days of defenders scared to take the ball from their own keeper because they had no ball control.

Not today though!

St Johnstone went back to the old school today in their match against Kilmarnock with the keeper battering the ball forward at every chance he got, although it has to be said that the rest of the players did try and play football. But the keeper's kick outs did return us slightly to the old route-one football that we thought had been archived in the history annuals.

This route-one style suited the Perth side and indeed led to their second goal that won the match and begs the question: Should Scottish teams return to this, as it worked well for us in the past?

Kilmarnock have been praised for their passing football this season, and to be fair to them, it has been attractive to watch at times; but is it as entertaining as the "up and at em" style?

Today both styles clashed, and I am not sure Kilmarnock knew how to deal with it, and in the end, St Johnstone's hoof-it-up-the-field style won. So on this occasion, style and creativity did not win the day.

Strangely though, Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels said afterwards that he wouldn't change the way his team plays even it it meant they didn't get any higher in the league!

Even though his team left the field to a chorus of boos, Shiels was adamant that his team's performance was what the fans wanted and nothing would change that, not even the fans' indifference towards them.

The win moved St Johnstone up to fourth in the league with manager Derek McInnes happy at his team's performance and disagreeing with Shiels that the better team didn't win.

Sometimes it isn't pretty to watch, but perhaps it may be the way forward for Scotland again as it looks for the answer to winning some honours. For details, see Derek McInnes and St Johnstone.

Marc Roseblade is a Contributor for Bleacher Report as well as Not Just Scottish
Football and youth development reporter for Ayr United Football Academy. All quotes are obtained first-hand unless otherwise stated.

Passing Football or Hoof It? What's The Way Forward?