--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If, since the start, I'd played well and…" description: "\"If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good matches it would all have been too simple.\" — Nicolas Anelka" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png" --- # If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good… ![“If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good matches it would all have been too simple.” quote by Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png) > “If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good matches it would all have been too simple.” [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects that even a strong start and good performance can feel insufficient if outcomes become overly simplistic. **In simple terms:** Success can feel hollow if it’s too easy. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity and humility in achievement. Themes sports performance humility expectation growth Mood thoughtful analytical Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team sports - personal development - coaching sessions Key Concepts psychology of competition career narrative Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt success was too simple? - How can you find meaning beyond easy victories? A Different Perspective The statement may downplay the value of consistent effort and skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) ## Related quotes > [I have played some good matches against Rafa on clay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-goffin/i-have-played-some-good-matches-against-rafa-on-clay/) [David Goffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-goffin/) > [You should be able to have good matches against anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haas/you-should-be-able-to-have-good-matches-against-anybody/) [Charlie Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haas/) > [I had a good run with the WWF. A lot of good matches, a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-steamboat/i-had-a-good-run-with-the-wwf-a-lot-of-good-matches-a-lot-of-fun/) [Ricky Steamboat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-steamboat/) > [I may not be the best technical wrestler in the world, but I felt like I had learned enough of my sport that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daffney/i-may-not-be-the-best-technical-wrestler-in-the-world-but-i-felt-like/) [Daffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daffney/) > [If your attitude is good and you want to have good matches and you want to be employed for the right reasons, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morrison/if-your-attitude-is-good-and-you-want-to-have-good-matches-and-you/) [John Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morrison/) > [In wrestling it is great to have good matches but the thing fans remember the most are the moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-snuka/in-wrestling-it-is-great-to-have-good-matches-but-the-thing-fans/) [Jimmy Snuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-snuka/) > [So, wrestling, being strong, having good matches? I learned that in New Japan. But as a TV character? TNA was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuchika-okada/so-wrestling-being-strong-having-good-matches-i-learned-that-in-new/) [Kazuchika Okada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuchika-okada/) > [Daniel Bryan is someone who I definitely think I can have good matches with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-barrett/daniel-bryan-is-someone-who-i-definitely-think-i-can-have-good/) [Wade Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-barrett/) > [I thought we had energy out there. I thought the guys were, they played good, they were excited. We were almost dynamite out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sutton/i-thought-we-had-energy-out-there-i-thought-the-guys-were-they-played/) [Hal Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sutton/) > [It's hard to get me to even say I played good. That's just in me. I'm just never satisfied. A lot of my friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/it-s-hard-to-get-me-to-even-say-i-played-good-that-s-just-in-me-i-m/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [We have played a very good side, playing at the sort of level we are aspiring to. We need to come up a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-moyes/we-have-played-a-very-good-side-playing-at-the-sort-of-level-we-are/) [David Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-moyes/) > [“Gina and Susie were cool, though. No hint of the beer they said they were going to score. They played good girls to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/gina-and-susie-were-cool-though-no-hint-of-the-beer-they-said-they/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [Surrender had played out for good with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/surrender-had-played-out-for-good-with-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've played some good guys as well, in Spartacus, Paths of Glory and my favorite picture, Lonely Are the Brave, so I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-ve-played-some-good-guys-as-well-in-spartacus-paths-of-glory-and-my/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [They played so good it was frightening. And I, of course, being young, was in awe of everything that was going on and rightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-brown/they-played-so-good-it-was-frightening-and-i-of-course-being-young/) [Ray Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-brown/) ## More by Nicolas Anelka > [If you ask all the players who have played with me, they will never say anything wrong about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/if-you-ask-all-the-players-who-have-played-with-me-they-will-never/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [When you have been coached by Ancelotti and other greats, it's hard to be coached by Domenech!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/when-you-have-been-coached-by-ancelotti-and-other-greats-it-s-hard-to/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [I have been impressed by Carlo Ancelotti, Kevin Keegan, Arsene Wenger, Guus Hiddink, Christoph Daum and Sam Allardyce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/i-have-been-impressed-by-carlo-ancelotti-kevin-keegan-arsene-wenger/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [When I started to play football as far I was concerned I just played football. I didn't want all the stuff around it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/when-i-started-to-play-football-as-far-i-was-concerned-i-just-played/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [Bolton was a family club and I liked it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/bolton-was-a-family-club-and-i-liked-it/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [People must not lose sight of the fact that football is a game. I would find it healthy that it remain so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/people-must-not-lose-sight-of-the-fact-that-football-is-a-game-i/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [Being a coach is not the same as being a player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/being-a-coach-is-not-the-same-as-being-a-player/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [For me, ever since the South Africa World Cup, the French team is part of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/for-me-ever-since-the-south-africa-world-cup-the-french-team-is-part/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [When I was playing for Chelsea, it was always tough to beat Albion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/when-i-was-playing-for-chelsea-it-was-always-tough-to-beat-albion/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [I was very young in the past at Arsenal, at Real Madrid as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/i-was-very-young-in-the-past-at-arsenal-at-real-madrid-as-well/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [All I've ever wanted is to improve myself and become the best, which is the reason I joined Real in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/all-i-ve-ever-wanted-is-to-improve-myself-and-become-the-best-which/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [The club must come first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/the-club-must-come-first/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [Sometimes to rest, even to watch your team-mates from the bench, is not too bad. It is part of the game and you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/sometimes-to-rest-even-to-watch-your-team-mates-from-the-bench-is-not/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [I love all the clubs I play for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/i-love-all-the-clubs-i-play-for/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [If one day I leave Shenhua, it will be the day I retire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/if-one-day-i-leave-shenhua-it-will-be-the-day-i-retire/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) [Explore all 102 Nicolas Anelka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) ## More France quotes > [Vive les peuples, Vive la Republique! Vive la France!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/vive-les-peuples-vive-la-republique-vive-la-france/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [“nor ground control was something of a step back for them. Furthermore, having reached France,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-holland/nor-ground-control-was-something-of-a-step-back-for-them-furthermore/) [James Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-holland/) > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I have often heard that the novel is dead. But I see novels produced, I don't know how many a week, in France. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/i-have-often-heard-that-the-novel-is-dead-but-i-see-novels-produced-i/) [Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/) > [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/) [Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [I'm a child of provincial France.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-macron/i-m-a-child-of-provincial-france/) [Emmanuel Macron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-macron/) > [Creating a top team and being in a position to win the Tour de France will give me a nice feeling. But I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-alonso/creating-a-top-team-and-being-in-a-position-to-win-the-tour-de-france/) [Fernando Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-alonso/) > [In the spring of 1984, I went to the northwest of France, to Normandy, to prepare an NBC documentary on the 40th anniversary of D-Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/in-the-spring-of-1984-i-went-to-the-northwest-of-france-to-normandy/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [Luckily, he was in the process of moving to France at the time, anyway. But if he had stayed in the States, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-zwigoff/luckily-he-was-in-the-process-of-moving-to-france-at-the-time-anyway/) [Terry Zwigoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-zwigoff/) > [I was in the South of France, in Saint-Tropez and I met her when it was totally unexpected. I was very lucky because she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-stern/i-was-in-the-south-of-france-in-saint-tropez-and-i-met-her-when-it/) [Bert Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-stern/) > [Banning the burkini doesn't produce terrorists. But it does make the people who are already alienated, who are already disenfranchised, I many cases, economically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/banning-the-burkini-doesn-t-produce-terrorists-but-it-does-make-the/) [Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/) > [ To conquer \[our enemies\] we must dare, and dare again, and dare for ever; and thus will France be saved ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-danton/to-conquer-our-enemies-we-must-dare-and-dare-again-and-dare-for-ever/) [Georges Danton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-danton/) > [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) [Browse all 1,892 France quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good matches it would all have been too simple.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicolas Anelka" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-put-in-some-good-matches-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "France" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-put-in-some-good-matches-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/nicolas-anelka-5255_france_if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-p_542951.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If, since the start, I'd played well and put in some good matches it would all have been too simple.” — Nicolas Anelka", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nicolas Anelka", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If, since the start, I'd played...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-put-in-some-good-matches-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/if-since-the-start-i-d-played-well-and-put-in-some-good-matches-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```