Premier League

Actually, Birdscribe, I would forward that Fergie does have a peer in the whining department. His name is Arsene Wenger. ;D

 

I started rooting for Manchester United when I first started following soccer. It was easy to choose them because a) they were one of the few teams that you would occasionally be able to watch in the US and b) Eric Cantona was pretty bad-assed. If I were to become a fan today, I doubt I would choose the same team - almost every time I mention that I'm a Manchester United fan (especially to a Brit expat) I get the sideways glance and the "oh, of course you are..."

Honestly, just watch a lot of different teams for the rest of the season. There's no right reason to fall in love with a team. Maybe it's because of a certain player even if they aren't the most talented. It could be because of the style of play they have, or something about their fans. Or it could just be a weird, intangible thing. I'm really into Norwich this season, even though they weren't really a team on my radar before.

And as a Manchester United fan, I just have to shrug about Fergie Time, making Kevin Keegan go inside, and all of the other patented SAF Mind Games. He's basically the Premier League version of Phil Jackson, except without the Zen bullshit.

 

My distaste of everything Arsenal primarily goes back to the book "The Beautiful Game? Searching For the Soul of Football" from a few years back. David Dein was the devil.

 

Like SAF is any different in this respect than Arsene? Rafa? Special One? 'Arry? Warnock?

 

The trouble with Man City is that their money will dry up at some point, and then they'll go back to being the second-rate club they always have been. And that's if UEFA's financial fair-play rules don't get them first. And Chelsea are a prime target for those rules as well.

And you really don't want to be a fan of a team in dire financial difficulty. Just trust me on this one...

 

Not saying Wenger doesn't bring the full French whine. Nor am I saying (and you can look it up on previous soccer threads where I slap Wenger around for his attitude toward Delap and his refusal to practice set pieces/still mind-boggling) that he is blameless.

Just that if you're going to beat Wenger around like a pinata for whining, he's got plenty of company, starting with The Knighted One.

 

Bird, I am a Spurs fan, and have been since I was a kid (loved the name, that's all. I used to root for the Canadiens because of the French names). But even so, I admire Wenger.

 

SAF clearly whines, but Wenger is never gracious after a loss.

 

I'd go with Fulham or Everton for the Americans and their underdog styles, or Spurs because I love to watch Adebayor and Bale play. All of the top-tier teams are great to watch and have players who are fun to follow -- Liverpool (Gerrard and Suarez), Chelsea (Lampard, Drogba, Torres ), ManU (Rooney, Chicharito), ManCity (Balotelli, Aguero, Nasri).

Just watch the games on FSC and ESPN2 and see who you like or what style is best for you. I picked my team right after the World Cup 10 years or so ago, and I loved Drogba's style when he played for Ivory Coast, so I picked Chelsea. They had a lot of guys I enjoyed watching in the World Cup, like Lampard, Terry, Robben (at that time), Essien. That was before I realized what a bunch of douches they were, but I still follow them ... I just watch all the top-flight teams with interest.

 

That is awesome.

 

Can't have Warnock. He's all ours!

I chose Leeds 20 years ago. Loved Gary McAllister, Gary Speed, et al, from the 1992 championship team (Eric Cantona, better known as scum* a Man United player, was also on the team) and their fans are off their nut. Admittedly, sometimes in very bad ways, see Munich air disaster chants.

I loved Tony Yeboah, who came later, as well as the early 2000s vintage Leeds team that went to the semis of the Champions League.

But they've taken me on a hellvua ride in both directions. League champions in the year prior to the Premier League formation to third tier football and two near-administrative shutdowns in recent years. They're trying to crawl their way back to the Premier League, but in 10th place now and six points out of the Championship playoffs, it'll likely be another frustrating case of wait 'till next year for me.

But you know what? I like it. They suit my personality.

There was never going to be any way in hell I'm picking any of the front-running clubs. Whether they be traditional -- Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United -- or nouveau riche as with Chelsea**. One could rightly say Leeds is a traditional power, given their late 60s and 70s glory years, but they've also had significant spells before and since out of the top division.

I feel like I've had every bit of the English soccer experience through Leeds, good and bad. And they hate Manchester United, Liverpool (the favored club of many of my friends) and Chelsea and the fans of those clubs, for the most part, hate them right back, even if much of the piss has been taken out of the vinegar in the last decade or so given Leeds' plight.

* I actually bear no grudge about Cantona to Man U. However, ass-headed Alan "I'll Never Play At Manchester United" Smith, who proceeded to do just that for several years, can go fuck himself sideways. Sure Leeds couldn't afford him at the time of their first financial meltdown and had to sell him, but the kissing the badge schtick, the proclamations of detesting Man U before happily galivanting to Old Trafford? Fuck you. Enjoy the MK Dons, dick.

** For reasons that even escape me, I don't mind Manchester City's similar nouveau riche-ness, though every instinct tells me I should. I liken them to a long-suffering schlep that hit lotto. Their true fans, which are much more representative of Manchester than United's fanbase is, suffered just as Leeds fans have, including their own drop to their third tier in the late 90s. Let 'em have their cake.

 

Leeds? Thirsty for some Thunder Muscle?



(for all I know, I'm the only person on earth watching this show)