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Thread: Picking A Bandwagon...

  1. #1
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    Default Picking A Bandwagon...

    This thread is for all of the devoted EPL fans...

    In recent years, as I have become more interested in competetive soccer (more competetive than the MLS), and with the friends I have met, I gradually have become interested in the English Premiership. Before the recent tides, I rooted kind of on-off for Chelsea, mostly because they were awful bad and had cool jerseys. Now, since they're kind of like the Yankees in that they lease all of their players, I'm left without a team to hop on a bandwagon with...

    So I've decided to pick up a new team to root for and study for next season, and would really like some input from more devoted fans as to who's who. Here are my "candidates":
    -------
    Liverpool
    Why: Good players, good traditions and fans, not always the best team but still competetive.
    Why Not: Historically, the most successful team in EPL history, which would seem odd to hop aboard.

    Manchester United
    Why: I probably know the most players on the team, and one of my good friends has rooted for them for a while.
    Why Not: Everybody roots for Man U in the US, and most are pretty fairweather about it. Also, not a big C. Ronaldo fan in international play...

    Newcastle United
    Why: Coolest stadium and most interesting town IMO, kind of an interesting team to root for
    Why Not: I don't know anything about them, and they kind of suck.

    Fulham
    Why: Pretty respected franchise, and I can name a few Americans on there
    Why Not: Same as Newcastle
    -------
    Hopefully, someone can give a great reason why any of the following (or any not mentioned a.k.a. Arsenal, Man City, etc) would be great options...
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    Quote Originally Posted by Broncospsycho77 View Post


    Manchester United
    Why Not: Everybody roots for Man U in the US, and most are pretty fairweather about it. Also, not a big C. Ronaldo fan in international play...
    They're like the biggest bandwagon team in the world. You can't go anywhere without seeing their jersey on someone.

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    As I started to get my lad into football, I had three simple 'rules' for who he could support

    No Manure
    No Everton
    No Chav$ki

    But then I'm biased

    Promoted to the Premiership for the 08/09 season
    Relegated from the Premiership at the conclusion of the 07/08 season

    Arsenal aka The Gunners. Probably the most attractive team in Europe to watch, at times they can over-elaborate their attacking play, resulting in missed opportunities. Pretty decent bunch of fair minded fans. Qualified for the Champions League qualifiers.

    Aston Villa aka The Villains. Up & coming side with one of the best managers in the league in Martin O'Neill. Decent footballing side, good fans. Qualified for the Intertoto Cup

    Birmingham City Oh dear.

    Blackburn Rovers aka Rovers. Best be nice, my sister in law's got a season ticket, and if she ever got wind I'd dissed 'em :shake:. Probably over-extending themselves challenging for Europe through the league, decent, combative side. American keeper Brad Friedel is one of the best in the league.

    Bolton Wanderers. After years of overachievement under ex-manager Sam Allardyce, they were pretty ruthlessly put in their place last year, only just beating the drop.

    Chelsea aka Blues/ Chav$. The nouveau rich of the Premiership, backed by the mega bucks of Roman Abramovich. A club completely lacking in class on or off the field (that's not to say no talent). Qualified for the Champions League

    Derby County aka the Rams. Worst team in Premiership History........'nuf said

    Everton aka Toffees/Bitters/Blue Shite. Separated from Liverpool by about 3/4 mile, and light years in quality and history. They've got a half decent boss in David Moyes, but I'm not sure that the club's ambition matches his. He's managed to stop their yo-yoing though, flirting with Europe one year, and relegation the next. Qualified for the UEFA Cup

    Fulham. Despite being owned by mega rich Harrods owner (and royal irritant )Muhammad al Fayed, they've never had the resources of near rivals Chav$ki. Performed the great escape this season with, it seems, the assistance of half of the US national side.

    Hull City aka the Tigers. Can't really tell you much about them, I don't think they've ever been in the top flight before....................favourites to go straight back from where they came.

    Liverpool aka the Reds. Despite not winning the league for 18 years, still the most successful team in England. Officially the loudest fans in the world. Slightly uncertain future whilst the American 'owners' Hicks & Gillett get their act together. Qualified for the Champions League qualifiers.

    Manchester City. Who knows what they future holds for City? Ex-England manager Sven Goran Ericsson may or may not be in a job, despite guiding City to a very good campaign. Good bunch of lads. Qualified for the UEFA Cup via the Fair Play League

    Manchester United aka Red Devils/Manure.There's two types of fan, the long term fan, and the bandwagoners who do their best to make the club amongst the most despised in England. Good attacking side with some great players. Liverpool's biggest rivals for plenty of on & off field reasons, 2nd most successful team in the country. Qualified for the Champions League

    Middlesborough aka Smog Monsters.Despite one of the biggest transfer kittys in recent years, not the best of teams to watch.

    Newcastle United aka the Magpies/Toon Army. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride is a pretty apt description of the Toon. Always liable to ship as many goals as they score, life as a Newcastle fan should fun next year with Kevin Keagan back in charge.................if I had to choose one set of fans to have a beer with before and after the game it would be the Toon Army........great bunch of lads

    Portsmouth aka Pompey. FA Cup winners, possibly the best English manager around at the moment in Harry Redknapp. Qualified for the UEFA Cup.

    Reading aka The Royals. Survived better than most people anticipated last season, playing some good football along the way. Lack of finances and depth caught up with them this year

    Stoke City First time in the top flight since the 84/85 season. Tough physical side that may survive in the Premiership, but I wouldn't bet on it.

    Sunderland aka The Mackems. Looking for a season of consolidation after surviving their first year back in the top flight. Try to play decent football, and show a lot of heart. Good bunch of fans.

    Tottenham Hotspur aka Spurs. Always try to play passing football, saw more goals for and against at home than any other team in the league. Beat the Chav$ in the League Cup Final to enter next season's UEFA Cup.

    West Bromwich Albion aka The Baggies. They treated their last excursion to the Premiership as a giant party, and played a second season after a last day escape...........expect them to take things slightly more seriously this year, although I'd expect to see them scrapping at the bottom of the table.

    West Ham United aka The Hammers. Attractive footballing side with a reputation for bringing through youth players (5 players in the Champions League final played for West Ham).

    Wigan Athletic. Small town club, with limited support. Survival is their main goal.



    Hope that helps some
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    Arsenal for 3 simple reasons (although there are plenty more):

    1. No team in the world plays more attractive football.

    2. Average squad age is 23. That is WAY below average.

    3. Arsenal do things "The Arsenal way". They are known for being a very player friendly club.

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    I'm a Manchester United fan obviously, born and bred Mancunian and lucky enough to have seen my team play in over 18 countries in some of the best stadiums in the world. I started going OT when I was 6 and I went home and away for about 14 years (since I was 13 in season 90/91) until 2005 when the Glazers took over. I haven't been OT since and wont be until the Glazers go. I still go some away games however. So what is it worth here is my serious views and my views wearing my rose tinted specs.


    Arsenal. Play nice football without an end product at the moment. Young team though so will get better with time as long as they keep all the players which is looking unlikely. Attacking footballing side. Part of the old big 5 which has now been reduced to the big 4. (Trademark Sky )

    I find that when things don't go their way though the dummy comes out (no where near as bad as Chelseas though). Wegner has selected vision so bad I'm amazed he is allowed to drive. I've changed my mind about the fans recently, they (like every other team) come out with the usual "classics" at Old Trafford. Their recent protests at being taken over by yet another money making man is heartening to see. However several times at OT they have disappeared very very early when they have been on a heavy beating. (6-1 and 4-0)

    Aston Villa. Very good manager and will only get better if he stays, that is a big if though given his track record. Decent shout for a cup but not the league.

    Blackburn Rovers. Another good manager who is doing a good if unspectatular job, they have a goalkeeper who turns into Superman whenever the play Manchester United at Ewood Park. I've heard other fans say the same when their team plays there as well. Again though never going to win the league but as Portsmouth have shown could win a cup.

    Bolton Wanderers. Never going to be anything but relegation fodder, as soon as they get a decent footballer they will sell him, they appear quite happy just to survive.

    Wanky wanky wanderers as they are known are only down the road from Manchester and the sooner they go down and stay down the better.

    Chelsea. A recent promotion to the big 4 due simply to one man throwing his money at them. Very good team, will get a very good manager and will no doubt get some more very good players. The club are starting to be hated more than United though and that would have been unbelievable over 5 years ago. Cannot take defeat.

    A club with no history, when the Russian gets shot or gets bored then Chelsea are in serious trouble.

    Their fans are like the history, hardly any pre Roman.

    Everton. Relegated from the big 5 due to the fact they haven't won anything for a long time, 1995 in the FA Cup being the last if I remember right. They are a yo-yo team who never get relegated. They have a good year then a bad year. Again another potenially good manager. Once again a cup team at most.

    I love Goodison, one of the last truly decent atmosphere's left in England. especially on a night game, although I have many a scary time walking through or by Stanley Park for both Everton and Liverpool (Stanley Park separates the two Liverpool clubs). Scousers never the less, always need to watch your back, and you front and side etc.

    Fulham. I don't think there is anyway they will stay up this year, won one away game in the last 33 but importantly it was the one that made them stay up. The manager is an international manager albeit with smaller nations. If Fayed gives them some money maybe, but I think he has got sick of that. I don't think they will have a chance of winning anything.

    Hull City. If they can keep Campbell their centre forward on loan from United for another year then they could have half a chance to stay up. Very doubtful though unless they spend heavily. Their fans will just be happy to play the likes of United, Liverpool, Arsenal etc. Will go down.

    Their fans like Stoke will turn up to Old Trafford singing songs that ever new team thinks that they have invented them, "70,000 muppets" "we support our local team" blah blah blah.

    Liverpool. One of the big 4 and member of the old big 5. They seem to have a knack of performing miracles in Europe (although the luck finally ran out last year) but are really struggling to get a league campaign together. If the owners actually speak with each other and the manager then they will always have a chance of the major honours. They do hold the record for the most league titles (although not for much longer) and most league cups, and as their fans will tell you they have won big ears (the European Cup) 5 times.

    We hate them and they hate us. I wouldn't have it anyother way and I'm certain neither would they.

    It is ironic that after Glazer's hostile take over of United, Liverpool fans joy at us being taken over by some who wants us a cash cow is forgotten when they too are taken over by TWO cash cows. Not only that but Liverpool welcomed these two and bent over for them, now that they are being shafted they complain . Wait it gets better, they are now protesting these tow to get out so another company called DIC can take over. What do you think will happen if/when DIC take over? Do you seriously think they care any more about Rafa?

    They will soon be over taken as the most successful club.

    Manchester city. A team who every year manager to convince their fans they are on the verge of winning something (their last trophy was in 1976) yet always fail leaving lots of tears. God knows what the chairman is doing in getting rid of Sven seeing as they have got into Europe, albeit though the back door again by coming 5th in the fair play league. The top 4 already having qualified for Europe in the correct manner.

    city (the lack of a capital C is on purpose), good ol city, they make my life a lot more enjoyable. They are the comedy kings. Who else but city could release balloons in a cup game and then the very same balloons deflect the ball into the the path of a opposition forward who then duly knocks them out of the cup.

    Another sets of fans who laughed at us being taken over by foreign ownership. Oh how they adored singing to us for years "you're the pride of Singapore" Then when a shiny knight from Thailand comes calling, city welcome him with open arms and legs. But shock horror, the saviour turns out being bad guy, which comes as a complete shock to the 1/10th of Manchester but not a surprise to the rest of the world seeing as he is being suspected for inhumane crimes in Thailand.

    They are known as the Liars in Manchester because of all the lies they try and spread, the most popular one is "all people from Manchester spport city" . So United have fans all over the world from Sydney to Stockholm, from Delhi to Dover yet none in Manchester where the team is based.

    Manchester United. The best team in England and Europe. Not a biased view, a view based on the fact they are Champions of England and Champions of Europe. One of if not the most exciting teams to watch. They have the player of the year in Cristiano Ronaldo and although other team fans boo him I bet everyone of them would love him in their team, anyone says any different is a liar. Always up there with Arsenal and Liverpool and recently Chelsea.

    Thanks to the Glazers though United owe over $1billion and with interest is rising every day.

    Unted have a lot of glory hunters, show me one team when successful that doesn't? Today at Wembley, two Greater Manchester teams, Stockport and Rochdale are playing in a match to decide who gets promoted, they'll probably take 20,000 fans each. Their average attendance this year will be like to be a fifth of that.

    United always have the highest average attendance, even when we didn't have the biggest ground, even when we were in the second divison, we still had the highest in the country.

    Middlesborough.Yet another team who have no chance over anything other than a cup. Not a nice area to be honest. Midtable team.

    Sooner these go down the better.

    Newcastle United. King Kevin Keegan in charge for the second time, the biggest of sleeping giants, always a passionate atmosphere when they play United, Sunderland etc, not so much so when they play Derby. If, and that is a huge if, they sign some decent players instead of the usual letdown and has beens the they have a good shout of qualifing for Europe.

    The one thing that gets me is how the North East is a hotbed of football, balls.

    Portsmouth. Won the FA Cup, good team in fact and if they build on this year could finish 5th I reckon. If Rangers can get to a UEFA Cup final then Pompey have a chance. Manager is a bit dodgy though.

    Stoke City - Same as Hull, it is good to have two new teams but I think unless the spend wisely will be battling for 19th place with Hull.

    Sunderland. - Similar to Newcastle in more ways than one, not just because of their close distance to each other. Roy Keane, a playing legend he is, has not in my opinion shown the same qualities in a manager. Some of the players he has bought have astounded me, Kieran Richardson for example. Athough saying that he is showing he wont take any shit by leaving players out of the squad if they are late.

    Tottenham Hotspur. The last of the old big 5. Aways worth a shout for the cups and quite strong in Europe. If Juande Ramos the manager keeps Bertatov and adds to the squad could be good year. Usually play attacking football.

    West Bromwich Albion. They've been up and down over the last few years and if they use their loaf will learn from past mistakes, think they are quite lucky this year that 2 of the 3 teams coming up haven't got much chance off staying up. This coupled with Fulham I think West Brom will be safe.

    West Ham United. As our resident scouse says, good at bringing through good players, if they could keep hold of them they would be some team. They don't though so other than a good cup run not much to hope for, midtable.

    Wigan Athletic. Think that they will have no problem staying up and has that will be there aim I don't think any spectatular will happen. Good manager in Steve Bruce, seems to get the best out of his players.







    You should still support Chelsea though if you chose them years ago. Never change your team.
    LOVE UNITED HATE GLAZER

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    Quote Originally Posted by ManchesterBroncoLUHG View Post
    Chelsea. The club are starting to be hated more than United though and that would have been unbelievable over 5 years ago.
    Wouldn't have thought it possible....................damn I remember the day's of Gullit & the Tinkerman and neutrals quite like 'em

    We hate them and they hate us. I wouldn't have it anyother way and I'm certain neither would they.
    Too bloody right!!!!!

    They will soon be over taken as the most successful club.
    We'll see

    You should still support Chelsea though if you chose them years ago. Never change your team.
    I'll never criticise anyone for escaping from Chelsea I know I would have done by now
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    I guess the word "supported" would be a little too strong for how I followed Chelsea; I would simply just wish them well with their once-fun squad. Now, though, I really don't like the way the organization has turned, and they really have left a bad taste in my mouth for buying out all of these players...

    Thanks guys for sorting some of these clubs out... still deciding, but I'm sure I'll pick one sooner or later...
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    Alright, I've took a few opinions around, and I'm down to 2: Newcastle and Liverpool.

    Because a slew of US players are leaving Fulham, they fell way down.

    I love the Toon Army, from my research and your guys' opinions, and from Youtube, their game environments are above average, with a look to the future with their new owner. I'm leaning towards them.

    Liverpool is still iffy. They also have a solid fanbase, but I'm not a huge fan of some of their players (Gerrard) but I do like Torres. They have that semi-star appeal (though not too much) like the Red Sox in baseball.
    Quote Originally Posted by OaklandRaider View Post
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    Quote Originally Posted by Broncospsycho77 View Post
    Alright, I've took a few opinions around, and I'm down to 2: Newcastle and Liverpool.

    Because a slew of US players are leaving Fulham, they fell way down.

    I love the Toon Army, from my research and your guys' opinions, and from Youtube, their game environments are above average, with a look to the future with their new owner. I'm leaning towards them.

    Liverpool is still iffy. They also have a solid fanbase, but I'm not a huge fan of some of their players (Gerrard) but I do like Torres. They have that semi-star appeal (though not too much) like the Red Sox in baseball.
    Be very very very careful. You are edging towards tainting your soul for ever. Think of your children, how will you explain to them that you chose to be a scouser.
    LOVE UNITED HATE GLAZER

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    Quote Originally Posted by Broncospsycho77 View Post
    Alright, I've took a few opinions around, and I'm down to 2: Newcastle and Liverpool.

    Because a slew of US players are leaving Fulham, they fell way down.

    I love the Toon Army, from my research and your guys' opinions, and from Youtube, their game environments are above average, with a look to the future with their new owner. I'm leaning towards them.

    Liverpool is still iffy. They also have a solid fanbase, but I'm not a huge fan of some of their players (Gerrard) but I do like Torres. They have that semi-star appeal (though not too much) like the Red Sox in baseball.

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    Arsenal is the only choice!

    Damn the rest of them!

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