Choosing an EPL side
 

So..I'm sitting here working from home today and it just so happens that the Champions League semifinal is on. And I have Fox Soccer Channel too.

So I was thinking, "maybe I should find a team to root for." Especially since the Blue Jays aren't planning to win much these days in baseball.

Anyway...I guess I don't even know where to start.

I know Bill Simmons did this a few years back. But..he's lame and so, I'd come here and get some ideas/suggestions/comments on this whole thing.

So...where does on begin?

1st Step: I'd wait two more games until the end of the 06-07 season. That way you KNOW the team that you choose will be up in 07-08.

2nd Step: Avoid the Big Four (Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal), unless you want to be considered a bandwagon fan.

3rd Step: Look for a team that either plays attacking soccer (lots of goals scored/given up), or plays bigger then it should be (Reading is a big one, Fulham/Wigan are around there, but they're in the quagmire of a relegation battle)

I guess not really on topic and a bit of a thread jack, but I find your lack of faith in the Blue Jays quite disturbing. If they can hold the fort until Ryan comes back (healthy and not giving up runs the way he did to start the season), with this lineup they should have a shot at the wild card.

Yes, I'm a bit biased towards them, but so long as the pitching staff is respectable (and the rotation can be, the pen should be pretty stable once Ryan returns), it shouldn't be out of the question.

As for the topic at hand, yeah, way outside my area of knowledge, good luck with your search.

I was just kidding. I love the Jays more than any other team. I mean, even the Devils, because I've been a Jays fan longer and I'm FROM New Jersey no less.

The Jays aren't nearly as crap as we were during the Gord Ash era and Rogers is spending money, so I have no real complaints. And whenever my Red Sox, Yankee or Oriole friends heckle me, I always say "it's a long season, relax."

So...it's cool. It was just a segue mentioning the Jays at all. Though surely we'd agree that the uniforms needs to be switched to put the Canadian flag back in there somewhere. In OOTP, I've resorting to changing the logos back to the 1977-1995 era.

I'd meant to do this a few weeks ago and forgot to ask about it.

:)

I dunno Foz - I got into Liverpool 4-5 years ago, and I don't think it neccessarily makes you a bandwagon fan - there's a lot about the club in terms of history and lore that's remarkably appealing, in a way that johnny-come-lately's like Chelsea simply don't have. :twocents:

In the same way, I can understand why Arsenal are popular - they play better football than just about anyone, and its easier for someone getting into the game.

IMO, rooting shouldn't be a chore.

I'm okay with picking up a team that gets relegated. Yeah, it'd be harder to watch them on TV, but...that's ok. It'll test my fan mettle from the start.

And I pretty much planned to avoid any of the clubs that would go against my grain as a fan of teams that are perhaps successful or maybe not, but never, ever juggernauts.

I'd look at the midtables then, Charlton, Wigan, Fulham, Blackburn, Manchester City, Reading

Fulham DOES have three Americans on its roster (Bocanegra, Dempsey, McBride)

(edit: Oh yeah, if you can, get DirecTV, a DVR and FSC/Setanta for like 6-7 games a week)

I do really, really enjoy the history of teams. It's pretty neat to have all of that. And consider that none of the teams I root for in other sports are "older, experienced" teams...it probably means that I could be wooed by a cool story or players that are young, interesting, etc.

My favourite teams that I've rooted for are:

NBA: I don't really care. I'm partial to the Nets because I'm from Jersey. But since they're "supposedly" moving, I've just stopped caring. The Raptors are okay.
NHL: New Jersey Devils
MLB: Toronto Blue Jays
NFL: New York Jets
MLS: Really, really, really don't care.

I really only root for the Devils and Blue Jays. I like to see the other teams do well and that's about it.

Fozzie is right about the big four, avoid them to avoid the bandwagon. That would be like a European supporting the Yankees.

Also avoid the relegation battlers, what's the point of supporting a team that may be off the tv after only one year? So that gets rid of whichever three teams come up plus Wigan, Fulham, Sheffield Utd, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth (one season wonders), Reading (sophomore slump), Blackburn (probably not relegation, just boring).

So that gets us down to a more manageable 6 teams: Tottenham, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle Utd, Manchester City, Bolton.

Discount Tottenham, normally a good choice but I'm pretty sure that's who Simmons chose. Discount Bolton because they're violent long ball cloggers. Discount Man City because they're Man City. Discount Newcastle Utd because they're vaguely bandwagonish despite the lack of success, plus people might think you chose because of the movie Goal! (which sucked).

So that gets us down to Everton or Aston Villa. Flip a coin?

Go Everton if you want to live with a constant inferiority complex to Liverpool (or martyr's complex, if you prefer). Go Aston Villa if you're OK with pretty constant mediocrity, though when they've had decent managers they've been pretty good.

I disagree with avoiding the big 4. WHo cares if people think you are a bandwagon fan as long as you know you are not? I began following Liverpool in the early 90s because of their history, tradition and the lore of Anfield.

Since then of course they have never won a title although they did win Europe in 2004-05 and have had UEFA, FA and League Cup success. If you truly appreciate the club who cares what others think.

Go to Wikipedia or other soccer sites and read up on the history of some of the teams, visit their supporters sites and read more there. Maybe you will just find something that grabs you. Also, play Football Manager and you may discover your favourite club there.

He's a Blue Jays fan. It'll feel familiar.

Tottenham is a good choice - an exciting strike partnership in Robbie Keane/Dimitar Berbatov. The two Jermain(e)'s (Defoe and Jenas) are exciting players as well, and I'd pay to watch Aaron Lennon.

Interesting topic and I hope to one day be able to see enough matches on tv, without having to justify the expense, to follow the EPL closely.

If and when I'm in that position what club to you think a Cub fan should follow?:D A team that will on occasion break you heart and always leave you "waiting 'til next year".

Manchester City.

Big team, large fan base, long suffering, never wins anything despite throwing around the cash = Newcastle United.

I do play a lot of WWSM, though not recently. Maybe it's time to fire her up and see what I can't manage to do. Good plan.

Why? Now seems to be the perfect time to jump into this league, especially Red Bull New York. And why limit yourself to only English clubs?

:D

I watch MLS games when they are on. But honestly, it has the hardest time holding my attention. A lot of it has to do with the single-entity structure, the lack of organic player movement. Once there is a team in Portland, Rochester or Philadelphia..I might decide to root for one of them. Mostly because I just want to see the league hit up different kinds of markets. And the whole existance of Chivas USA really undermines the league's credibility in my mind, though the soccer-specific stadiums are impressive.

It's akin to watching minor league baseball. It's kitsch, but it's just not doing it for me.

And I'm not really limiting myself to English clubs. I'd envision a favourite team in each of the European leagues as time goes on. At least for the ones that I care about. This was just a start and prompted largely because of the game that's on now.

This would be the same Chelsea that was winning European trophies before Liverpool did anything on the continent? The one that just completed a century in its original stadium?

I actually agree with most of what you're saying. Just couldn't let you get away with slandering my team :D .

If you like constant disappointment you can root for the team that I root for, Newcastle United ;). Always buying a few nice names in transfer market, but never the right positions (get some defenders will you?!!) and while threatening for a decent position, end up mid table.

Oh, and you can curse at "Fat Freddie" all you want.

Indeed... I'm trying to get back into MLS (I left it for a while after following the Metrostarts in the mid 90s). I'll looking at Red Bull NY, since I'm from Jersey and followed the Metros, but I REALLY want a team in the SouthEast to back.

Definitely. Bonus points, they have an idiot for a chairman and a manager who doesn't have his qualifications. :D

Tottenham hands down. The most exciting team in the EPL, they are like the Soccer version of Coryell's Chargers. You can usually count on their games being back and forth and can count on spectacular plays by both sides.

Berbatov and Keane are both solid strikers and Aaron Lennon is possibly the most exciting player in the EPL, he isn't great on Defense and can be streaky, but when he is on, give him the ball in open space and it is usually magical......and just barely turned 20. Chimbonda is also arguably one of the more offensive Defenders in the EPL and a great Ball handler.

Aston Villa. I'm choosing them. And considering that WWSM 07 just came in the mail today and this thread was posted today, I think all the signs are aligned for me to finally get into this game this year. :D

Cmon - Arsenal have this, hands down. In full flow, there is no better team to watch.

MLS was the first top-level pro league into Columbus, although their other teams have all been in "traditional" markets.

Arsenal may play prettier football, but I'm not sure there's a more exciting team to watch than Tottenham. They strike me as having more reliable finishing, plus their defense is not nearly at the same level as their offense, leading to more high-scoring games.

Fixed it for you


And I agree here, Arsenal is the more technically sound side, but if you want a team that will always have you glued to the TV it has to be Spurs as most of their games are up for grabs all the way through.

You can either support Manchester City or be a wanker. Your choice.

I choose Wanker.....hell you can even call me faggoty if you like, more than a fair trade :)

Fixed it for you :)

My wife will love this post - she's a City fan :D

When you walk......through a storm......

Are you suggesting he supports Celtic? ;)

If he can answer the question, "Where in Ireland is Glasgow"? He's a Celtic fan ;)

Is there a Spanish equivalent of Tottenham out of curiosity?

Maybe Villarreal, The Yellow Submarine?

I'd say Sevilla actually, but its a toss up.

I suppose Dark Cloud could really go out on a limb and pick one of the newly promoted sides, Sunderland, Birmingham or whoever wins the Championship playoff. I can't say I know much about them though beyond their rival clubs and the fact that Roy Keane manages the Black Cats.

Damn...backfired :)

I'd rather be pummeled by an assortment of UFC champions. I've seen about five Man City games this year and they have never failed to bore me to tears. :p

I asked a Scottish buddy of mine a few years ago for a team that was not necessarily always at the top but was always a tough game for their opponents and was a scrappy sort. He suggested Bolton, and that's been my team since -- though along those same sorts of teams I've enjoyed the hell out of both Reading and Watford this year.

Or if he is really adventurous maybe a conference side. Rushden and Diamonds anyone? :)

I have been a Tottenham fan for the last 6 years or so since learning about them when I first picked a team for my original foray into CM/FM/WWSM.

I wanted a team that has history of being good but never being dominant for a long stretch. I didn't want a big 4 team. I wanted a relatively underacheiving team (at the time) who was a midtable side that had the potential to improve and compete with the big 4. Tottenham met all of those criteria at the time and have since proven to be the perfect choice for me.

There is no superiority complex among the club or the supporters as they have recently been a fairly midtable side that improved to compete for UEFA Cup and Champions League spots (the top 6 spots in the EPL) over the last 2 years. There was several years of frustration during my early pulling for them as the were mired in the midtable and seemed to not be able to do anything right.

Now they have Martin Jol who has them playing a very attacking style of play and is fun to watch. For some reason I always seem to be able to find there games on FSC (live or replay later in the week) to record with my DVR. They have alot of great young talent now that will hopefully blossom to lead us on to much better things (hopefully UEFA Cup next year and CL after that?). Aaron Lennon comes to mind as the most exciting player out of the young guys. Jermain Defoe is exciting also but has not played well with Berbatov who was the big signing at forward for this year. Robbie Keane (the scoringest Irishman ever) never fails to impress. People seem to either love or hate Jermain Jenas (I usually hate him) but he can be very exciting or rip your heart out with his failure to put the ball in the net with golden chances. Ledley King is a very exciting centerback who has played very well over the last three years but seems to have been bitten by the injury bug this whole season. Dawson is his partner at the back and makes a great tandem with him but without King his lack of speed is magnified. Our #1 keeper is also the England #1 and was playing very well over the last 3 years until he gave up a blunder goal trying to clear a ball for England and has simply not looked the same since!

The clubs front office seems to consistently be making moves to bring in the best young talent to White Hart Lane starting with the best young english players. That being said they have not shown a willingness to overpay for any player like some of the bigger clubs do all the time. With our stadium being smaller (I think about 35K - compared to the 75-80K of the bigger clubs) and I would assume the merchandising sales worldwide being much smaller than the ManU's, Arsenals, Liverpools, and the Chelseas of the world we simply can't afford to make alot of mistakes by overpaying.

So at this point I think Spurs (Tottenham is the best team to pick).

-Perrenial underdog to the Big 4.
-Potential to compete with them soon but riding a very fine line and may -simply tear all of our hearts out with a few blunders over the next few years.
-Willingness to buy good players.
-Good young talent on the team.
-Playing an attacking style that is fun to watch.
-Won't be in a position soon to compete financially with the Big4 for signings due to having a much smaller stadium - though there have been long range plans going on for years to build a new stadium.

Reading is a tough, scrappy team who has definitely overachieved. As long as they stay out of European Competitions they would be a good choice if you can't bring yourself to support Spurs. If they qualify for Europe the additional games may prove taxing on their depth and make for a long Season.

Liverpool is the only correct choice, of course.

I would like to pick an EPL team to root for as well. I've been following everyone's suggestions here and read up on Charlton Athletic on Wikipedia. You can only get so much information about a club off of a website. Can someone tell me about their reputation around the league?

PS- I am a diehard Cleveland Indians fan, if that helps. ;)

Charlton would be a good choice for you :) They were formed in 1905. They have been a fair to middling EPL side going through relegation 2-3 times since they first cracked the first division in 1936. Current run has seen them in the EPL since 1989 I believe.....Here is a link to the Addicks home page where you can read up on them.

http://www.cafc.co.uk/default.ink

Heh - Charlton is likely to be relegated. I'd say if you're looking for a young, scrappy team - someone like Reading isn't bad, although Sunderland could be interesting as well (though they are genuine sleeping giants).

Oh, as for most exciting squad, bollocks to the rest of you, it's Newcastle. You never know when two of our players are going to engage in fistfights on the pitch ;).

Did you miss the part where he mentioned he was a Cleveland fan ;)

I've seen the stadium there and was impressed with their commitment to the sport before other markets jumped in. And of course, hockey followed MLS there.

I didn't - but a non-EPL team is significantly harder to follow here in the States. :D

Geez I may have to concede this, only because it's actually like a Hockey fight and not a sissy Baseball or Basketball slapfest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0f0a...related&search=

To be fair, that's a fight that many would wish both guys could lose. Lee Bowyer iis a scary, scary man.

Yeah he is, a couple more Gems from the Bow man....Dude has serious temper issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUtY8nPIJDA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYU0ARvwygs

Thank god, the Magpies let him go. Talented, yes... but completely off his rocker. Dyer may get hurt a lot more, but I'll rather have him, thanks.

I actually read a lot about Sunderland as well. They seem interesting but it seems like they could be a lot to drop back down next year. I gather that having Roy Keane as manager has done a lot to stabilize the club and help put them on the map (so to speak).

I would suggest reading up on the league, playing a video game, etc... I picked Tottenham 100% arbitrarily to start an EPL career in FIFA05, played a couple seasons then decided I should watch some games. The first one that was televised was Arsenal-Tottenham and that basically clinched it. Supreme coincidence I guess.

I would personally avoid a handful of teams that are almost never on TV. You really don't want a relegation battler either, since that could get impossible to keep up with in season 2.

I see them as having some real appeal as well, but the last 2 times they were in the premiership they 1) set and then 2) broke their own record for worst ever finish in the league (lowest point totals). food for thought.

forget about the EPL and support Barca

Well, at the very least there are probably 4 or 5 viable La Liga options if you can get GolTv wherever you are. It's the only other league I've seen that I could definitely see getting into.

edit: actually that's a lie... if some league had full-blown coverage of the Eredivisie, i could see watching those crazy Dutchmen scorefests. :D

I'll second that La Liga is effing awesome. I really like Esapnyol.

-first i'd watch the EPL review show (sundays on FSC re-runs during the week) and see if a team speaks to you

-decide if you want a London based team or if location doesnt matter

-decide on what style of play you want

-decide how big/rich a team you want, or how important winning is



Man Utd = Yanks, evil empire, best player in world, very English/British players but world wide brand name. in northwest

Liverpool = Dodgers, More history then anyone but haven't won league in a long while but do great in the Cup competitions, American owners, new stadium in works, Very English/Spanish. northwest

Chelsea = Redsoxs, long over shadowed history, billionaire owner and brash manager lead to new era with no shortage of money, trophies, and drama. more big changes coming? london

Arsenal = Braves, prettiest team in the league, win a lot but a lot of let downs as too. Very French, least British team. london

Tottenham = Mets, overshadowed and underacheving but a lot of talent and best of the non-big four. london

Bolton, Blackburn, Middlesbourgh, Shef Utd, Man City, Wigan, Charlton, Watford. all very english but not much to get excited about. almost all non-london

Newcastle, Everton, Portsmouth = Cubs, deciated fans but not a lot of trophies. Very english, all with a decent amount of money. Everton has future USMNT keeper. all non-london

Aston Villa = Toronto, New American owner trying to put some money into team but a ways off. midlands

Fulham, more Americans players then anyone else but not good. london

West Ham, Reading, Birmingham, Sunderland. first two are finishing first promoted season next two are re-joining next season. Hammers are underacheivers but have great young players. Birmingham and Reading are trap teams, Reading in particular b/c they play a great stlye to lure you in but are overachievers and may lose best player in offseason. Sunderland are an ugly bunch with a great hard as nails manager

Solid Analysis, but West Ham has been in the EPL for a while, Reading is the only squad that has not been in the EPL.

I've been watching/following the EPL off and on for about 30 years - back when it was the English 1st Division. I've never had a favorite that I've stuck with as I've usually followed an underdog of one sort or another.

This last season I discovered Colchester United playing in the Championship - one rung below the Premier League. What intrigued me about them was the fact that they were playing in a 6000 seat ground and averaging about 5000 a game. What surprised me was the fact that they were playing well enough to challenge the leaders and were an outside chance of promotion. They had a terrible last game against fellow outsiders Stoke where they were leading 1-0 but lost 1-3.

I just loved the fact that they were such a small club in terms of attendance but were playing well enough to contend for a place in the top flight.

Most of the EPL squads have a couple FOFC fans at least, from what I have seen. To my knowledge, I am the lone Boro fan on FOFC (and maybe in the States).

I'm not going to tell you we will win championships. I'm not going to tell you we have boring or exciting football (we tend to the defensive, but we're really sorta in the middle both attacking and defending).

I can tell you we have been in the EPL for most of the last 40 years, and we're not going to go down this year either (despite saome grouping us in relegation battler groups above). We won the League Cup just three years ago, and got to the UEFA Cup final two years ago. Our manager was promoted to lead one of the top national sides in the world in England. We are currently managed by our former skipper defensive stalwart Gareth Southgate. We have one of the more exciting wings in the world in Stewart Downing. And we have done all this from a little pudunk industrial port on the frigin northeast coast of England. Middlesbrough only has about 100,000 people.

Despite that, our chairman dreams big and spends big. The management team goes after as big as we can think we can get. And we hate freakin' Newcastle. They're abit up the coast, and they have attitudes like the Yankees, but without the success (think Notre Dame circa 2000). We have a pleasing, vibrant red for our main color in our kits, as supposed to that boring black and white shite that the Magpies wear.

We need all the support we can get, because we are certainly a perennial underdog with our limited resources. And as if that's not enough, we can test any fan's mettle. We can get blown out at home by a bad road squad in Villa, but then go into Old Trafford and hold United to a draw (we just did all that in the past 2-3 weeks). It's maddening, but I love it. We bring in big "names" like a Viduka, Woodgate, Yakubu, and seem like we're on the cusp, so there's excitement every year. But we often fall short, making every win worth that much more.

So come join me Teeside and support the Boro. Oh and Shearer is a git. Take that, Issidiqui. :)

It's true. If you pick the right game, you'll get a guaranteed high scoring game. Although, the league is changing a bit, this season there was a record of 4 0-0 games in the same week (total of 22 0-0s in 306 games). Yeah, I know, the Italians would just laugh: "4 0-0s a lot? It's rare to have less than 4 in a given week here!" And then you look at the week 34 scores and noticed a 7-0, a couple of 5-1s and a couple of 3-2s. It's true.

Did someone say bandwagon ? :D

I live in barcelona but can't stand the barça anymore, you see it everywhere here.
In the liga I tend to support Valencia, in France Rennes and in the EPL Arsenal.

Surely, for a Newcastle fan constant disappointment is not the major problem? The main fault has to be constant false hope and expectations? Once you realise that no matter what happens or who you sign the Geordies will never win anything, you'll never be disappointed again ;)

Glad to be of service :)

For the original poster, go with who you want to go with - if it's Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or whoever, as long as you stick with them in the future it's fine. Picking a currently successful team is OK, changing allegiance if they falter is the big no-no.

My advice?

Pure quality of football entertainment: Arsenal, Tottenham, Reading, Man U
Likelihood of winning something now - the big 4
Sleeping giant (risky choice, possibly major rewards) - Aston Villa (Martin O'Neill factor), Tottenham, (alright then Imran :) ) Newcastle, to a lesser extent Everton, Sunderland
Plucky underdog - Reading, Bolton, Portsmouth
Battling underdogs (only for the brave) - Sheffield Utd, Wigan, Fulham, Birmingham
Owned by Americans - Liverpool, Man U, Aston Villa
Off the radar, hopefully to reclaim plucky underdog status in the next couple of years - Leicester City. Now owned by an American, currently languishing in the Championship, but should benefit from a cash injection in the summer. You know it makes sense :D

When you get round to selecting a German favorite, I'd suggest Eintracht Frankfurt purely because of this video:

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N10r3uuRaZk

You could go for Blackburn Rovers. They are one of only 4 teams to have won the Premier League title, and are often in the running for a UEFA cup spot at the end of the season.

The big guns hate playing Blackburn as they have a surprisingly good record against the top 4. Blackburn were relegated in the late 90s for a couple of seasons, but they are unlikely to be in serious danger of relagation in the next few years.

They also hate Blackburn because Mark Hughes seems to be a fan of the "kick em" strategy at times. :D

This thread is great. Thanks gang. I haven't decided yet, but I'm still researching and this has me on the right track.

All this talk about flowing, offensive football and no one brings up Manchester United, who have scored 20 more goals than the next highest teams in the Prem (most of your beloved Arsenal being one of them). They had some questionable moves a few seasons back, but have since gotten things together and are taking on a more traditional nationalist approach to signings. They currently have the league (and possibly world's) best player form wise in Cristiano Ronaldo, a young, dynamic exciting player with a mean streak and oodles of potential in Wayne Rooney and a good history of promoting players through the youth ranks.

There aren't many people out there who predicted them to have the success they're having this year, so you can play a mini underdog card with them this season as well. Plus, when Roy Keane takes over as manager in a few seasons it will really be fun, because along with Mr. Scholes, he is Manchester United.

Just my two cents.

Here's the thing, if you really want to follow a team they need to be on TV alot in your area. Now I'm not sure where you live, but you can see if there are some local places (read bars) where fans of the team hang out, then you'll have the benefit of watching them with fellow fans which adds alot IMO. Do a search for supporters clubs in your area.

If not, then your only hopes of watching games in the US is Fox Soccer Channel or Setanta. If you want to watch your team every week, you probably need to stick with the big 4 (Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U ... not sure about Arsenal have their own TV shows if you miss the game), but almost always they are on live TV as they are big teams.

If you're ok with only being able to see your team play once every few weeks, then you're probably ok with picking a smaller team. You might want to look for a team that is at least qualified for the CL (Big 4) or Uefa Cup to peak your interest next year.

Personally, I'm a Liverpool fan so I advise you to start there. Having said that, they can be god awful boring at times. I can't with any good faith recommend Man U (old yankees) or Chelsea (new Yankees in terms of buying all the best players) but I can appreciate Arsenal and their fans. Plus they have a lot of young talent to watch grow.

If you want to follow US players, Fulham seems to have the most (if they don't get relegated), Man City has Demarcus Beasley (for now at least) and a few other clubs have one American.

You can call Man U many things (lord knows I have) but underdog is really a stretch. The pundits may have picked Chelsea as the favorites, but being widely recognized as a legit title contender is hardly an underdog. (I will say they have played better than I thought they would this year though).

But ManU is the ultimate bandwagon team ;). People who don't follow soccer know them (while they may look at you funny if you mention Chelsea, Arsenal, or Liverpool). They are, as stated above, the Yankees.

That is why no one has mentioned them. Kind of similar to why few to none have said root for Chelsea.

By the way, Liverpool supporters, you can't really take yourselves out of the big-spender Yankee comparisons, Liverpool have shelled out close to 80 million pounds in the last few seasons under Benitez.

Reading has Convey and Hahneman. Though Convey, after his injury, seemed to lose his starting position.

Will Keane really manage Man U in the future? I thought his bust-up with Ferguson more-or-less put the kibosh on that (given the immense amount of influence Sir Alex has).

Well, compared to Chelski ... we've spent a pittance for our CL Final. Chelski has spent a fortune this year for a League Cup. :) We also haven't spend $30MM or whatever on a player like say Carrick and we had to actually sell some players to raise money. But compared to the rest of the league, very true. We'll see what happens with the new owners.

I said mini underdog and you can argue that with the recent successes of Chelsea [premiership titles], Arsenal [champ league final, prem titles] and Liverpool [champs league success], they haven't tasted the same amount of trophies recently. Obviously Manchester United will never be a 'real' underdog any time in the forseeable future, but I always like to have an 'us vs them' mentality.

Players bought by Rafa Benitez at Liverpool - total spending = £81,596,000

Players sold by Rafa Benitez at Liverpool - total revenue = £38,475,000

A net outlay of £43m, and their fans are still whining about being unable to keep up with the other big guns.

You're kidding right? You spent 18.6 (pounds) on Carrick, 27 on Rooney and 28.1 on feakin Juan Verion. Not to mention what you were willing to spend on Hargreaves had he been available. Show me anyone on the Liverpool team that cost near that amount. I don't really need to show Chelsea numbers do I? I think SWP and Shev alone (as bench players) could over that.

Rafa has spent (rather frugally in comparison) to basically completely rebuild a team that was rather weak after the Hollier years.

Been a Villa fan since 1997 when I stayed outside Birmingham for a few weeks.

Probably the best team to pick for an all around experience. In the last 10 years there's been nearly every experience including the last few seasons of supporting a completely and utterly hopeless team and starting every season hoping not to get relegated.

Since Lerner bought the team this season, things are definitely looking up. Martin O'neill is the most optimistic, positive manager in the league and he's perfect for helping along the second best group of young players in the league (behind Arsenal).

I really, really think Villa and Tottenham have the best chance of being able to challenge the top teams in the league consistently. Villa's a season or two behind in the growth cycle and the bandwagon is pretty empty.

Lastly, get goltv and start watching La Liga!!!! It's much better top to bottom and there's all sorts of idiosyncrasies about Spain that make the weekly games much more interesting if you don't have a real rooting interest in any particular team.

^^ I think that's the key point. Granted it was the clubs's own doing, but they had to buy bodies and couldn't go after names (plus they weren't able guys like VN and Beckham, and the one value player we had we got fleeced on (owen) . I think that will change now.

Anyways, back on topic: The teams I would recommend following in order are:
1. Liverpool (duh)
2. Arsenal
3. Newcastle (bad few years, but great following and solid team)
4. Tottenham (bad year, but fun/team)
5. Man City (if they keep Bease, plus I have a soft spot for them from FM2005)
6. Bolton - good team, outside the big 4. But not sure where they are going with Sammy Lee in charge, even though I like Sammy.

Benitez wanted/needed to remake his team, hence the need to buy more cheaper players instead of fewer expensive ones like United to complement a more established team.

ManU has spent more in net obviously, but it's not that big a difference.

I also seem to recall several of Liverpool's transfers going undisclosed, most recently Mascherano, and I'm not sure whether that's factored in.


Apologies for the unbiased view. Continue pissing.

I would say he had to remake the team. Other than Gerrard, Carragher and Owen there wasn't much there. But I get your point.

Mascherano btw is on loan (he hasn't been bought by the team yet). I don't think there are any other major undisclosed ones, but I could be wrong.

I do like Martin O'neil and think he's a good coach for that team. Should be interesting to see if Lerner ponies up some money so he can get a few mores quality signings.

Actually,

I am still trying to decide. It is between Everton and Aston Villa. I plan on reading more about their history and maybe catch a game or two or something before I decide. I tell you baseball was much easier to decide then this, I was born in Boston, so I did not really have a choice. :D

Wow, I'm out of it: I had no idea O'Neill was currently manager of Villa. He's a quality manager (almost as good as me in FM2007! ), and I'd expect them to go from strength-to-strength in the near future.

If only Peterhead was on TV more....

I'll pimp Newcastle in the EPL and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

That's really mean.

It's not that bad. Sure, Newcastle is headed in the wrong direction, but Atletico Madrid is up-and-coming. Probably looking at UEFA Cup this year, Champions League in the future. Torres looks committed to staying on, as well.

Also going to throw my Newcastle hat into the rink. The fan following they have is top notch, and in my opinion they have the best kits in the EPL. :)

actually not

Heh - Athletico has been up-and-coming for years - they have a self-destructive talent that matches Newcastle, though unlike the Geordies, they have actually won something (La Liga in 1992). Raul was a youth player at Athletico until he was cut, and went to Real instead - to become Spain's leading goal scorer. :D