w00t. i knew it would be sooner rather than later for owen to score... great left footed striker running away from the keeper. hopefully the slow start is done already so that united can tear a new arsehole in arsenlol...amilol?

[Edited on August 22, 2009 at 3:09 PM. Reason : gg jozy. he will do better in this league than spain. spain requires more technical than speed]

8/22/2009 3:08:45 PM

turf moore is a fortress

8/23/2009 12:53:09 PM

spurs win again! 2-1 over west ham. defoe and lennon with goals.

forgot they played this morning and missed it.

8/23/2009 1:08:01 PM

24 million pounds for Lescott?!? Everton might suck this season but they got an extra 10 million more than they were first offered.

8/23/2009 1:39:26 PM

^^ i decided to be a west ham supporter and thought it started at 10 AND we lost. bleh.

8/23/2009 4:35:20 PM

how'd you decide on West Ham?

not hating, just curious

8/23/2009 8:53:48 PM

you can feel free to flame. because it wasnt a very well thought out decision. i just didn't want to route for one of the big 4, but at the same time have someone that wasn't going to get relegated every other season. nice logo/nickname/colors, players i recognized from a few years ago when id watched some soccer, got an american actually playing in the lineup (nice fuckup today btw spector...i heard, but didnt see), and their rich history of hooliganism made me lol.



[Edited on August 23, 2009 at 10:44 PM. Reason : and who doesn't like bubble songs?]]

8/23/2009 10:42:57 PM

did you see green street hooligans?

8/23/2009 10:46:25 PM

i have not. my friend had it at her place and i learned AFTER i picked them that it was about them. she gave it back already though so didnt get a chance to watch it.

8/23/2009 11:15:11 PM

Actually, if you want to see a PROPER movie about hooliganism, I'd suggest The Football Factory (available on Netflix Instant Stream so you don't even have to wait)



Green Street is alright, but I like TFF better.

8/24/2009 12:52:55 AM

^ I'll have to watch that, never seen it

and yeah, West Ham does have a pretty cool logo/nickname, Upton Park is awesome, and I think Zola's a pimp. I asked because I was wondering how most people just pick a team.

I think I eventually landed on Liverpool because I watched the league as a whole for a number of years and at first, I just liked to watch Gerrard, plus my hatred for Manchester United, and then the first season I think I really started to "follow" them was the year of Istanbul, so of course that confirmed it... so I just kind of settled on Liverpool, even though I can't imagine I'll ever be hardcore about it or anything. I just find it hard to care 100% when I have no genuine interest/connection, and even if people will hate on this, that's why I consider the RailHawks as my "club." The level isn't great, sure, but it's an actual connection to a team. And since it's in the summer, it doesn't conflict with watching/following any other leagues so why the hell not? Soccer is soccer.

8/24/2009 7:49:40 AM

i figure my reasons arent THAT bad. liverpool is the team ill route for of the big 4. they have the least to hate about them and my dad coincidentally sent me a jersey when he was there so i fell into that.

8/24/2009 11:16:48 AM

I'm a n00b trying to pick an EPL team while the season is still young. I don't want to choose an obvious team. Where should I go to read up? I have a feeling I'll just need to watch a bunch of matches and choose that way.

8/24/2009 12:09:27 PM

well I'd check up on brief history, make sure they don't wear Carolina blue jerseys like Citeh, see if they have a cool gameday atmosphere/stadium (it would be depressing getting excited for Boro games only to see the stadium half empty every game) because all that factors in when you have players moving around so much now - if you pick based only on their players/coach, you might be disappointed the next year when they're all gone to a different team... the player turnover is so ridiculous.

8/24/2009 1:08:57 PM

yep...pretty much. Also, a lot of teams have some stereotypes based on their history and their fans.

Chelsea for example seems to be the team supported by many of the London socialites and rich and famous. Their owner has no problem spending money for big name players, very similar to the NY Yankees.

I read a detailed article that brokedown many of the EPL teams based on these stereotypes/traditions a while back and can't for the life of me find it.




Also, if you enjoy Bill Simmons you will enjoy this article
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060719

It's his story of how he chose his EPL Team (Spurs). There are 2 parts.

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 1:39 PM. Reason : add]

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 1:44 PM. Reason : s]

8/24/2009 1:35:26 PM

^ I was just re-reading that SG article after I read your post because I was looking for another fan's guide to the PL

It's funny how he picks Spurs but every other thing I've found says that pretty much every other team, especially the rest of the London teams, HATE Spurs

8/24/2009 1:50:00 PM

yeah i can't seem to find what i was looking for earlier. Most of the guides i'm pulling up are preseason breakdowns.

I had read one some time ago that broke them down based on traditions, fan demographics, etc.





I'm personally an Arsenal fan...yes it was one of those things that ultimately began as FIFA crush on Thierry Henry before they eventually became the bandwagon team to follow during their historic year in 04. They still remain my favorite even though they've been pulling up the rear of the top 4 the last few seasons. They play a very fast game and are incredibly young which is just a spark i love seeing.

8/24/2009 2:17:37 PM

I want to pull for Hull City because of Jozy and I'm not sure I want to jump on any of the big 4's bandwagon. The Spurs actually intrigue me...but I think I'm just going to have to watch as much as I can and see where I get pulled.

8/24/2009 2:47:08 PM

Fulham's an obvious choice because of Dempsey too, plus Roy Hodgson is the freaking man and Craven Cottage has a lot of history (plus if you ever end up going to England for a game, I hear it's pretty easy to get tickets there) and a pub named after Brian McBride

8/24/2009 2:51:55 PM

roll the dice and go portsmouth. they look excellent this year...

8/24/2009 3:17:47 PM

other than the beating they took saturday?

8/24/2009 3:20:31 PM

i'm pretty sure he was being facetious

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 3:35 PM. Reason : lolverpool with the own goal. ]

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 3:36 PM. Reason : 0-1 Aston Villa]

8/24/2009 3:32:41 PM

damn, i totally overlooked the possibilty of sarcasm

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 3:46 PM. Reason : l]

8/24/2009 3:46:20 PM

fucking LOL at liverpool.

0-2 Aston Villa at the half. they just scored in injury time.

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 3:52 PM. Reason : ^ ]

8/24/2009 3:48:31 PM

fuck

8/24/2009 3:54:32 PM

hard to argue with the refs on that...definitely a corner and you had to let them take it before half.


btw...after watching 45 minutes of Torres' whining...it's safe to say I won't land on Liverpool.

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 4:02 PM. Reason : .]

8/24/2009 4:01:24 PM

well that means no Chelsea or United because they're just as bad. Chelsea's the worst (see: Barcelona game last year and any time Drogba plays) and United are pretty bad too (see: Fulham game last year where Rooney acted like a little bitch, and Scholes every single time he makes a dirty ass tackle acting like he got screwed over with the foul call)

I was going to say Arsenal, but I can't really think of anyone other than Van Persie who is like that, now that Adebayor's gone.


haha here's that Rooney red card, its the best video I can find - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQrFDRMIxpw

[Edited on August 24, 2009 at 4:12 PM. Reason : "rooney having a cry"]

8/24/2009 4:09:17 PM

RVP has been pretty good about it so far this year, but we are only 2 matches in.

8/24/2009 4:14:44 PM

If you're trying to pick someone and not get on the bandwagon, but you also don't want to be following the Championship next season, I'd say any of the following are acceptable (although plenty of these have had scares of going down in the past few seasons). Man City isn't in the big 4 yet, but they're sure to get plenty of bandwagoners this season. I'm just waiting to spot my first Man City jersey in the Raleigh area.

Not quite good enough for the Champions League, but threats for a Carling Cup and possibly Europa League football in a given year:
Tottenham Hotspur
Everton
Aston Villa
West Ham
Fulham

8/24/2009 4:15:48 PM

^^ it's hard to whine when you're beating the shit out of teams

8/24/2009 4:16:17 PM

you are right, winning always seems to help

8/24/2009 4:31:22 PM

Chelsea was the first team I ruled out due to Drogba...I get pissed off every time I see his face.

^^^That list is pretty good...Tottenham Hotspur for some reason is grabbing me...but I'll let this play out.

8/24/2009 4:43:20 PM

reasons i am an Aston Villa fan:

1) my friend is from Birmingham...die hard AV fan, even has the emblem tattoo'd on his leg.
2) they have a coach named Kevin McDonald
3) their away jerseys are Carolina Panthers colors, and i'm completely fine with that.
4) they have sucked for a long time and will be an underdog again this year
5) they are not Chelsea, Man U, Birmingham, or Arsenal

8/24/2009 4:59:46 PM

speaking of aston villa, they played a great game today beating lpool. i think lucas might be the worst player on a top team right now

8/24/2009 8:14:34 PM

lolverpool

8/24/2009 8:35:00 PM

Lolcas Lolva

8/24/2009 9:27:56 PM

Lolcas Lolva indeed

There's no way Plessis/Spearing can be any worse at this point, fuck it

8/24/2009 9:45:21 PM

the loss of alonso is far greater for lolverpool than the loss of ronaldo for utd...man utd can keep their shape on whatever side ronlawldo was playing on since hes not gonna lay on the ground crying for a call and not playing defense

8/24/2009 10:01:16 PM

im not liking this fox football fone-in without steven cohen on fsc...doesnt have the same feel, plus i hate wynlawlda

8/24/2009 11:01:22 PM

epic triple post

this image showing up? if yes, lol. if not



[Edited on August 25, 2009 at 12:26 AM. Reason : hmm]

8/25/2009 12:26:22 AM

Quote :

"the loss of alonso is far greater for lolverpool than the loss of ronaldo for utd"

So far, obviously

(and this isn't making excuses for Liverpool's two losses) but there's a big difference between Spurs @ WHL, Stoke, and Villa and Birm, @Burnley, and @Wigan...

Wigan was the first United game I've had the chance to watch this year and their midfield was non-existent in the first half... and it wasn't exactly bossing the game when the goals came in the 2nd half either. It'll be interesting to see how they play against a better midfield.


how can you blame the absence of Alonso when they're obviously getting plenty of chances?

Quote :

"All reports of Liverpool's defeat to Aston Villa have two things in common - all mention Xabi Alonso and all make Brad Friedel the man of the match. Come on fellas, you can't have it both ways. Either Liverpool were missing a creative presence in midfield or they were thwarted by a goalkeeper in ridiculously good fettle. The truth is that the Xabi stick is a very convenient weapon to wield at Rafa Benitez, but this particular defeat to Aston Villa owed nothing to the Spaniard's absence. Liverpool had 68% possession and 19 attempts on goal (11 of them on target) - this is not a side struggling to create chances, but a team who either scuffed those chances or saw them clawed away by the inspired Friedel. Neither can this defeat be laid at the door of negative tactics because Liverpool were on the front foot from the opening whistle and Villa barely left their own half in the opening 15 minutes. Had that goalmouth scramble ended in the goal their early endeavours deserved then it could easily have been a repeat of the 5-0 drubbing of last season. "

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,13320_5512476,00.html

[Edited on August 25, 2009 at 7:46 AM. Reason : link]

8/25/2009 7:43:40 AM

Sol Campbell signs for League 2's Notts County? The Notts County revolution is in the beginning stages? Get on the oldest club team in the world's bandwagon so that you can say you were there before it was the cool thing to do.

8/25/2009 2:34:32 PM

I picked one helluva year to support Everton.

8/25/2009 2:52:25 PM

^^ ... a 5 year deal

8/25/2009 3:43:05 PM

jozy scored for hull in his first start for them in the carling cup. impressed the manager again. USA! USA! USA!

8/25/2009 9:19:18 PM

Haha, did anyone see the Millwall-West Ham highlights from last nights Carling Cup match? Dumbasses... I guess that's why I like West Ham. Remind me of State... The only game I went to a Upton Park was a crazy atmosphere. They beat Chelsea back in like May '03...

8/26/2009 5:20:31 PM

lol @ crystal palace cheerleaders

8/27/2009 4:05:51 PM

crystal palace sounds like a strip club anyway.

8/27/2009 4:29:15 PM

lol you right.

oh btw, take a look at my Aston Villa team on your fifa wii. its the last load profile (6 i thnk). check out that team ive built up and how much money ive made selling people

8/27/2009 4:44:45 PM

Chelsea/Burnley predictions?

8/28/2009 10:15:03 AM