Planning on starting to watch Football as a Second Sport - Need Advice

[ahmedwaqas92]

Needless to say, and I think it's safe to assume that cricket is and will always be my first love. However seeing how all of my close friends and colleagues are not really interested in the world of the willow and leather I have decided to take up Football as the second sport I might be willing to spend some time on.

Now I have never really religiously followed Football as a fan but I am not completely oblivious to how the game is played. I am aware of the basic principles and rules of how any particular game of Football operates however, I've never really followed any particular team or rooted for any club / country over the years - Plus since Pakistan is probably the minnowesque minnow in the most popular sport in the World my interest in the latter never really took off to begin with.

Now comes the real question; I am looking for advice on actually which club / league I should start watching and following, please keep in mind that I am a complete noob who would not be well verse in Football strategy or the small nuances that carry the game. What I am looking for is exciting matches between competitive teams that I can enjoy in my casual time along with my primary interest i.e. cricket.

I'll be honest here I won't devout to the preceding notion religiously (as something I've done with cricket over the years) however, if it catches my attention to a point where I would be intrigued on my own then I would most certainly take this sport up for the long haul.

Additionally, people who actually watch Football would you recommend on watching this sport in a similar fashion to how I might look at cricket or is the game of soccer entirely different in pace/excitement/result ?? Furthermore, I would also love other posters to recommend me alternative options, other than Football to take up as a second sport. I would like to add that I am a huge Basketball fan but due to the difference of timing between USA and where I live, I hardly ever catch any game live so the thrill of North American sports even though they are exciting as heck, is rather redundant since watching something over a highlights reel doesn't necessarily appeal much.

Anyways this is my question to you guys - Any advice on the matter would be more than appreciated !! Thanks !!

 

[Syed1]

You are just starting now?

Ahmed Waqas I thought you were cool. I have to reevaluate my life now.


On a more serious note, since Pakistan is worse than even war-torn Iraq in football we Pakistanis don't really have a team to support (actually that's not true Canada isn't half bad in North America ), so the first thing you can do is build up your interest in the sport by watching some of the most enthralling matches in the recent history.

Watch Liverpool vs AC Milan Champion's League Final. Watch Italy vs France final in 2006. Watch Spain's rise in the 2000s-2010s. Watch Germany's WC win. Watch videos of Messi, C.Ronaldo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldihno, Maldini, Gerrad, Raul Garcia etc.

This way you would get an understanding of the game's tactics (it is actually like a human sized version of chess) and will also get a sense of the different playing styles that are employed in the sport. You will also realize how physically fit footballers are and how they wipe the floor with cricketers in terms of fitness.

Once you get a sense of the game you will need a little bit of education on the games structure. Basically football is the reverse of cricket, club football reigns supreme with a little bit of international football peppered on top. Most good club sides are good enough to beat most international sides (because they can buy whichever play they want and have 8 months in a year to gel together as a team). Remember teamwork is ALOT more important in football than it is in cricket. Most European countries have their own leagues. England has the Premier League, Germany has Bundesliga, Spain has La Liga, Italy has Serie A, France has Ligue 1 you get the idea. Each league has 20 teams that play at home and away basis and at the end of the season the team with the most points is crowned the champion. There is no final.

To make things even more interesting there is another tournament called the Champion's League which has 32 sides. Some of the bigger nations get direct entry into the league for their top 1-4 sides (for example for England the team's that finish in the top four in the 2015-2016 season will directly qualify for the Champion's league in the 2016-2017 season). There are also some round's of qualification which allows teams from other nation's to get entry into the tournament along with other teams from the bigger nations.


So this is a brief intro to the beautiful game and what a typical year looks like. Obviously you have World Cup and Euro Cup every four years (not in the same year). Football is also played in the Olympics but most countries send their u23 sides.

 

[Sub-Zero]

If you wanna develop the interest in football then play Fifa or PES.

Premier League (English) and La Liga (Spanish) are considered the best leagues, after them it's Bundesliga (German), Serie A (Italian) and Ligue 1 (French), but they are not as competitive as the first 2 I mentioned.

but UEFA Champions League is the biggest event for European football clubs, all top clubs in Europe play in it.
(currently 2 big clubs are out, Chelsea and Man Utd, because they did not qualify for it last season)

Watch World Cup games as well, especially finals and semi finals, they are usually epic.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

You are just starting now?

Ahmed Waqas I thought you were cool. I have to reevaluate my life now.

Haha True that bro.....Although in my defense I was once a very motivated fan of NBA and would follow the latter through and through, season after season - This was back in the day when Kobe Bryant reigned supreme (2006-2008) and would make most blokes look like utter noobs on the court; Plus I was a huge Lakers fan

As I said in the post, the timings for these games were extremely inconvenient for me hence I had to give up on this, plus my studies and other life ordeals really became a hindrance for me to follow it continuously.

On a more serious note, since Pakistan is worse than even war-torn Iraq in football we Pakistanis don't really have a team to support (actually that's not true Canada isn't half bad in North America ), so the first thing you can do is build up your interest in the sport by watching some of the most enthralling matches in the recent history.

Can Football be watched without context ?? I mean because if I watch just any game willy nilly would I be able to make sense of why a given team would be playing the way they would be in that particular game. For example in test cricket one team could be gunning for a win while the other could be aiming for a draw to keep the series alive or to make sure they don't loose enough points that it effects their road towards the test mace ??

Is International Football based on one off contests ?? Like how previously cricket bilateral matches were played without meaning and context ??

Watch Liverpool vs AC Milan Champion's League Final. Watch Italy vs France final in 2006. Watch Spain's rise in the 2000s-2010s. Watch Germany's WC win. Watch videos of Messi, C.Ronaldo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldihno, Maldini, Gerrad, Raul Garcia etc.

I've heard about most of these players multiple times on commentary, videos and other avenues (Apart from Maldini, I don't really know who that bloke is). So are these players like the Football ATGs among all the players who played over the generation ?? I have heard a lot about Maradona and Pele (from many folks) who consider them great / Football GOATs, Is that true or just hearsay ???

This way you would get an understanding of the game's tactics (it is actually like a human sized version of chess) and will also get a sense of the different playing styles that are employed in the sport. You will also realize how physically fit footballers are and how they wipe the floor with cricketers in terms of fitness.

No surprises on the last sentence bro, Football is believed to be extremely demanding than cricket hence it would make sense on the fact that an average Football athlete would be much more athletic and physically capable than many international players.

It also makes sense since many cricketers play Football before a game to get a good warm up and stuff....

Once you get a sense of the game you will need a little bit of education on the games structure. Basically football is the reverse of cricket, club football reigns supreme with a little bit of international football peppered on top. Most good club sides are good enough to beat most international sides (because they can buy whichever play they want and have 8 months in a year to gel together as a team). Remember teamwork is ALOT more important in football than it is in cricket. Most European countries have their own leagues. England has the Premier League, Germany has Bundesliga, Spain has La Liga, Italy has Serie A, France has Ligue 1 you get the idea. Each league has 20 teams that play at home and away basis and at the end of the season the team with the most points is crowned the champion. There is no final.

This sounds a bit of an alien concept but I think the only way I can understand it by watching a few games. I can get the format / template which they are following like the points system and such - similar to the Test Championship that is being planned for a decade but what I don't get is how can a club / county / or a franchise totally get behind them (I mean how can the fans attach to such an artificially developed product as opposed to something like the nation ).

Like how does the loyalty for the brand come in such a scenario. Won't International matches bring more loyalty and prestige than something like a club match between two sides ?? This is the part that I don't understand. In NBA the games are only played and the sport majorly exists as part of the American culture only so it's understandable. How does this work for Football when there are so many international teams that play the game at the same competitive level ??

To make things even more interesting there is another tournament called the Champion's League which has 32 sides. Some of the bigger nations get direct entry into the league for their top 1-4 sides (for example for England the team's that finish in the top four in the 2015-2016 season will directly qualify for the Champion's league in the 2016-2017 season). There are also some round's of qualification which allows teams from other nation's to get entry into the tournament along with other teams from the bigger nations.


So this is a brief intro to the beautiful game and what a typical year looks like. Obviously you have World Cup and Euro Cup every four years (not in the same year). Football is also played in the Olympics but most countries send their u23 sides.

All these games are played in the span of a single year How do they realistically schedule all this amount of games in 365 days .... Genuine Question !!

 

[PakLFC]

Living in Pak can understand Cricket being your number one Sport. If you ever spend time in Europe Football will become your favourite one in no time. It is far ahead of Cricket in terms of appeal, money, fame and excitement. The whole world plays Football, by comparison Cricket is only played by around eight serious countries. I am sure I'd convert you into a Liverpool fan in no time

http://www.pakreds.pk/

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Living in Pak can understand Cricket being your number one Sport. If you ever spend time in Europe Football will become your favourite one in no time. It is far ahead of Cricket in terms of appeal, money, fame and excitement. The whole world plays Football, by comparison Cricket is only played by around eight serious countries. I am sure I'd convert you into a Liverpool fan in no time

http://www.pakreds.pk/

I am actually currently living in the Far East and here Football has somewhat of a decent presence but never has the sport itself appealed to me.

I have spent some time in US as well when I was a kid but my life (majority of it from 4-20) I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan.

I guess you're right, being in regions who don't play Football as much as Europe really could be the reason why I haven't hopped on to it.

Also is Liverpool (The club that you mentioned) are they like the underdogs or leading clubs in the world ??

 

[Slog]

must have a few friends who watch football religiously

hang out with them on game days

 

[Eagle_Eye]

I am actually currently living in the Far East and here Football has somewhat of a decent presence but never has the sport itself appealed to me.

I have spent some time in US as well when I was a kid but my life (majority of it from 4-20) I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan.

I guess you're right, being in regions who don't play Football as much as Europe really could be the reason why I haven't hopped on to it.

Also is Liverpool (The club that you mentioned) are they like the underdogs or leading clubs in the world ??

The most successful of British clubs... but unfortunately, we lack the buying power to match others now..

I started watching NFL recently towards the end of last year, it's a far far more entertaining package and the level of detail and planning is stunning compared to football.

 

[JaDed]

The most successful of British clubs... but unfortunately, we lack the buying power to match others now..

I started watching NFL recently towards the end of last year, it's a far far more entertaining package and the level of detail and planning is stunning compared to football.

The amount of advertising is annoying ,basketball easily beats them at "sport" time,sadly the timing here is in the morning and i can't catch most of the matches.

 

[JaDed]

Football WC is great but unless one is playing the sport don't understand the massive interest between two English clubs playing each other, I tried it because of my friends and the constant streaming of it on sports channels but just never got hooked to it,easier to catch sportscentre.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

The amount of advertising is annoying ,basketball easily beats them at "sport" time,sadly the timing here is in the morning and i can't catch most of the matches.

I watched it on sky.... whenever there is break of play, goes to studio and the analysis... I guess for you, it goes straight to commercials. The late game is pretty late for us too in uk, but the early games are at a more watchable time.

This reminds of once watching non stop commercials interrupted by a cricket match in Pakistan. It was the most infuriating way of watching cricket on TV.

 

[Madplayer]

Last football match i watched from start to end was spain vs netherlands WC final 2010. The team i was supporting won.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

I would suggest to do this. First read about these clubs and their rivalries.

English Premier League - Manchester United , Arsenal , Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool

Bundesliga - Bayern Munich , Borussia Dortmund

La Liga (Spain) - Real Madrid - Barcelona - Atletico Madrid - Valencia

French Ligue 1 - Monaco - Paris St Germain

Italy - AC Milan - Internazionale (previously Inter Milan) - Lazio - Napoli - Roma - Juventus

Once you read about these major clubs, you'll get an idea.

Then go back in time and see who won the Champions League for Last 10-15 years which is Europe's Premier Footballing Competition.

If you come across a team that won, that you don't know about, for instance FC Porto, try to find which league the team is in.

In most instances you'll fall in love with English Premier League and Match of the Day shown on BBC.

I follow Bundesliga more than EPL but still not everyone's cup of tea.


I think you should focus on Europa League next.

I think it's too soon for you to be interested in Premierships of different countries.

Pick Champions League, research on it, then pick Europa League and read up on it.

Try to follow the Champions League this season.

We are into the last 16 and it's pretty interesting.

 

[Sarfarazian92]

If you're a true Pakistani, then start following Arsenal.

They'll keep on disappointing you like the Pakistan Cricket Team.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I personally don't like football because watching league football religiously does not make sense to me. No matter what, you possibly can't have an affection for a particular team because you'd quit as soon as you get a better offer and you never feel the patriotic vibe. I only watch World Cups because at least you get to see some real, intense spirit to win and make your country proud. Unfortunately, World Cups don't happen all the time and mainstream football is restricted to thousands of leagues and clubs.

I would suggest you to watch Tennis instead.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Football WC is great but unless one is playing the sport don't understand the massive interest between two English clubs playing each other, I tried it because of my friends and the constant streaming of it on sports channels but just never got hooked to it,easier to catch sportscentre.

This. I never understood the fascination about supporting random clubs. I tried to fit in way back in 2006 when many in my group were hardcore soccer fans but later i realised that it was just too bland for me. I started following test cricket and tennis more religiously instead.

 

[JaDed]

This. I never understood the fascination about supporting random clubs. I tried to fit in way back in 2006 when many in my group were hardcore soccer fans but later i realised that it was just too bland for me. I started following test cricket and tennis more religiously instead.

I somehow assume all Bangloreans just watch football considering the amount of crazy footie fans and so many sports bars.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I somehow assume all Bangloreans just watch football considering the amount of crazy footie fans and so many sports bars.

Yeah there are loads of football fans. But somehow i never got into it unless it was during the World cup . Although i was a fan of MMA way back at a time when it was not yet cool to follow UFC . It was actually much more diverse back in the day with plenty of basketball and even hockey fans. i think i've followed all of NBA,PHL,FIFA,MotoGP,Cricket,UFC and all the grand slams at some point of time or the other with the exception of league football. But i'm part of a miniscule minority i guess

 

[JaDed]

Yeah there are loads of football fans. But somehow i never got into it unless it was during the World cup . Although i was a fan of MMA way back at a time when it was not yet cool to follow UFC . It was actually much more diverse back in the day with plenty of basketball and even hockey fans. i think i've followed all of NBA,PHL,FIFA,MotoGP,Cricket,UFC and all the grand slams at some point of time or the other with the exception of league football. But i'm part of a miniscule minority i guess

I had friends similar as well followed everything and eventually settling down with a game, many of them chose F-1 couldn't bear that.

 

[proud_pakistani]

FIFA 17 career mode would be great to get you started and acquainted with a lot of players.

I started watching football in the 90s after hearing hype of a certain player known as Michael Owen which is why I started to suppport Liverpool. After he left I still supported Liverpool and they became Champions League winners. It's important to have some favored players. Footballers have great skill sets and are very fit and strong which to me is the reason I really appreciate footballers and which got me
Hooked onto football. The only way to really follow the sport is to appreciate that. Whether it is a fast sprint from a winger, trickery from an attacking midfielder, a cool finish from a striker, a defense splitting pass from a playmaker, a free kick from a set piece specialist you need to appreciate these to really enjoy the sport.

One of the best things from the sport it gives you a lot to talk about and is a great ice breaker and also helped me make some great friends. Also some great rivalries have been built on this.

Start following the English premier league. It's the most competitive league in the world and will give you many great games. Spanish, Italian and German are pretty good too.

 

[Pak_Pace]

I doubt you can just pick a team and start enjoying a sport. Only way to develop a proper interest is to watch it for a long time, if you have the time and motivation to do so. Simply watching matches between big teams would often be a disappointing experience because those matches are usually a borefest due to the strength of the teams and the structure of the league system. (if you want to watch a sport where the highest quality matches are usually between the highest quality players, then take up tennis)

Playing FIFA or FM/CM is an excellent way for newcomers to develop your knowledge of the players, teams and tournaments but of course not everyone is interested in playing games.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Try following your local team. Having a genuine connection to the club really does make a difference.

 

[Rayyman]

I remember the first time I liked Chelsea. I was like 7-8 years old and was playing FIFA. I wanted to use the blue team. Ever since, Chelsea has been my favorite team.

 

[rahulrulezz]

I remember the first time I liked Chelsea. I was like 7-8 years old and was playing FIFA. I wanted to use the blue team. Ever since, Chelsea has been my favorite team.

Bleed blue

 

[PakLFC]

I am actually currently living in the Far East and here Football has somewhat of a decent presence but never has the sport itself appealed to me.

I have spent some time in US as well when I was a kid but my life (majority of it from 4-20) I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan.

I guess you're right, being in regions who don't play Football as much as Europe really could be the reason why I haven't hopped on to it.

Also is Liverpool (The club that you mentioned) are they like the underdogs or leading clubs in the world ??

LFC historically are one the of world's leading Football clubs currently trying to recapture old glories. We are not the wealthiest club in the world yet not the poorest either. In terms of European accomplishment Liverpool are the leading club in the UK having won the European Cup-Champions League five times. Supporting them is a passion like none other. We currently stand fifth in the English Premier League table.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Watch 'Match of the Day', every Saturday evening. Historically the best football show of all time. Since you know the basic rules, every game is analysed in simple terms for the viewers. After only one season you will learn so much. The commentary is also the best in the world, John Motson is the legend in this regard.

The team to support is very easy. Liverpool FC is the greatest club in the world.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Going by the responses here, I think Liverpool seem the most popular club on PP......

Can anyone give me an analogy of the club and Eulogize it as to which cricket team would Liverpool be if it was a Test playing country?? Is it like Pakistan in terms of playing style ? I mean not the Pakistan of Today but of the 90s ??

 

[KingKhanWC]

Going by the responses here, I think Liverpool seem the most popular club on PP......

Can anyone give me an analogy of the club and Eulogize it as to which cricket team would Liverpool be if it was a Test playing country?? Is it like Pakistan in terms of playing style ? I mean not the Pakistan of Today but of the 90s ??

Yes supporting to Liverpool is has been similar to supporting Pakistan. Just to give you an example, this season Liverpool have beaten Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City but lost to Burnley, Hull and others.

It's like Pakistan beating India or Australia one game but losing to Zimbabwe and Ireland the next.

Liverpool also play with a lot of flair as Pakistan do.

 

[Rayyman]

Going by the responses here, I think Liverpool seem the most popular club on PP......

Can anyone give me an analogy of the club and Eulogize it as to which cricket team would Liverpool be if it was a Test playing country?? Is it like Pakistan in terms of playing style ? I mean not the Pakistan of Today but of the 90s ??

If a team is known to have a playing style similar to Pakistan, I would recommend not supporting them.

 

[Yossarian]

Now comes the real question; I am looking for advice on actually which club / league I should start watching and following, please keep in mind that I am a complete noob who would not be well verse in Football strategy or the small nuances that carry the game. What I am looking for is exciting matches between competitive teams that I can enjoy in my casual time along with my primary interest i.e. cricket.

Just go for the league that is most entertaining (not necessarily the best or most skillful, but the most exciting to watch), ie the English Premier League.
And hence (bar the last 3 seasons excluding the current season), support the most entertaining, and by far the biggest, club in the league, The Red Devils, aka Manchester United. You wont go wrong.

 

[Yossarian]

Going by the responses here, I think Liverpool seem the most popular club on PP......

Can anyone give me an analogy of the club and Eulogize it as to which cricket team would Liverpool be if it was a Test playing country?? Is it like Pakistan in terms of playing style ? I mean not the Pakistan of Today but of the 90s ??

Yes, go for the team that has never won the English Premier League since it started, 25 years ago.

Season Champions
1992–93 Manchester United
1993–94 Manchester United
1994–95 Blackburn Rovers
1995–96 Manchester United
1996–97 Manchester United
1997–98 Arsenal
1998–99 Manchester United
1999–2000 Manchester United
2000–01 Manchester United
2001–02 Arsenal
2002–03 Manchester United
2003–04 Arsenal
2004–05 Chelsea
2005–06 Chelsea
2006–07 Manchester United
2007–08 Manchester United
2008–09 Manchester United
2009–10 Chelsea
2010–11 Manchester United
2011–12 Manchester City
2012–13 Manchester United
2013–14 Manchester City
2014–15 Chelsea
2015–16 Leicester City

 

[Tusker]

Iam going to give you a completely different advice ....

I would suggest you to not take up any other "sports watching" hobby. Believe me there is no good that can come out of spending large quantities of time , money and energy on what is after-all just meant to be Entertainment. This applies to cricket watching also. Once you grow older you will most certainly regret the amount of time you spent on these activities that will ultimately not help you one-bit in any profession that you plan to pursue unless its sports related profession.

Spend quality time with your friends and family and put in that extra time towards acquiring new skills. These days there is no shortage of free training material that is available on the web.

In short ... every individual is allotted a fixed amount of time on Earth ... how you want to spend that time is upto you. Yes following cricket/sports does bring us immense joy but you cannot ignore the fact that these past times are a major time sink. In today's fast paced world spending time is a luxury only few can afford.

Good luck!

 

[PakLFC]

Iam going to give you a completely different advice ....

I would suggest you to not take up any other "sports watching" hobby. Believe me there is no good that can come out of spending large quantities of time , money and energy on what is after-all just meant to be Entertainment. This applies to cricket watching also. Once you grow older you will most certainly regret the amount of time you spent on these activities that will ultimately not help you one-bit in any profession that you plan to pursue unless its sports related profession.

Spend quality time with your friends and family and put in that extra time towards acquiring new skills. These days there is no shortage of free training material that is available on the web.

In short ... every individual is allotted a fixed amount of time on Earth ... how you want to spend that time is upto you. Yes following cricket/sports does bring us immense joy but you cannot ignore the fact that these past times are a major time sink. In today's fast paced world spending time is a luxury only few can afford.

Good luck!

To much of anything is bad. Football compared to Cricket is not a very time consuming game neither does it cost anything if you're an armchair fan. Spending about two hours a week watching Football still leaves a person with plenty of time to concentrate on their studies/work as well as spending time with the family. Being on earth for a fixed period does not mean we don't need to let our hair down and relax when required. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! Lets be practical here and accept that most people only need a few skills to live a good life.

 

[msb314]

Needless to say, and I think it's safe to assume that cricket is and will always be my first love. However seeing how all of my close friends and colleagues are not really interested in the world of the willow and leather I have decided to take up Football as the second sport I might be willing to spend some time on.

Now I have never really religiously followed Football as a fan but I am not completely oblivious to how the game is played. I am aware of the basic principles and rules of how any particular game of Football operates however, I've never really followed any particular team or rooted for any club / country over the years - Plus since Pakistan is probably the minnowesque minnow in the most popular sport in the World my interest in the latter never really took off to begin with.

Now comes the real question; I am looking for advice on actually which club / league I should start watching and following, please keep in mind that I am a complete noob who would not be well verse in Football strategy or the small nuances that carry the game. What I am looking for is exciting matches between competitive teams that I can enjoy in my casual time along with my primary interest i.e. cricket.

I'll be honest here I won't devout to the preceding notion religiously (as something I've done with cricket over the years) however, if it catches my attention to a point where I would be intrigued on my own then I would most certainly take this sport up for the long haul.

Additionally, people who actually watch Football would you recommend on watching this sport in a similar fashion to how I might look at cricket or is the game of soccer entirely different in pace/excitement/result ?? Furthermore, I would also love other posters to recommend me alternative options, other than Football to take up as a second sport. I would like to add that I am a huge Basketball fan but due to the difference of timing between USA and where I live, I hardly ever catch any game live so the thrill of North American sports even though they are exciting as heck, is rather redundant since watching something over a highlights reel doesn't necessarily appeal much.

Anyways this is my question to you guys - Any advice on the matter would be more than appreciated !! Thanks !!

Chelsea FC all the way bro!

 

[Markhor]

Going by the responses here, I think Liverpool seem the most popular club on PP......

Can anyone give me an analogy of the club and Eulogize it as to which cricket team would Liverpool be if it was a Test playing country?? Is it like Pakistan in terms of playing style ? I mean not the Pakistan of Today but of the 90s ??

Supporting both Pakistan and Liverpool has taken years off my life. Both are teams with a grand history and are still trying to restore the glory days. The fans are very loyal and the team on its day can produce fantastic performances. But there's always a stupid collapse or defeat along the way.

I'd encourage you to watch on YouTube the Sky Sports Season Reviews to get an idea of English football and its history.

 

[Yossarian]

Supporting both Pakistan and Liverpool has taken years off my life. Both are teams with a grand history and are still trying to restore the glory days. The fans are very loyal and the team on its day can produce fantastic performances. But there's always a stupid collapse or defeat along the way.

I'd encourage you to watch on YouTube the Sky Sports Season Reviews to get an idea of English football and its history.

Do you still have dreams of winning the Premiership, and nightmares about Steven Gerrard's slip against Chelsea?

 

[Markhor]

I would suggest to do this. First read about these clubs and their rivalries.

English Premier League - Manchester United , Arsenal , Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool

I'll try and write a detailed breakdown later here about the history of the traditional English football rivalries.

 

[PakLFC]

Do you still have dreams of winning the Premiership, and nightmares about Steven Gerrard's slip against Chelsea?

We will win the EPL for sure. As we can see from this season our problem is we keep dropping points against the so called smaller teams not the bigger ones. We still are short of players who come on and make an impact when the rest are struggling. As far as I am concerned it is a matter of when not if we win the EPL. Seeing all that Stevie G has done for Liverpool I've long forgiven him for that fatal error versus Chelsea.

 

[Yossarian]

We will win the EPL for sure. As we can see from this season our problem is we keep dropping points against the so called smaller teams not the bigger ones. We still are short of players who come on and make an impact when the rest are struggling. As far as I am concerned it is a matter of when not if we win the EPL. Seeing all that Stevie G has done for Liverpool I've long forgiven him for that fatal error versus Chelsea.

"We will win the EPL for sure" - when? Unless it's another Leicester like situation, which don't come around very often.

Liverpool simply don't have the financial clout to compete with the likes of ManUtd, Chelsea, Arsenal, ManCity, and now even Spurs. That financial clout comes from earning power and/or sugar daddies with deep pockets, and is needed to buy and pay the mega wages of the top players, along with big enough squads to maintain a season long challenge againt not one but four or five other clubs with bigger financial muscle.

Furthermore, the big London clubs have the extra advantage of being based in the capital, thus making it easier to attract the very best. Even United and City have to pay over the odds to compensate for that factor.

So it's better for you to face it. For the forseeable future, you won't come closer to winning the EPL than that Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea .

 

[imrankhannsu]

Following football in the UK IMO is quite essential if you want to have topics or not be left out of a conversation among colleagues or peers.

The Premier league is one of the most popular leagues to watch due to many factors. Before you select a team, I would advise you to watch the major clashes/debrys as they are the most interesting and quite built up.

Most exciting ones are: Arsenal/Tottenham, Manchester City/Manchester United, Chelsea/Manchester United.

 

[Markhor]

but what I don't get is how can a club / county / or a franchise totally get behind them (I mean how can the fans attach to such an artificially developed product as opposed to something like the nation ).

Like how does the loyalty for the brand come in such a scenario. Won't International matches bring more loyalty and prestige than something like a club match between two sides ?? This is the part that I don't understand. In NBA the games are only played and the sport majorly exists as part of the American culture only so it's understandable. How does this work for Football when there are so many international teams that play the game at the same competitive level ??

All these games are played in the span of a single year How do they realistically schedule all this amount of games in 365 days .... Genuine Question !!

I can't speak for other leagues but I'll try to explain the history here in England.

Football, more so than cricket, is the working man's sport. With the British Industrial Revolution came urban expansion, and football became a part of working-class recreation in the cities away from the grind of the factory, and instilled a sense of civic pride and belonging. You know why league matches here tend to start at Saturday at 3pm ? As the factory workers would finish at 12pm and would then go down to watch the match.

Football is intertwined with the identity of your city and engenders tribalism like not many other sports. That becomes ingrained from the moment you first go the match as a kid when you sit on your father's lap. You shout and sing until your voice is hoarse in a stand through the wind and the rain with your mates, and a mass of strangers who have no connection to you other than your football team and your city.

Its not comparable to America where franchises can just move from one place to another. Fans don't switch allegiances easily. They are located in the heart of working-class conurbations like Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham etc and have been for decades. Players and managers come and go, but my city is my city and my team is my team.

So clubs are anything but artificial. Then inter-city and intra-city rivalries develop. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s as economic conditions deteriorated - those rivalries got violent. VERY violent I can assure you. Add in commercialism and 24/7 media coverage and these rivalries get even more amped up.

So when so much of your passions and emotions are directed towards supporting your club every week for 9 months - international football takes a backseat. That tribalism is not easily swept aside for the cause of your "nation" - some Man United fans may find it weird suddenly cheering City players for England. Or Liverpool fans cheering Chelsea players etc. Now of course, there are many people who can easily support BOTH club and country. I'd say by the time a World Cup or Euros comes around, most fans do get behind their country.

 

[PakLFC]

"We will win the EPL for sure" - when? Unless it's another Leicester like situation, which don't come around very often.

Liverpool simply don't have the financial clout to compete with the likes of ManUtd, Chelsea, Arsenal, ManCity, and now even Spurs. That financial clout comes from earning power and/or sugar daddies with deep pockets, and is needed to buy and pay the mega wages of the top players, along with big enough squads to maintain a season long challenge againt not one but four or five other clubs with bigger financial muscle.

Furthermore, the big London clubs have the extra advantage of being based in the capital, thus making it easier to attract the very best. Even United and City have to pay over the odds to compensate for that factor.

So it's better for you to face it. For the forseeable future, you won't come closer to winning the EPL than that Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea .

Liverpool do have the finances if the owners choose to spend. The problem is not a lack of money but the owners choosing not to invest when their priority are the Boston Red Sox. This is what needs to change so either they put up the cash or get out and let some Arab millionaire take over. You are making it sound as if we're fighting relegation for heaven sake moreover need I remind you that we are above Man Utd in the league and about a point behind Man City. We can't do anything about not being a London club that has always been the case. How many times have London clubs won the Champions League and European cup between them over the past 20 years despite their financial and so called territorial advantage??

I am a realist who understands that we can't compete with Barca or Real Madrid when it comes to signing top players yet there is no reason as to why we can't win the league during Klopp's tenure. We have not lost even once this season to the so called bigger clubs that you have mentioned that tells you where our problems are. Now we need to sign quality instead of quantity like we have been doing in the past. Owners need to give Klopp about £200 million net spending budget before next season starts.

 

[Yossarian]

Liverpool do have the finances if the owners choose to spend. The problem is not a lack of money but the owners choosing not to invest when their priority are the Boston Red Sox............

......... Owners need to give Klopp about £200 million net spending budget before next season starts.

'need' versus 'likely' ,'if need be' or 'will' - being the big difference. The days of Liverpool being one of the 'Big Boys' are long gone.

 

[PakLFC]

'need' versus 'likely' ,'if need be' or 'will' - being the big difference. The days of Liverpool being one of the 'Big Boys' are long gone.

We are not the biggest but certainly not the smallest either. Prior to Abramovich and Masour Zayad taking over Man City and Chelsea were far worse then what we are today. We will just have to wait and see how much net spending the owners allow Liverpool and Klopp.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Everton. They're the future

 

[Robert]

Support BRENTFORD !

 

[shaz619]

Support ASTON VILLA !

aye Robert !

 

[Pakistanian]

Meh, only watch the big games. Soccerball ain't all that.

 

[Yossarian]

Meh, only watch the big games. Soccerball ain't all that.

"Soccerball"? You're right, Football ain't for you!