How Do You Root For English Clubs Other Than Your Own?

I look forward to English clubs going far in Champs League and the Europa League. I’m not a Fulham fan, but it was nice to see a 12th placed side from the EPL (suck it Barclays) knock off Juve & other Euro names to the final. Warms the cockles.

Addendum: Except Arsenal

I wish I had that club. Instead I tend to root for teams with an American, and I’ve always liked the silly scrappy teams that will never see time in Europe (see City, Stoke. Even though everyone else universally seems to hate them). I only truly hate chelsea/united, and that’s because of seeing all their bro-ish “fans” on college campuses.

I’m a sucker for the underdog, so in most cases I root against English clubs in Europe.

I wouldn’t say I root for any of the other teams to do well or poorly, but I can’t deny a bit of enjoyment if one of the other teams that Liverpool theoretically compete with crash out early. HOWEVAH! This year I am rooting for the teams to go just far enough in the competition to have it cause fixture congestion issues so that LFC may have a shot at performing well in the league after its inevitable early crash out of EL.

I’ll root for any English team in Europe. Except Arsenal. Never Arsenal. And sometimes Chelsea, depending on their opposition. But that’s mostly because I’d hate to see them succeed where Mourinho failed.

Three buckets below Arsenal:
1) Really hope they do well (e.g. Fulham, Villa)
2) Couldn’t give two s**ts if they do well (e.g. Brum, Sp*rs, and by far the largest group)
3) Hope they all DIAF (United and Chelsea)

One addendum: If Sp*rs ever actually had a chance at winning something worthwhile they would fall to bucket 3.

Strange that so many people who absolutely hate Arsenal would congregate and comment religiously on a blog run mostly by Gunners… Makes you all look kind of like the gay-hating gay dad next door in American Beauty.

Take it upstairs, folks! Fun’s about to start!

@PR: Forgive me sir, for speaking so bluntly, but those fags make me wanna puke my f**king guts out.

I find that it very much depends on the circusmtances, but I generally have a tiered system that is similar to bergs:
1. United
2. Good luck (Everton, Fulham, Villa)
3. Whatever (Spurs, everyone else)
4. DIAF (City, 7thpool, Arsenal)
5. Chelsea

Well… let’s see.
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I’m probably in the same bucket as Bergs, although coming from a Scottish perspective. As far as that goes, I wish Rangers to win every thing in the world, and for whatever club is turning up against C*ltic to kneecap them as they get off the bus. The rest of Scotland I really don’t care one way or the other, except for Aberdeen fans who seem to think because they won a couple things with the greatest manager of my lifetime over a generation ago that they still have carte blanche for any competition in Scotland. Plus they hate us. Not really sure why.
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As for England, I hope you all burn in hell, except for Arsenal because I respect their business model and Wenger. Plus my former defensive partner for many years is a Gooner.
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I think we had a conversation similar to this a couple weeks back. Usually I watch EPL games and root for the team I hate the least, assuming there is one. Like Monday, I hate Liverpool far more than Citeh (or just their supporters. Stop stealing my wheels), therefore I wanted Citeh to win that particular match. This is sort of the same strategy I use for the season as a whole: I hate United, therefore I don’t want them to win. Chelsea are acceptable because they wear blue. Arsenal: see above. Fulham are harmless. Birm have McLeish at the helm so they’re in the good list most of the time. West Ham shouldn’t be and think the World Cup should be housed at Upton Park, bad list. Arry’s a c**t, Spurs go on the bad list. etc etc
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It’s kind of fun to put down in words why I hate certain clubs.

I have a system similar to MP.

Fulham
Everton & Villa
Whatever – everyone else not named
Don’t Really Like All that much – City, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool
F**k off and die – ManU, Chelsea

After Chelsea, I’ll root for any English team except United and Liverpool. I love seeing them knocked out of any tournament at any stage, probably because Chelsea has had a really spotty history against those two teams in the CL, so anytime they get knocked out means Chelsea don’t have to face them.

I’m a Hull supporter, so I am unfamiliar with this “Champions League.” That said, if something pains the French or Italians, I’m all for it.

Yes, I want Spurs to go through today.

I’m with Steve Baltimore

WAG’s root for teams the way they look for men …
1. Arsenal you marry because you love them. They have the potential to be both successful and attractive in the future and are worth waiting for.
2. Fulham you date because they’re fun and unpredictable.
3. You let Everton get to home base because you like it when Tim Howard talks dirty to you.
4. Citeh is the rich bad boy you crush on because he’s dangerous.
5. Liverpool make it to second base out of pity. It’s the only ‘second’ they’re going to get in a very long time.
6. You get very drunk, have a one night stand with Chelsea, and regret it terribly for the rest of your life.
7. United doesn’t get even to first base because you’re worried you’ll catch something.
8. As for third base? Well, Spurs get the finger (or two of them, if you’re British).

@PR: WTF? It’s dangerous to speak for a group, but despite the fact that “we” hate Arsenal, but “we” enjoy your banter – at least I do. You want this to be an Arsenal only clubhouse? I specifically come here because it’s not a bunch of United fanboys. Scott at RoM does a good job with his posts, as does RedRanter, but try to even play devil’s advocate on those boards and you get shouted down by the commenters. Unfortunately for United these days, I’m more interested in what andersred has to say than whether or not Bebe’s going to play for the reserves in week 2 of his United tenure.
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I come here for the insight on footy round the world, self-deprecating tone and pithy comments from commenters that are grounded in reality. Why bother creating a seemingly neutral platform if you just want to be Arseblog in disguise?
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Oh, yeah and Arsenal can f**k off ; )

@MW: City’s not the rich guy at the bar who’s always flashing around his money and dressing in expensive but ridiculous clothes but never goes home with anyone because he’s a superdouche and all his money can’t buy charm?

@Josh – Well, now he probably is. But originally I was picturing when Bellamy was there and Citeh was the guy on the motorcycle in high school that your parents would NEVER let you date b/c they know he’s no good for you, has a bad temper, and needs more parental guidance. (So you just have him drop you off a block from your house when you snuck out to see him). It’s not serious, but exciting while it lasts….

C’mon Shane, don’t be ignorant. You’re a learned Rangers fan. Aberdeen’s overarching hatred for Rangers goes back to Willie Johnston’s attempted murder on John McMaster. He stomped on his throat, then went back for another round.
http://www.redfinal.com/rf_homepage_archive_012001.htm (2nd item down)
Johnston’s defense? He thought it was Willie Miller.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2008/dec/23/rangers-celtic (15th paragraph)
Johnston needed CPR on field as a result.
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That doesn’t resonate for me, however. I had no first hand experience of that happening. I never heard the story until years later. As far as I am concerned, I hate both sides of the OF equally.

Welcome, Wedel. Roy’s just cranky because it’s been five years…

Hey Auto. Just seemed like a bizarre comment given TSE’s assertion on the Foulcasts that everybody gets f*cked with equally. That said, there’s no need to wait five years – Roy knows he can do it himsel … oh, you mean silverware? Right!

Wedel, gonna mostly bite my tongue here so as not to set off another s**tstorm, but I will say that yes everybody gets f**ked with. All I did was dish a little of it back. If we didn’t like our commenters and actively cultivate a following that cuts across team lines we would have made that clear long ago.

@PR: No need to bite your tongue with me, but I don’t know if it reaches the s**tstorm level. I was just surprised you would characterize UF that way. I don’t know that I even noticed the Gunner “ownership” until your comment. I obviously look for TSE’s posts and have more to say to JT, given the NW connection than you Laahndaan folk. Hell, I thought Jacob was an Aberdeen supporter until the other day.

Hey now. There’s no Gunner “ownership” here. We’re a hippie collective

If there is Arsenal ownership, you blog overlords are rather nice to the other tenants; otherwise, we wouldn’t remain. Now, get me a tee-shirt with a gorilla chewing on Nazis (or it could be chewing on a moustached Joey Barton, whatever works)!

Like I said, hippie collective.

I thought we were an anarcho-syndicalist commune.

@PR
Speak English, man! You’re harshing my AM vibe.

Great, now I’m being repressed.

@hippies – get a haircut and get a real job.

@PR
Look dude, plenty of room under the yurt for all people. All’s forgiven. Now pass to the right…
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@Wag
I have a real job! One that lets me keep my hair long.

@jt – then it’s not real. it’s all just a drug induced mirage.

Clearly something is getting lost in the translation.

Just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me. Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Lawlz.

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

@Everyone: Had to do work; back at the desk.
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And I’d just like to say Please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let’s not bicker and argue over who killed who.

Why all the Hate!!! RED BULLS Rule… Otherwise Everton, Fulhum, Wolves or any other American playing teams are #1. While all other English Teams (Im of half English Descent)over Europe excepting PSV (because I played with their youth system) then Italians (My other half) and then everyone else can suck it!!!!!!!!!!!!