Official Football Thread

Dr. Eddies Wingman said:
Of course I can only speak for myself, but I really, really don't care about how many teams from a particular league are at the QF level.
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Personally, solely focusing on the performance of my favourite team or another in one and the same league (the national), I don't find it that satisfying. Not enough satisfying. It's cool to see how strong my team really is, when it's placed into that broader zone. It changes perspective.

Even if a matter of luck is involved, I'd say that's the case in any competition.
Dr. Eddies Wingman said:
I don't understand the idea of supporting leagues. A league which contains your favourite club, also contains a number of its fiercest rivals.
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But teams are part of a league. At least the qualities of the teams build the strength of the league.

EDIT:
I just read the article, and especially the third reasons is an interesting one, I hadn't thought of yet. But it's probably a combination of the three.

...This is the first time in 17 years – since the 1995/96 season, when Blackburn Rovers were stranded in the group stage – that no English team has reached the quarterfinals....
:bigsurprise:
 
But teams are part of a league. At least the qualities of the teams build the strength of the league.
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Not when it's top-heavy, like La Liga. Basically the only teams worth noting there are Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Recently Malaga has made a run for it but its usually just those three that are any good. So any given day when you watch La Liga, you are watching pretty poor, non-exciting football. But when teams like Atletico or Barcelona play against each other, then its competitive.

By contrast, in the Premier League, you have Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, all vying and playing competitively. But Manchester United isn't better than Real Madrid. Still, the Premier League is more interesting and entertaining and competitive than La Liga, I would say. Does this logic make sense to you?
 
It does. But if I were a big fan of one of the strongest teams of a certain league, I wish it would come far internationally as well. As far as possible. If it doesn't, nor one of its concurrents (not even one!), then I would have second thoughts. I know my favourite team would do well in the competition, but when I zoom out, and make the competition bigger, I wouldn't be able to erase these thoughts from the back of my head.

And that's why I think some fans of Premier League don't like to zoom out. Maybe it's something subconscious. Because even the level of entertainment and excitement could be affected, when realizing the broader picture. They tremendously enjoy winning the CL, but they (try to) suppress the significance of it when it does not happen.

edit:
Their intense love for the PL is so big (I believe it's more passionate than with most other competitions) that they don't want to hurt it. I believe it can be in the way a bit.
 
It's much easier for Real and Barcelona to go further than the English clubs, because they always have 12 players on pitch :innocent:
 
Forostar said:
But teams are part of a league. At least the qualities of the teams build the strength of the league.
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That is true. But why should that automatically lead to a sympathy for the other teams from that league, in another tournament? Why should I, as a Man United fan, wish Chelsea and Manchester City success in the Champions League? Or Liverpool?
 
I shouldn't per se lead to sympathy. I think it's all a bit double, because of the other reasons in my previous post.
Seeing your concurrents come far has downsides and upsides.
 
The only way I can see it leading to sympathy is based on nationalism. For example: "You might not like Manchester City normally but as an English person you ought to root for them if they are the sole representative of your country in the Champions League." This is what I hear you saying, Forostar. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
I am a bit more of a "nationalist" when it comes to football. I thought it was great seeing Ajax winning the CL, in 1995. Man, that was long ago. :/

edit: lol, we had the same thoughts, Nat. I posted that at the same time.
But it's not only that: Seeing a concurrent doing well, gives me the right idea of how good my own team does.
 
Forostar said:
And that's why I think some fans of Premier League don't like to zoom out.
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I have zoomed out. And I didn't like what I saw. While I find a match like Wigan vs Reading perfectly enjoyable, I wouldn't stand watching Rayo Vallecano vs Getafe.

Edit: There's no way I support teams other than my own, regardless of nationalities.
 
That was a bit selective Ariana. I bet you wouldn't mind seeing Wigan - Barcelona. :)
I admit I don't watch the early stages of the CL either (though I would watch some Dutch matches) but I certainly like the later stages.
 
But aren't we talking about the overall quality of national leagues?

The early stages of the CL are sometimes better than the later ones. :p
 
Ariana said:
I have zoomed out. And I didn't like what I saw. While I find a match like Wigan vs Reading perfectly enjoyable, I wouldn't stand watching Rayo Vallecano vs Getafe.
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Agreed.

And even though I support my national team (Sweden), I don't support the Swedish league or teams on it (cos they suck).

And I would never root for Real Madrid even if its the sole representative of La Liga left in the Champions League. Over my dead body.
 
Ariana said:
I have zoomed out. And I didn't like what I saw. While I find a match like Wigan vs Reading perfectly enjoyable, I wouldn't stand watching Rayo Vallecano vs Getafe.

Edit: There's no way I support teams other than my own, regardless of nationalities.
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I indicate that your fandom for a club is stronger than your love of the game? Doesn't that narrow down the pleasure of football, in general? If one only enjoys their own team, then that's not 0,01% of what's going on.

It depends on what we mean by supporting. When I say supporting, I don't mean "I have to see every minute". Hoping that team B wins, sounds more like it. Not caring about any match in which my team does not play sounds unimaginable to me. I like the sport too much of that.
 
Forostar said:
But if someone doesn't know the majority of the players, then that doesn't influence a thing.
Quality of the play, the teamplay, results: these are better indicators to form an idea of what could happen.
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I'm sure there's potential. Netherlands have always been rich in terms of potential. I did see what Netherlands are trying to do since we faced them in the World Cup Qualifiers. Along with Germany, Netherlands's traditional style of play has always been my favorite of all so I root for them to do well.
 
Interesting, I actually got the opposite from Ariana's post Foro. To me it sounds like she zoomed out, watched some matches played in La Liga, thought the competitive level was lower than that of the Premier League and decided to go back to watching the Premier League. This if anything indicates to me that she has a love of the game itself and prefers quality over anything else. As for narrowing the pleasure of football, that depends on what you get out of it as an individual. I would much rather spend doing something else rather than watching some random La Liga match, the quality simply isn't good enough.
 
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