Pick my EPL Team

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NoahAg
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11:05a, 7/21/17
Background:

I played soccer through high school, intramurals at A&M, and a few years in a men's league. I love playing and coaching my kids, but I've never followed the Euro leagues, b/c there's so much to keep up with.

Went to Man U vs. City last night and had a great time. Easy thing would be to jump on the Man U bandwagon and enjoy winning the league every other year (lack of parity is a turnoff to following EPL, frankly). It's hard enough being an Aggie football fan living with the ghosts of 1939. So do I risk pulling for a squad who is likely never going to challenge for the top spot?

What say you, TexAgs?
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aggie7911
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11:50a, 7/21/17
Queens Park Rangers
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NoahAg
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12:15p, 7/21/17
Ouch.
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wangus12
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12:39p, 7/21/17
AG
Watch as many games with as many teams as possible. NBC airs all of them every week.
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Mathguy64
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In reply to NoahAg • 12:59p, 7/21/17
AG
Noah said:
So do I risk pulling for a squad who is likely never going to challenge for the top spot?

What say you, TexAgs?


That's easy then. Grab a coin. Heads it's Arsenal. Tails it's Liverpool.
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gig them
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In reply to NoahAg • 1:10p, 7/21/17
AG
Don't pick anyone. Not yet. Just.... watch for a while. If you continue to tune in to the big-time EPL games, you'll find yourself naturally pulling for one squad above all the rest.
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Aston94
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2:17p, 7/21/17
AG
I don't really think you want guys around here picking your squad for you.

But, given you are asking what team to follow I have you pegged as an Arsenal man.
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Aston94
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2:21p, 7/21/17
AG
But seriously, if you are into it, then I suggest following a couple teams, one of the power 5-6 teams that will be in contention every year (Arsenal, Liverpool, citeh, United, Chelsea, Tottenham) and then one of the other clubs that grabs your attention.

I have always cheered for United, Everton and Fulham. No need to limit yourself to one squad. If you really fall in love with a club and just want to cheer them on then the decision will make itself, but no need to limit yourself to one squad at the beginning.
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Skitch05
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2:26p, 7/21/17
AG
It has been four years since United have won the league. The days of winning every other year ended when Sir Alex retired, and it will be incredibly hard to get back to that anytime soon.

I agree with everyone else, just watch alot of games this season and see who you naturally start pulling for.
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Mathguy64
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2:29p, 7/21/17
AG
Sometimes you pick a team because you are really picking a player. As other have said, watch lots of games this season. You will gravitate to one in contention and likely one not.
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LeonardSkinner
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2:54p, 7/21/17
I was going to say, look for USMNT players and follow their teams, but that's slim pickings now. Yedlin at Newcastle United, Cameron at Stoke City, and Danny Williams at Huddersfield Town.
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byfLuger41
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4:34p, 7/21/17
AG
Follow Chelsea if you're a knuckle dragging racist with an emphasis in beer.

Follow Arsenal if you like finishing 4th and enjoy having a whiny praying mantis as your coach.

Follow United if you like history.

Follow Tottenham if you like being a feeder club with greedy owners.

Follow Liverpool if you like talking about yesteryears and have slipping issues.

Follow citeh if you have huge floppy beef curtains.


HTH
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An Ag in CO
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4:39p, 7/21/17
AG
Don't be a bandwagoneer - select one of the newly promoted teams and make your choice Huddersfield Town. You're probably going to be focused on the bottom third of the table, but it builds character and then you can say you were a Huddersfield Town fan before anyone else when they settle in and start winning titles a few years down the road. Wearing a jersey will be a conversation starter. First English club to win three consecutive league titles - three other clubs have matched this, but none have bettered it and Huddersfield will always be the first. Managed by Bill Shankly in the late '50s so before his tenure at Liverpool.

Current head coach is David Wagner who played in 8 games for the USMNT in the '90s.

Disclosure - my dad was a Huddersfield Town fan growing up and saw some games when he toured England in the immediate aftermath of WWII. This was before they were relegated out of the top division and into the wilderness. I'm stoked they're back to the level where they belong.
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byfLuger41
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In reply to An Ag in CO • 5:00p, 7/21/17
AG
Quote:
he toured England in the immediate aftermath of WWI


I would have loved hearing this story.


Good bull.
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Old School Rucking
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In reply to byfLuger41 • 8:26p, 7/21/17
AG
Smith&Co1970 said:
Follow Chelsea if you're a knuckle dragging racist with an emphasis in beer.
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Unemployed
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9:33p, 7/21/17
AG
Liverpool since they most resemble the Texas A&M football team.

Big club but haven't won much of anything in the past 15 years.
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Serotonin
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In reply to Unemployed • 10:25p, 7/21/17
AG
RealTalk said:
Liverpool since they most resemble the Texas A&M football team.

Big club but haven't won much of anything in the past 15 years.


If a troll: Well played.

If not a troll: If you're going off championship comparisons then Liverpool is Notre Dame and A&M is...Newcastle??

Liverpool is either first or second in English football history. I'm a huge Aggie football fan but we're not in the same stratosphere.
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ChipFTAC01
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10:28p, 7/21/17
AG
By the calculations I did a year or so ago based on average finish but ignoring Cups and Europe, Liverpool is the best English team of all time.
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Unemployed
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In reply to Serotonin • 10:34p, 7/21/17
AG
Just speaking within the context of having a lot of resources but don't have the results to show for it.
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Agof88
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10:41p, 7/21/17
AG
Hotspur all the way. Very similar to the Ags. Tons of potential and resources and most often in the running but will break your heart in numerous ways.
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datrixstunna
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In reply to byfLuger41 • 12:17a, 7/22/17
AG
Smith&Co1970 said:

Follow citeh if you have huge floppy beef curtains.


HTH


Holy **** . Lol.
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datrixstunna
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In reply to Agof88 • 12:20a, 7/22/17
AG
No just no. Don't disrespect Aggie football by comparing them to tell spuds.
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byfLuger41
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In reply to datrixstunna • 9:17a, 7/22/17
AG
datrixstunna said:
No just no. Don't disrespect Aggie football by comparing them to tell spuds.
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gig them
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In reply to byfLuger41 • 10:47a, 7/22/17
AG
Smith&Co1970 said:
Follow Chelsea if you're a knuckle dragging racist with an emphasis in beer.

Follow Arsenal if you like finishing 4th and enjoy having a whiny praying mantis as your coach.

Follow United if you like history.

Follow Tottenham if you like being a feeder club with greedy owners.

Follow Liverpool if you like talking about yesteryears and have slipping issues.

Follow citeh if you have huge floppy beef curtains.


HTH

I laughed at all six of these.
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Bryan98
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11:19a, 7/22/17
AG
United is for bandwagon fans like those of the Yankees, Lakers, or Cowboys who don't live in those areas.

Just watch EPL games and see what happens.
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AG@RICE
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12:37p, 7/22/17
AG
I'm not sure picking United is such a bandwagon move anymore. They used to have the most resources and the best coach in the epl. Neither is true anymore. There is enough parity at the top of the epl that I think you could pick any big club and not be labeled a frontrunner.

If you want to jump on a bandwagon pick Real Madrid, Barca or Bayern. Those clubs still tower over their respective leagues in terms of resources.
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Bryan98
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In reply to AG@RICE • 1:37p, 7/22/17
AG
AG@RICE said:
I'm not sure picking United is such a bandwagon move anymore. They used to have the most resources and the best coach in the epl. Neither is true anymore. There is enough parity at the top of the epl that I think you could pick any big club and not be labeled a frontrunner.

If you want to jump on a bandwagon pick Real Madrid, Barca or Bayern. Those clubs still tower over their respective leagues in terms of resources.


The kinds of fans I'm talking about don't watch those other leagues. Man U entered the American consciousness much earlier than those other teams. I'll bet if you ask random sports fans to name one European soccer team, Man U would have the most name recognition by far.

Bayern, despite being the most dominant in their home league of those mentioned, probably would be the least known in the US.
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chjoak
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3:36p, 8/5/17
AG
I'm an Arsenal fan. I follow Arsenal because of Denis Bergkamp. When I first started watching Euro soccer I had a thing for the Dutch National Team. Really liked Bergkamp in particular. Denis signed with Arsenal, so then I had a thing for Arsenal. Learned enough about the team and players that I kept following the team after Denis left. Through watching league games I also gained an affinity for Southampton, Everton and Blackburn at different times over the last 20-30 yrs but don't follow them like I do Arsenal. I've started watching a little more Spanish and German soccer. Starting to get into German but haven't picked a team yet.

If you are set on EPL, you can use this general guide to help...

If you like a New York Yakees type team (ie attempts to buy a championship), go for Man United, Man City or Chelsea. These teams have very rich owners that want to win. They will typically always be in the hunt for the league title but like any team will go through dry spells when they have the wrong manager or mix of players.

Arsenal, Liverpool & Tottenham Are top end teams that tend not to spend nearly as much money. They aren't likely to win as much hardware or as often as the above but can be quite competitive and exciting to watch.

West Ham, Everton, Newcastle & Southampton are upper mid tier clubs in various stages. West Ham is currently trying to buy a championship but are doing it by purchasing bargain players. Southampton is a traditional selling club (develop players and then sell for a profit) but have been pretty competitive of late. Newcastle just got back to the EPL after being relegated last season. They have a little better chance then most in the group below to catch lightening in a bottle and win the league but don't expect it to happen very often.

Everyone else is like the bottom 2/3rds of the B12. They are gonna show up and play hard, win a game you don't expect them to win every once in awhile but not likely to win any hardware except once in a blue moon.
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Kampfers
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3:58p, 8/5/17
AG
Quote:
If you like a New York Yakees type team (ie attempts to buy a championship), go for Man United, Man City or Chelsea. These teams have very rich owners that want to win. They will typically always be in the hunt for the league title but like any team will go through dry spells when they have the wrong manager or mix of players.
Lol I love how Arsenal's fans always want to paint themselves as if they've been eating scraps off the floor the past few years. Pretty sure Arsenal's net spend is significantly higher than Chelsea's over the past 5 years. The concept of Chelsea as a club that's just running around splashing cash frivolously hasn't been accurate for a while.

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Dre_00
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In reply to Bryan98 • 4:41p, 8/5/17
Bryan98 said:
United is for bandwagon fans like those of the Yankees, Lakers, or Cowboys who don't live in those areas.

Just watch EPL games and see what happens.

I never knew we had so many Aggies living in London and Liverpool posting on this forum.
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Dre_00
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In reply to Kampfers • 4:45p, 8/5/17
Kampfers said:
Quote:
If you like a New York Yakees type team (ie attempts to buy a championship), go for Man United, Man City or Chelsea. These teams have very rich owners that want to win. They will typically always be in the hunt for the league title but like any team will go through dry spells when they have the wrong manager or mix of players.
Lol I love how Arsenal's fans always want to paint themselves as if they've been eating scraps off the floor the past few years. Pretty sure Arsenal's net spend is significantly higher than Chelsea's over the past 5 years. The concept of Chelsea as a club that's just running around splashing cash frivolously hasn't been accurate for a while.

Case in point...

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-last-five-seasons/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-last-five-seasons

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chjoak
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In reply to Dre_00 • 5:16p, 8/5/17
AG
Dre_00 said:
Kampfers said:
Quote:
If you like a New York Yakees type team (ie attempts to buy a championship), go for Man United, Man City or Chelsea. These teams have very rich owners that want to win. They will typically always be in the hunt for the league title but like any team will go through dry spells when they have the wrong manager or mix of players.
Lol I love how Arsenal's fans always want to paint themselves as if they've been eating scraps off the floor the past few years. Pretty sure Arsenal's net spend is significantly higher than Chelsea's over the past 5 years. The concept of Chelsea as a club that's just running around splashing cash frivolously hasn't been accurate for a while.

Case in point...

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-last-five-seasons/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-last-five-seasons

And last 10-12 they are one of the biggest spenders...

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-2003-to-date/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-2003-to-date

As well as the last 25...
http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-1992-to-date/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-1992-to-date

They may not have been hitting that trend the last 5 years but they are traditionally.
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Kampfers
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In reply to chjoak • 9:19p, 8/5/17
AG
chjoak said:
Dre_00 said:
Kampfers said:
Quote:
If you like a New York Yakees type team (ie attempts to buy a championship), go for Man United, Man City or Chelsea. These teams have very rich owners that want to win. They will typically always be in the hunt for the league title but like any team will go through dry spells when they have the wrong manager or mix of players.
Lol I love how Arsenal's fans always want to paint themselves as if they've been eating scraps off the floor the past few years. Pretty sure Arsenal's net spend is significantly higher than Chelsea's over the past 5 years. The concept of Chelsea as a club that's just running around splashing cash frivolously hasn't been accurate for a while.

Case in point...

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-last-five-seasons/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-last-five-seasons

And last 10-12 they are one of the biggest spenders...

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-2003-to-date/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-2003-to-date

As well as the last 25...
http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-1992-to-date/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-1992-to-date

They may not have been hitting that trend the last 5 years but they are traditionally.
So a 5 year span isn't indicative of anything but a 10 year span 5 years removed is indicative of everything? And what about the Pre-Roman years? When you subtract the total spent post 03 from the total spent from 92 on you see what, 100 million total spent over those 10 years? We're not including those?

Historical data doesn't mean **** if it's counter to the current trend. Chelsea has clearly stated that the club must be financially solvent and will not look to Roman to be bankrolled anymore. Case in point, the club is financing the new stadium with loans, not with daddy's money. There has been a clear change in philosophy to that extent in the club and frankly Chelsea can't compete with teams like Man U financially anymore.

That's not to say Chelsea is a poor club, far from it. But the days of Chelsea throwing money around are gone.
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Wicked Good Ag
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9:29p, 8/5/17
Go to England. Explore the country. Hit up the pubs and find a team to start rooting for

Go back years later and hit a couple of their games before hitting up Scotland and Ireland
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byfLuger41
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3:21p, 8/6/17
AG
chjoke just got body bagged.
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