Losing Respect for Sour Grapes United
I'm a Liverpool fan. Have been one since 1996 when they lost the FA Cup final to Man Utd, and decided I prefered the decidely more unpredictable and interesting McManaman to the arrogant-looking (though arguably brilliant) Cantona.
Yes, I started supporting them when they were losing, when any other football fan would have gone for the obvious choice - Manchester United.
I supported the losing team (I didn't even KNOW they were so dominant in the 80's BEFORE that 1996 match, in fact, that was the first football match I ever watched), because I couldn't stand the sight of the winning team.
It's no secret that I hate Manchester United. I don't like their players, and I love it when they lose.
But know this. Although I hate Man Utd, I DO respect them as a team, and I acknowledge that they are a formidable team, and their success in the Nineties have been well-deserved.
As much as I hate the sight of Ferguson, I admit that he is one hell of a brilliant manager. The bugger can buy well, and he can lead his team to victory even when they are not at their best.
As for fans of Man Utd, as much as I like to gloat when they lose, and curse at them when they win, I'm actually fine with them, AS LONG AS they are REAL fans of the club, not a bunch of bandwagonists who supported the team just because they were winning. I have loads of friends who are Man Utd fans, and we jibe and gloat over each other all the time.
When Man Utd won the Treble in 1999, I was happy for them, because it was an English club, and it was against Bayern Munich. Plus the way they won it was just brilliant, and deserves the applause. They deserved the respect of ALL football fans all over the world for the way they won it at the last minutes of the game when they were on the way to defeat.
Fast forward to Liverpool's triumph in the Champion's League, and I'm hearing a lot of grumbles from Man United fans about how 'Man U's win against Bayern was better' or 'Mickey Mouse team who got lucky' and so on.
Funnily enough, it's only from the Man Utd fans that I'm hearing all this talk. Even my friends who are Chelsea fans (who grumbled about the semi final, but accepted it), and Arsenal fans (who can't say anything because they did diddly squat with THEIR chance at the Champion's League) congratulated Liverpool.
But Man Ud fans? They complained that we didn't deserve it. That the way we won was 'ugly'. That the 'best teams' were not playing. That if it were Man Utd playing in the final, they would have had a better game.
Even their Chairman, when they lost to AC Milan, complained that the 'best teams' are not going through, and wanted the format changed so that teams like Real Madrid and Man Utd can go through more easily.
I have to say I'm losing all respect for Man Utd and their fans as a result. Can't you just quit the sour grapes and acknowledge a marvelous and dramatic night of football, like the rest of us did when YOU won so dramatically against Bayern?
So, were Liverpool lucky? Well, we DID have a healthy dose of luck.
Liverpool are a team of average players? I can't argue with that.
Were Liverpool's tactics too boring? Probably, but hey, we DO have a team of average players , no?
Did Liverpool have a RIGHT to win the trophy when they are NOT one of the 'best teams' in Europe? Well... based on history, YES. Based on recent years' form, NO, I can't argue that Liverpool HAVE that 'right'
But since when does any one team have a 'right' to win a trophy?
Liverpool deserved the trophy not because we have a 'right' to it. We may not be currently one of the 'best teams in Europe', but we won it by BEATING the best teams in Europe.
After all, we DID beat the league champions of Italy and England on the way to the Final, and there, well, we DID beat AC Milan in the Final didn't we? The same AC Milan who beat Man Utd in OLD TRAFFORD?
As much as I'd like to, I can't argue with that either.
