Team loyalties?

Ok, so we did talk about this a few days ago, and then Lucy did a blog post on it. I thought I'd do one too, because we all have this dilemma at some point in our lives really. It only really happens to me sometimes, because I have a loyalty to one team and one team alone. It doesn't matter who they're playing, how they're playing or where, I will ALWAYS want Liverpool to win every game they play. That includes European games (if it ever happens) against Valencia. While I love Valencia with all my heart, Liverpool were the first team I ever supported. The current promotion of the team says 'it's not a badge, it's a family crest' and I couldn't agree more. It doesn't matter if they're winning or losing, I am behind them 110%. I couldn't turn my back on them, just like I'd never turn my back on family.

International games though. They're trickier. The only one I have an actual reason for supporting is Bulgaria, they are my national team. However, I don't care much for them. Having lived in England since I was 2, this is my home. But that doesn't qualify England as my #1 team either. I know it should, and I do support England. No matter how much I whinge about them, when they lose, it hurts. I get so caught up in the excitement, I can't help it. The only thing I dislike about the England NT - the constant hype and media circus that follows them around. It should be about what they say ON the pitch, not what they say off it. Talk 'til you're blue in the face boys, if you're not putting out the performances where it matters, all your talk is useless. Well, that and the obscene amount of Chelsea and Man U players in the team. I don't like either Premiership team and I can't stand their players. They're overpaid, underperforming twats for the most part and it baffles me how Terry and Ferdinand can be named captain and vice captain. We're talking about a man who 'forgot' to turn up to a drugs test and a man who hurls abuse like no other on the pitch. I don't see either as a particularly inspiring leader, and think that the captaincy needs to be rethought in order for England to have a realistic chance of winning anything. Oh, and please bench either Lampard or Gerrard. They could not, cannot and will never be able to play together. Deal with it and change things around.

The Spain NT hold a place in my heart for several reasons. They're largely Liverpool based, and I've already explained the team loyalty thing. I know I should overlook the clubs when it comes to NT's, but I just can't. They play as a unit, not as individual players. Yes, you can have 11 world class players on the pitch, but unless they have an understanding and play well together, you're pretty much screwed. They're exciting to watch, they're #1 in the world right now, they have a whole lot of good looking guys to watch. The list goes on. And the final reason...they won me money when they won the Euros. Yeah, it's selfish, I know. But do I care? Do I hell.

I guess my real dilemma would be when Spain play England. The proud Brit in me wants England to win everything, to prove the critics wrong. But the football fan in me - that's all for Spain. I guess I'll know who to cheer for when the time comes. But at least I know know that no matter which team wins, I won't be disappointed.