Man City only really has like 2 fans on this board and they are the best team in the league, so that's your best bet.

Seriously though, when I picked my team about 6 or so years ago I just started watching a lot of matches to see what styles of play by the different teams I liked. It came down to Chelsea and City for me and at the time Argentina had a friendly match here in Houston where I went and saw Sergio Aguero play. So the personal tie in was the selling point for me.

Since then I have gotten to see City play here in Houston against Man U in an exhibition and twice over in the UK.

Top 4 finishers play in Champions league the next year vs some of the best clubs from other top associations across Europe, so if you do choose a perennial power/ i.e. one of the "big 6", there could be chances to see a lot more of their matches on TV. For next year, Man City, Man U, Liverpool, and Chelsea all qualified out of the EPL.

All four feature some of the top layers in the world and all feature some very popular players from England's national team. They all have their great historic rivalries, chants, songs, etc.

Liverpool has a very exiting direct fast paced style that is fun to watch and a very likable top notch coach from Germany named Jurgen Klopp. They feature extreme speed up top from Sadio Mane from Senegal and one of the top finishers/goal scorers in the world in Mohamad Salah from Egypt, but they also have probably the best center back in the world Virgil van Dijk from Netherlands (out injured this whole past season) and top goal keeper from Brazil in Alisson. Two other top Brazilians on the squad in forward Firmino and midfielder Fabinho along with several notable Englishmen defender Alexander-Arnold, midfielders Oxlade-Chamberlin, Jordan Henderson, and James Milner.

Chelsea hails from an old London neighborhood and plays in a historic stadium in Stamford Bridge. They recently hired one of their all-time great defenders as manager, Frank Lampard, and it wasn't going so well. They fired "Super Frank" mid-season last season and ended up winning the Champions League this year, and squeaking into the top for 4 in EPL. They obviously feature the top US soccer player in Pulisic and have recently spent big money on other big signings.

Man City was a smaller club for a long time, but once they were bought by middle eastern royalty billionaires, they have become one of the most successful clubs in short order. They spend big and are one of the likliest landing spots for a player like Leo Messi if he leaves Barcelona. They won the most recent EPL season. They feature one of the top players in the world, probably best midfielder in the world, in Belgian Kevin De Bruyne. USA's #1 goalkeeper Zack Steffen is Man City's backup keeper to Ederson from Brazil. The current squad is excellent in the middle of the field along with De Bruyne, they have Portugese MF Bernardo Silva, Englishman Phil Foden, Brazilian Fernandinho, the Ukranian Zinchenko, and Spaniard Rodrigo and as a defensive holding mid. They feature Raheem Sterling (England) and Gabriel Jesus (Brazil) up top.

Man U is a blue blood with a whole lot of history and historic stadium Old Trafford. One of the biggest clubs with supporters around the world. Local supporters hate the current ownership, American family the Glazers (owners of Tampa Bay Bucs), and have recently rioted over it. They have featured top players over the years like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Christiano Rolaldo. Biggest signing a few years ago was defensive midfielder from France Paul Pogba. Portugese attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandez is an outstanding player. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a very athletic right back and Man U features two young English stars up top in Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

Also, very important factor in choosing a club to support is: who has the best kits? (note: this is the season that just finished; need to remove Fulham, Sheffield United, and West Brom Albion, and add Norwich City, Watford, and Brentford); new kits for 2021/2022 will start being released over the summer.

I have said this a few times on this page, but I refuse to pick a team. It is so much more fun to watch the league when I do not have an emotional interest in any of it other than maybe the occasional small wager.

Every year I tend to go for some teams over others, usually based on style of play and players. Or fan base.

I almost always go for all English teams in Europe.

agsalaska said:

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I have said this a few times on this page, but I refuse to pick a team. It is so much more fun to watch the league when I do not have an emotional interest in any of it other than maybe the occasional small wager.

Every year I tend to go for some teams over others, usually based on style of play and players. Or fan base.

I almost always go for all English teams in Europe.

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I'm the same way but I just find players I like and root for those teams.

I'm probably one of the few that roots for Tottenham and Chelsea.

GGMU

Here's another good way: Have scouse neighbors growing up that you learn to play soccer with and end up an Everton fan because they are and its all you know before its too late.

Why would you say that?

My meaning kind of circulates around the fan experience. Big 6 clubs have trended to an amusement park type feel where as smaller clubs have a unique community type experience. Or so I've heard.

Using friends or supporters of bigger clubs experiences from throughout the years.

Furlock Bones said:

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Pick a winner. You're an Aggie. We already experience way more losing than we should.

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This was my feeling. As a Fan of A&M and Houston sports, I have enough disappointment in my life.

KCup17 said:

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Why would you say that?

My meaning kind of circulates around the fan experience. Big 6 clubs have trended to an amusement park type feel where as smaller clubs have a unique community type experience. Or so I've heard.

Using friends or supporters of bigger clubs experiences from throughout the years.

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My meaning was that "run like a business" usually means that profit is the main consideration, and at Chelsea and Manchester City that is not the case.

As an American, your community experience following a smaller club is likely to be a "community" of just yourself (for what its worth from a former Leicester, Reading, and QPR fan).

I was a Leicester fan for years in like the early 2000s. I can tell you that fandom from across the ocean probably wont survive a decade in the 2nd and 3rd tiers. When they actually won I had moved on by then and really only had amazement and certainly not any "community" joy

Ahh makes sense about the business. And for clarification I am talking about attending live games. The feel is very different when attending a game at the Emirates vs Turf Moor or a stadium of the like.

So far the community of Newcastle supporters I know is just me. So I'm used to lone wolfing it. But honestly it makes it that much more fun when you beat a big club. There should be a thread for all non Big 6 clubs to post about their teams.

I originally went with Tottenham back when they had Bale just because he was a blast to watch and I didn't want to go with one of the obvious big 3 at the time. Spurs were/are always on the verge so I went with potential + Bale.

I haven't followed as much since Bale left a few years ago but still watch some.

BTW, England v Scotland are about to play so tune in!

spence10 said:

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Here's objectively the best way to get into a team...

Play FIFA. Pick random teams and you'll naturally learn the players and their skill-sets and start liking the team as a result.

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This is how i (and i'm sure a ton of other people) got into it. Started with the FIFA World Cup 2006 game on the original XBox. I always played with Spain and became a Fernando Torres fan. So once i moved on to the newer FIFA games, Liverpool was always my team. And still a Liverpool fan now.

Also despite how it seems, "Big 6" is not forever. Just in the little time I've been paying attention, I've seen Leeds go down to the third tier after seeming to reclaim that giant club status. And until about 12 or 13 years ago, Manchester City was just another big club that had also been in the third tier more recently than actually finishing near the top of the table.

90 bull said:

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My daughter and I went through this last year and went with West Ham for two reasons. We liked the kit and my daughter said "hold it, the owners made their money in porn? That's hilarious"

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This is phenomenal. Unfortunate that they've gone from porn to prude. *******s won't spend money. Regardless, nice to see a couple fellow Hammers. I think that brings the US supporter count to, like, 106

I was in a similar position after the 2014 World Cup. I had enjoyed watching soccer for the first time in my life and decided I wanted to adopt an EPL team as my own. I had no buddies into it so I took to the Internet and found many online quizzes that would tell you which club fits you best. Three quizzes later and unanimously they all told me I was meant to be an Everton supporter. As painful as it's been sometimes, it has turned out that the logarithms knew what they were doing because now I could never see myself pulling for another club.

oh no said:

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defensive midfielder from France Paul Pogba.

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I feel like I can't take any of your analysis seriously after reading that phrase.

Not meant to be a knock on the OP but I will echo those who have more or less said "just watch some games and you'll figure it out" and "there's no right or wrong way to do this".

Processes for picking teams are kind of meaningless and arbitrary. How does anyone pick a favorite team in any sport? And if for whatever reason you can't pick a favorite team but still enjoy watching the league then...just do that.

Dre_00 said:

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if for whatever reason you can't pick a favorite team but still enjoy watching the league then...just do that.

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This is where I'm at with Bundesliga. I have teams that I maybe even have legit reasons to actually root for, but my capacity to care that much about another team is just maxed out. Crazy fun soccer to watch tho.

My grandfather was a West Ham United fan; so it's in my blood. Hammers!

Agree with others though, find what anchors you. Team, player, whatever it may be and enjoy!

This sums up the experience nicely.

Then of course we beat Man City on a pen from Matt Ritchie, or pull the double on Everton and you're the one swinging the bat at someone elses nads. It's those moments that make following a "smaller club" worth it.

gcracker13 said:

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You pick Tottenham because they most closely resemble the Ags. Lots of money, all the talent, can never put it together to finish top 3 no matter what

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I lived in England as a kid and remembered Tottenham from that time. When my daughter started playing soccer and I decided to start watching EPL, I chose Spurs. At the time, I had no idea I had picked the Aggies of the EPL. I just hope I get to watch and root for Harry Kane for at least another year.

PIcking a team is completely unnecessary. Seems almost counterproductive and somewhat artificial to me.

A couple of years ago, I went through an online quiz (like this: https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=which-premier-league-team-should-you-support) and it told me to follow Wolves...which is funny because years ago, when I watched more EPL, I followed Wolves because of the colors/logo.

lunchbox said:

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A couple of years ago, I went through an online quiz (like this: https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=which-premier-league-team-should-you-support) and it told me to follow Wolves...which is funny because years ago, when I watched more EPL, I followed Wolves because of the colors/logo.

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I got Chelsea. Which is funny because they're the team I follow because of Pulisic.

lunchbox said:

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A couple of years ago, I went through an online quiz (like this: https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=which-premier-league-team-should-you-support) and it told me to follow Wolves...which is funny because years ago, when I watched more EPL, I followed Wolves because of the colors/logo.

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I got Manchester United, who I've been following since I was 10 years old in the mid 90s

agsalaska said:

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PIcking a team is completely unnecessary. Seems almost counterproductive and somewhat artificial to me.

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I guess you could say this about any sport. I choose to invest my entire emotional well-being on them instead.

jeffk said:

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agsalaska said:

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PIcking a team is completely unnecessary. Seems almost counterproductive and somewhat artificial to me.

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I guess you could say this about any sport. I choose to invest my entire emotional well-being on them instead.

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The best philosophy

jeffk said:

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agsalaska said:

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PIcking a team is completely unnecessary. Seems almost counterproductive and somewhat artificial to me.

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I guess you could say this about any sport. I choose to invest my entire emotional well-being on them instead.

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And after all that you decided to support Liverpool. 20 choices that year and you chose Liverpool.

It's Stevie G's fault.