Why do you hate Man United?

[ToLo]

This is Tobias Xavier Lopez, a sports writer with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, one of the United States' top 10 sports sections.
I'm doing a story about Manchester United coming to the United States and wanted replies as to why you hate Man United?
Please post serious replies only and understand that any post could be reprinted.

Thanks in advance,
Tobias

[gdiersing]

The same reason we hate the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, 80's 49ers, 90's Bulls, etc.

We hate them because they usually top our team in the standings (well, recently at least). We hate them because they are richer then us and can over pay for the players we target. They have botomless pockets... we know it, they know it, and they are smug about it.

Their US tour is about expanding their world marketing strategy. My only hope is that the tour brings more EPL games to our televisions.

Of course, these are also the reasons I run the streets naked when we beat them, but that is a matter for my local police blotter.

[Mattbro]

I hate them because just about every glory hunter in the world and every Eurosnob in America purports to be a "fan" of theirs, while turning their nose up at their local home-grown teams. Got nothing against the players.

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see this is the Liverpool forum.

[655321]

Their manager. The most smug, arrogant twat ever. Seriously, nothing is better than the look on his face when they lose, especially to us.

Honestly, I really just don't like Alex Ferguson. He's the main reason. I don't like Nicky Butt, much either. But Ryan Giggs is class, Paul Scholes is class, and Ole Gunnar is just plain fun to watch. Other than that...whatever, I'm from Texas, I have no territorial beefs.

Edit--Matt and Kopite, if you (or anyone else) have anything to add to this, please do. This guy is a soccer fan and writes about it quite a bit, despite living in a city that barely gives a f*#k. It'd be nice to see him get a story picked up nationwide.

[Femfa]

It's the red uniforms.

No, no, it's the way the players' hair flops.

Actually, it's the whole Man U "mystique". Seriously, I think it's detrimental to soccer in general, and Asian countries and even the U.S. in particular, to be caught up in the "glory" of Man U.

What glory? How amazing is it to have the most money to buy the best players and endow the clever coach with unlimited authority to run them? No wonder they win in England so often. The Champions League, well, that's another story.

The press ignores this, though, regularly calling Man U "The best team in the world."

So, while stands in J-league and MLS go empty, people in those countries tune their satellite dishes to United games and feel, well, what exactly? Good about how well an overfunded and hyped English club team does?

United's domination could be ruining the quality of their league as well. If no one has the money to buy players that can compete with the team, the season could be pretty pointless.

Hate is a strong word, though, and I don't so much hate them as despise them a little. Plus, now that they've shown the good taste to add Tim Howard to their ranks, I'm torn.

[Bjornebye]

Originally posted by 655321
...whatever, I'm from Texas, I have no territorial beefs.

Your steaks are actually quite good.:D

Stig

[LiverpoolFanatic]

Because they are more a corporation than a football team anymore. Bias they get from officials(look at the number of penalties awarded for and against as an example or the insane amount of extra time they get if they are down a goal). The incessant whinging of Ferguson when they do lose (it's quite humorous to watch really, but it happens every time).
Roy Keane is a nutter (talented yes, arrogant twit also yes).
Many of their fans think football was invented in the early 1990s...

[kopiteinkc]

Go read the most recent issue of 442, this magazine has an article about why fans hate Man U.

Personally I don't hate them. As I have said countless times "real" Everton and Man U fans were the most understanding to me after Hillsborough.

Most likely to do with the number of scousers that died (hence Everton fans sympathy) and remembering the Munich disaster (hence Man U sympathy).

My take is probably a little different than others as a result of April 15, 1989.

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by gdiersing
The same reason we hate the New York Yankees...

Speak for yourself on that one...

What hasn't been pointed out yet is that two cities are roughly 35 miles apart. That's probably had as great an impact on the rivalry as the successes of both clubs.

I don't begrudge Man Utd their success one bit. They've got great players and I respect that they go out every game to win. They don't drop points to the lesser clubs like Liverpool have been known to do.

That said, they can all go to hell, and take their glory-hunting fans with them. :)

Seriously, though, as an organization, they understood, before anybody else, the benefits that the extra money the creation of the Premiership could bring as well as the importance of merchandising, and used it to their advantage. Liverpool were slower to the table (they were the last EPL club to have an official website, for example) and the results didn't come as a result. For all the complaints about their "corporate" mentality, we wouldn't have a problem with it if it brought in the silverware for Liverpool (except Clark, but he's a Commie).

To be fair, though, at the time of the creation of the Premiership, Liverpool were still reeling from Hillsborough and were very concerned about their image as a "local" club.

This is an excellent book about the history of the post-war rivalry. Even if your article is due before it can arrive, it's well worth reading.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/023399369X/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/026-7887466-2231617

Good luck with the article!

[skipshady]

Originally posted by LiverpoolFanatic
Because they are more a corporation than a football team anymore.That's exactly it, for me. They approach football as a business, not as a club. As big as LFC is, it still has strong ties to the community, there's still a philosophy behind the play and there is an unwritten code of conduct (diving is heavily frowned upon, for example), and the supporters are generally knowledgeable.
None of that can be said for ManU. They buy their players, because they can afford to, rather than to fill a need. They care more about the supporters in Southeast Asia than the ones in their own neighborhood. The love affair between Mike Riley and Ruud Van Nistelrooy is quite apparent with the number of penalties and red cards he awards during Man U matches. Their supporters tend to be a lifeless, cluless bunch. And while I'm not a huge fan of David Beckham, I concede that he has always been loyal to ManU and has generally conducted himself with class. The way ManU handled his departure spoke volumes about how they value players - to them, players are just commodities.

You know, I don't hate ManU. I just pity their ignorant, misguided ways.

[Treetaliano]

because they exist

[skipshady]

Originally posted by Treetaliano
because they exist Tree,
Didn't expect to see you post in the Liverpool forum. I'm glad you're turning over a new leaf and abandoning your Liverpool hating ways.

:D

[Beakmon FC]

Originally posted by Treetaliano
because they exist

Hate? Maybe a bit strong....how about loathe and despise?!?!?

Their 'fan base' reminds me so much of all the idjits I USED to see roaming around in Chicago Bulls jerseys here in LA. I would love to see Club America treat Roy Keane with the same respect as the Tricolores treat Cobi Jones....

[Andy Bennett]

I didn't realise I had to have a reason.

[655321]

Tobias,

Bob from the BaD Radio on the Ticket is also a big Liverpool fan and may provide some interesting quotes.

[Matt Clark]

Oh for the love of all that's holy, the last thing we need is a new generation of American "Man Yoo" fans growing into the thought that "the Scousers" hate them. It's already depressing how many of their "fans" give you the "scouser this, scouser that" nonsense, when most would probably say somehting like "are you Australian" if they ever actually met a Scouser.

Whatever you put in your article, ditch the word "hate". It doesn't exist in reality between proper fans of either club.

You don't hate Manchester United. Mainly, the proximity of the cities means that every United fan knows a Liverpool fan, and vice versa. We work together, live together, go out together.

That said, there is a strong dislike between the two cities and it manifests itself most obviously in football. For 90 minutes, the word "hate" gains a relevance. Add United's still very much active hooligan elements (which always make a trip to the Skip a delight for us visiting Scousers) and you have a potent brew, but when all is said and done, we all go back to our lives together.

Their recent success, coupled with our perennial superiority over them throughout the remainder of the modern era of the game, obviously also adds spice to the issue. No matter what any Manc or Scouser says about not really caring, the Liverpool - Manchester United game is the biggest there is in British football. Yes ... British. Sit down, Glasgow. Losing to United is the biggest kick in the teeth we can get. Likewise, losing to Liverpool is as bad as it gets for the Mancs.

The way in which the two clubs are run is also a factor, as others here have mentioned. Scousers take great pride in the fact that, for all the sell-out tendencies in the game, our club remains privately owned, beholden to no one and not as avariciously commercial as United have become. It's a source of great amusement to many of us that the real United fan loathes their club's establishment and the manner in which it conducts its business, even though the naked reality of the situation is that, as a result of their activities, United are considerably wealthier than we are. It's a difference in mentality. Even when United were nobody, right up until 1993, they were always commercially more potent than any other club in Britain. Once football began to realise it's financial potential, it was always going to be United that came out on top in those terms. But we prefer it our way.

So to sum up and answer your question. We don't. And we shouldn't.

[lobotomycures]

I just find their fan base amusing. So many idiots who don't know anything about the game leeching on to manU because it's the snobby europhile thing to do.

[mpruitt]

The same reason we hate the Yankees is absolutely correct. I wouldn't say that I hate Manchester United, I just won't be a fan of them because being a fan of Manchester is like rooting for Microsoft to turn a profit. Furthermore, as a diehard Red Sox fan I dislike Man U on a literal level. They have a marketing relationship with the club and anything that benifits the Yankees I dislike.

[gdiersing]

Its not just the fans, the media do it as well. Here is the first line of the AP's recap of their Celtic friendy in Seattle...

SEATTLE -- The world's most famous sports team put on a delightful exhibition to open a four-game United States tour.

Using the 'world's most famous sports team' is a bit subjective. I know Real Madrid, AC Milan, Dallas Cowboy, New York Yankee, Los Angeles Laker, and Notre Dame fans that would all argue that settiment with furvor.

[skipshady]

Originally posted by gdiersing
Using the 'world's most famous sports team' is a bit subjective. I know Real Madrid, AC Milan, Dallas Cowboy, New York Yankee, Los Angeles Laker, and Notre Dame fans that would all argue that settiment with furvor. It's besides the point, but I have to disagree. By most standards, ManU is the most famous sports team in the world.

Before I came to the United States, I thought Notre Dame was a cathedral and "Dame" was pronounced "Dahm". Yankees, I sort of knew, but probably because I grew up in Japan. Most people in Europe probably recognize the "NY" logo but can't name the baseball team. Lakers, I had no idea about, and the Cowboys, I had heard about in passing, but that was only because there was an NFL craze in England while I was there.

Simply put, no other team sport comes close to having the global reach that soccer does. Basketball is getting bigger, but it's still limited and people care more about the players than the teams. And ManU trumps Real because of its recognition in former colonies, especially in Asia.