There was a time, not too long ago to be honest, when the phrase “Anyone But United” was a mantra that a workable majority of English football fans lived by.
This stemmed from the fact that Manchester United were the dominant force in the English game for a mind-bogglingly long time from the mid-1990s until Sir Alex Ferguson decided it would be less hassle to retire than build an extension to his trophy room.
Their success, winning title after title, cup after cup and the occasional treble became truly tedious and I don’t mind admitting that I eventually became part of the ABU club out of sheer frustration.
It was such a procession of success that fans reached a point where they didn’t care who won the league or the cup, as long as it wasn’t United. That may sound a little weird, but those of us who lived through that era know what it was like.
However, United’s seemingly automatic place at the top is no more and hasn’t been for a while now. And their decade of comparative failure means you never see those three letters used in anger anymore.
But these days we are starting to notice the increasing use of another, similar, set of initials: ABC. That is, unsurprisingly, Anyone But City.
A growing amount of people would prefer their own team to win the trophy but, if that isn’t possible, then please let it be ABC
Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have won the league six times in the last seven years, including the last four on the bounce. And while that is awesome in terms of consistency, and exciting if you happen to support them, it is extremely boring for the rest of us.
A growing amount of people I know – fans of United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal – are starting to say the same thing: they would prefer their own team to win the trophy but, if that isn’t possible, then please let it be ABC.
And this feeling isn’t just limited to fans of the other potential title contenders. It is a sentiment increasingly shared by supporters of smaller teams who, in the absence of any realistic chance of success of their own, at least want football to have a bit of variety and excitement.
To be fair, City aren’t having everything their own way as their failure to win any of the cups last season indicates. But the ultimate prize will always be the league title and, under Pep’s guidance, they seem to find a way to win that every year.
I personally haven’t completely subscribed to the ABC way of thinking yet.
Firstly, I admire Guardiola’s style of play. Secondly, I am now old enough to realise this is just another football cycle. And thirdly, there are still one or two teams I don’t particularly want to see win anything for now. Certainly, one in particular. I won’t mention names, but they dump managers on a whim, buy players just because they can, and play in London at a ground that rhymes with Lamford Widge.
However, if we have to endure another season of City dominance, and I fear we will, I suspect myself and millions of others will sooner rather than later become part of the ABC movement...
Damn the time difference
I wrote last week about how I was already looking forward to going through the whole Olympic binge-watching process again when the games move on to Los Angeles in four years’ time.
On the back of how much I enjoyed the Paris event, it was only natural to start planning and preparation for another marathon of sport watching in 2028.
Sadly, however, on Sunday morning my plans were left in tatters when I got an e-mail from Gordon pointing out that, unlike in France, there is going to be a massive time difference to deal with next time round.
That, as the saying goes, pissed on my chips.
Anyway, if you happen to stumble across a Go Fund Me page about an elderly columnist looking to raise cash for a three-week visit to Los Angeles, please give generously...
Harry’s act of decency
Hats off to Harry Kane for a fantastic display of supporter respect last weekend.
The England captain returned to his old Tottenham stomping ground for the first time when he played for Bayern Munich in the Visit Malta Cup.
Bayern won the game 3-2, which meant they got to lift the trophy. And, as captain, it would have been Kane’s duty to do so.
However, entirely conscious of the fact that lifting a trophy was precisely what he had failed to do while playing for Spurs for a hundred years, he abdicated the armband and the cup-raising responsibilities to a teammate.
Nice move Harry.
Predictions? What predictions?
Yes, I know there was some idle chatter of a few Premier League predictions being on their way this week, but that was before I remembered I would be travelling and therefore would not have the time needed to devote to this mentally intensive activity.
So, I am afraid you are just going to have to hang on a short while longer. All things being equal, I will have time to dust off the crystal ball, brew up some tea leaves and maybe do a little light palm reading for next weekend’s column.
Yes, I know the league will have started by then, but whenever have the first few results meant very much in the greater scheme of things?
Never, I would wager. So next week it is. Probably.
E-mail: james.calvert@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @Maltablade