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[Burney]

No, your mistake is in believing that everybody else is like you and, as a consequence, their 'passion' is contrived. Not everyone chases intellectual consistency, particularly when it comes to something as spectacularly unintellectual as football.

You are not like other people. Ash explains the motivation for a lot of football fans beautifully above. THere is a genuine irritation in seeing those who clearly dont understand the game at all piping up with their nonsensical views but I would. Have thought an intellectual heavyweight such as yourself would be used to that.

No, m isn’t like other people. For a start he’s much brighter and thoughtful (not in the sense of being kind, natch) than other people. The fact that he cares about things like intellectual consistency irritates those who do, of course, but I think it’s a good thing. I don’t think he’s ever got a minute imagined other people are like him. He is very aware he is different.

Which is good. Who wants to be like ‘other people’, ffs?

[Peter]

No, m isn’t like other people. For a start he’s much brighter and thoughtful (not in the sense of being kind, natch) than other people. The fact that he cares about things like intellectual consistency irritates those who do, of course, but I think it’s a good thing. I don’t think he’s ever got a minute imagined other people are like him. He is very aware he is different.

Which is good. Who wants to be like ‘other people’, ffs?

There are plenty of intellectual pursuits in life but very few people consider football to be one of them. Surely his logic is flawed as well- surely he doesn't hate all of those england players and, if so, why?

I mean, I hate some Arsenal players. Should I want Arsenal to lose??

[Burney]

There are plenty of intellectual pursuits in life but very few people consider football to be one of them. Surely his logic is flawed as well- surely he doesn't hate all of those england players and, if so, why?

I mean, I hate some Arsenal players. Should I want Arsenal to lose??

I can’t speak for m, but I hate every single player who plays for a rival English team. I mean obviously I hate some of them more than others, but I hate them all on some level.

[Peter]

I can’t speak for m, but I hate every single player who plays for a rival English team. I mean obviously I hate some of them more than others, but I hate them all on some level.

I dont particularly like any of them but I did find something to admire here and there. Ashley Young desperately trying to struggle through extra time so he could take a penalty; Raheem Sterling constantly looking to run beyond the back four constantly despite being horribly low on confidence; even Harry Kane's ice cold stare as he waited nearly five minutes to take that penalty against Columbia.

Of course I dislike them and their clubs but I am able to see beyond that for a few weeks every couple of years. It helps that I dont absolutely despise any of them the way I did with John Terry.

Either way, intellectual consistency is pretty dangerous. You hate Harry Kane I presume? If he signs for Arsenal next week, what do you do? Rationalise it on account of the move? Continue to hate him?

The basic intellectual outline here is that you hate them because they play for Spurs. Now they are playing for a different team. You may choose to continue to hate them but it does not flow logically from the premise. Its a choice, and good luck to you.

[Burney]

I dont particularly like any of them but I did find something to admire here and there. Ashley Young desperately trying to struggle through extra time so he could take a penalty; Raheem Sterling constantly looking to run beyond the back four constantly despite being horribly low on confidence; even Harry Kane's ice cold stare as he waited nearly five minutes to take that penalty against Columbia.

Of course I dislike them and their clubs but I am able to see beyond that for a few weeks every couple of years. It helps that I dont absolutely despise any of them the way I did with John Terry.

Either way, intellectual consistency is pretty dangerous. You hate Harry Kane I presume? If he signs for Arsenal next week, what do you do? Rationalise it on account of the move? Continue to hate him?

The basic intellectual outline here is that you hate them because they play for Spurs. Now they are playing for a different team. You may choose to continue to hate them but it does not flow logically from the premise. Its a choice, and good luck to you.

Oh, if they leave Spurs and join another club, I hate them less, certainly. I hate Kyle Walker about 15% less now that he plays for City, for instance.
And the thing is that they are still Spurs players when they’ve got an England shirt on. Spurs pay their wages and it is to Spurs that they return when the World Cup’s over. Prancing around in an England shirt for a few weeks does not changes their Spursness for me.

[Peter]

Oh, if they leave Spurs and join another club, I hate them less, certainly. I hate Kyle Walker about 15% less now that he plays for City, for instance.
And the thing is that they are still Spurs players when they’ve got an England shirt on. Spurs pay their wages and it is to Spurs that they return when the World Cup’s over. Prancing around in an England shirt for a few weeks does not changes their Spursness for me.

What if the opposition had more Spurs players in it than the England team?

[Burney]

What if the opposition had more Spurs players in it than the England team?

Fair question, but I find I can’t hate a foreign spurs player quite as much as I hate an English one, so I’d still want England to lose.