Am addicted to a number of sports, but football definitely comes first and United being the first team I ever laid eyes on, automatically made them by favourite side.
I watch football for a number of reasons, I love gritty hard fought wins, backs to the wall defending, tough tackling and the competitive element just as much as I do the beautiful aspect of the game, the skills, the combination play and the audacious moments.
United aren't the only reason I love football, but I could never find another team which I could watch as religiously as them.. just something romantic about them and them wearing the colour red, the history of the club - its just something unique and special and I like how they're the one british club with that international glamour and that renowned tradition for flair and breaking with tradition i.e. ignoring the FA to embark on their journeys into Europe.
My favourite british players have played for United, so Law, Charlton, Best, Robbo, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney.. I mean them playing for United probably made me like them more.. but I'd say as a neutral.. we're very lucky to have had the two indisputed best brits play for us, and we tend to have the most exciting british talents in our history.
Ultimately though, I think as a fan.. you watch football for enjoyment, though what constitutes enjoyment differs from one fan to another.. for some 'winning' is what gives them a buzz, for others it is seeing 'fun free-flowing' football and I'd say the majority are somewhere in between.
From a personal POV, my perspective is that trophies.. are objectively not something that is really going to change my life.. as I am not the one lifting it, or making any money from it but memories, entertainment, that feeling of a buzz.. that is what makes watching or supporting any sports star or team worth watching. Hence why I think 'entertainment' is a very important factor to take into account from a fans perspective, otherwise what is the point of watching if it makes you miserable or you find it dull.
Furthermore for some, wanting to play good football.. isn't necessarily a demand because they just want to enjoy themselves.. its because they genuinely think, that is the best way for the club to compete with the best sides and win the biggest trophies. I think it is easily thrown around on this forum, that people that want us to play good football.. to not care about winning, and are not real supporters and that fans who are happy with shit football are the true fans. I find that really immature because if there is clear evidence which suggests a certain way of playing is not really going to lend itself to long term success, in addition to boring you each week.. are you a real fan for supporting that through thick and thin, or are you going to benefit the club more by making it clear you don't think its the right approach.
I think if you look at the leading clubs from the past decade, they have demonstrated that you can win good football, you can also play gritty now and again, and you can win big.. none of these things are exclusive from one another and under Fergie, we had decades of success by playing predominantly good football, but we also had our fair share of scraps where we were outplayed but pulled results out of the bag. It is all about balance, and I do think if the balance is not quite there.. and a large majority of fans do not feel entertained, and results do not really make up for it - then as a club, you should try to do something about that or the manager does need to take that into account. Elite clubs, treat fans like consumers so they can't complain when they don't fulfil their responsibilities on the entertainment front too.
