Haha.

I can’t afford a ticket and I’m stranded in New England. So my pub becomes my makeshift Kop. The closest I’ve got for now.

I also put my pint down to have hands free to shake the person next to me in a can-you-believe-that-just-happened kind of way.

I’ve been thinking about your comment:

I was a bit taken aback by the word “pretentious” to describe my writing. I hope this comes from your bias (which I can understand and appreciate) because this is far from the tone I hope to convey in my work.

When I began writing about football, I tried to take an unbaised approach and write with a broader lens. But I couldn’t get as excited about this kind of writing as I can about my more recent Liverpool-specific approach. Since I’ve been writing more from my own perspective as a supporter, I’ve felt I’ve moved much closer to where I want to be as a writer (although, looking back at my earlier pieces, I realize I managed to mention Steven Gerrard in nearly every article even when I wasn’t talking about Liverpool… oops.)

My hope is my writing can appeal to supporters of many clubs because they can relate to my passion even if we don’t support the same team. I don’t know if I’m there yet. I do feel I’ve gotten closer over the last couple of weeks.

I really appreciate your statement: “I will still keep reading your pieces though in attempts to one day find a connection.” I hope you can connect with my passion even though your passion is for a different club. I suspect few Spurs supporters keep a copy of Fever Pitch on their bedside tables, but that book has meant a lot to many non-Arsenal supporters because Hornby gets the experience of being a supporter down so well. His take on supporting a club is broad even if the club he supports is very specific.

I aspire to write like that. My own voice, though, the run-on sentances and all, seeks to capture the intensity and energy of football in the flow of the writing. Again: not sure I’m there yet. But I’m looking for it with every article. Writing short pieces like this every day means I keep moving. I could go back and wrestle with adjective choices and other details all day long. But at some point I have to click “submit” for better or worse and move on to the next article. I know my word combinations don’t work perfectly every time. But for every miss I hope I stumble upon a crisp line that gets it right. What you see as seeking “cool and edgy” is, I think, me seeking a fresh and surprising language to discuss this sport that constantly surprises and excites me.

This is a journey. I’m not sure where I’m going. But I like that I keep moving.

Thank you for your comment and for continuing to read. I hope you find something that works for you in my stuff sometime in the (hopefully near) future.

Best,

Ethan

My opinions (that is strictly what they are) could’ve been shaped due to your love and my hatred for the Scouse. Very memorable match, mind. I will still keep reading your pieces though in attempts to one day find a connection. Much respect though.