Fooball 'The Big 5'

[3offTheTee]

A few years ago The Big Five were Liverpool, Man U Tottenham Arsenal and Everton. Obviuosly Everton are no longer in th frame and whilst Newcastle are riding high they are unlikely to be included.

Think it fair that Man U and Chelsea are there now with Man City but which 2 from the other 3 should be included ie 2 from Tottenham/Arsenal/Liverpool. The reason I ask was that Garry Red Neville said the Big % were still in The League Cup or whatever it is called which precluded Spurs.

Question is Who are 'The Big 5' and why and more importantly do you care!

 

[NWJocko]

Don't much care but I would have said Liverpool and Arsenal and not Spurs based on more recent achievments (last 10 years or so). League (the Arse only) and Cup wins...... That said, should Cit-eh be in there yet....?

 

[Anders]

25 years ago The Big Five were Liverpool, Man U Tottenham Arsenal and Everton. Obviuosly Everton are no longer in th frame and whilst Newcastle are riding high they are unlikely to be included.

Fixed that for you

Don't have much time for football now, but to me the big 5 are Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and now Man City (purely on current form / potential). It needs to go on the last 5 years or so as well as current form / potential imo, which is why I include Liverpool and Arsenal over Spurs / Newcastle.

 

[richart]

I always thought that over the last ten years it was the big 4, Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. Everton have not been championship contenders since the mid 80,s, and Spurs since the 60's. Man City have bought their way into a new big 5.

 

[3offTheTee]

25 years ago The Big Five were Liverpool, Man U Tottenham Arsenal and Everton. Obviuosly Everton are no longer in th frame and whilst Newcastle are riding high they are unlikely to be included.

Fixed that for you

Thought that was exactly what I said. Realise Everton have not been around for some time

 

[stevie_r]

Auchinleck talbot
Kilbirnie ladeside
Cumnock
Beith
Irvine meadow

 

[USER1999]

Wow, they are big clubs!

 

[mullet]

Only a big 3 now...

Man City
Man Utd
Chelsea

Liverpool, Arsenal and now Spurs have the ambitions etc and of course Arsenal were a force 5+ plus ago but simply, those top 3 clubs are the only ones that can compete for the top names.

 

[connor]

glad people put in liverpool in there... seem to get alot of abuse these days but kenny is getting us back on track.

league this year will be 1city,2 untd,then liverpool chelsea arsenal and spurs to fight it out. i think newcastle will fall b the wayside

 

[GB72]

I would have the 'Big 5' now as Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal. Liverpool are on the right track butnot quite there yet despite the good result at the weekend. Chelsea need to re-invest big in some younger players if they are to remain at the top.

Will be interesting to see how some of these clubs go now they cannot rely on the Champions League money every year

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not sure we have a big 5. Man U, Man City and Chelsea are definitely at the top of the tree. Arsenal are rebuilding and won't really be contenders again for a few seasons. Liverpool are arguably the closest to breaking into the very top level and if they can stop throwing silly points away would be title contenders. SPurs play some of the best football at the moment but do they have the knowledge, depth and belief to become a force year after year. Dubious. Of the others, there are always a few clubs that have good seasons and this year Newcastle are making a statement but they will not be a top 5 club in the next decade

 

[Liverbirdie]

This is a subjective argument, if ever there was one. I will try to keep my LFC Bias out of it, but as a student of the game there are lots of historical factors to take into account.

I think the big 5 was mainly talked about in the 70's and 80's and was pretty much not very open to dispute. LFC, Man u, Arsenal, EFC and spurs where very much unequivacol in terms of Honours/ support/size of the stadium/recent success etc. Leeds had had a good decade or so, Man city a few good years, as had Derby and Notts Forest, Newcastle hadn't since Wor jackie in the 50's (3 cup wins, I think). But none of the pretenders were seen as the traditional big 5.

Many Evertonians unusually hate newcastle, as lots of neutrals said in the 90's that they had ousted Efc from the big 5, but I didn't agree. I think the fact that people referred to the 5, was just cos these 5 stood out.

With Everton's demise, and Newcastle in and out over 10 years, then people refered to the top 4 (or sky 4). I think it is fair to say that there is now a top 6, no need to name them. Mainly due to the top 4 getting Champions league footy, so the dynamic has changed, but all can't fit in. I dont think it is necessarily fair to try to shoehorn clubs in or out of a 5, if at the beginning of the season all 6 have a possible (even if remote chance)of winning the league, a cup or a european trophy.

I still think part of it is based on history, and even though LFC haven't won the lague in 21 years, we have still won trophies every 2 or 3 seasons on average. Some people dont know the following though:-

1. Spurs have only won the league twice.
2. Man U only won one major trophy between 1968 and 1983.
3. Thirty odd clubs have won domestic trophies since newcastle last won one in the 1950's (I know they won a european trophy in the 1970's, but I am talking domestically).
4. The city of Liverpool has won more league titles than all of the London teams together.
5. The league has returned to Anfield on 19 occasions ( I know, cluthching at straws now).

As I say, no need to necessarily just have a 5, but currently mine would be us, Manu, Arsenal, Chelsea and man City, but historically us, manu, arsenal and then depending on overall history/recent 5-10 years history.
Spurs are playing fantastic footy though.

Just my twopennorth....

 

[bladeplayer]

Think we had the big 3 (utd ,arsenal, chelsea) then 2 knocking on the door ..spurs, pool.. city have just joined the party .. but i think this is the year the utd chelsea arsenal dominance is shook up, my predictions which ive never won any dosh on top 3.. city.. utd .. spurs , next 3 arsenal , pool . chelsea .. hopefuly in the next few years when the expendituire has to be % related to income it will become a slightly leveler playing field .. if they stop allowing the farce of ground naming for 400mil to overcome this .. gona be intresting to see how city deal with a bad run if they get one , alot of great footballers but alot of primadonnas there 2 , how many will be willing to sit on the bench & just be happy to take the big dosh

 

[Shaunmg]

Never heard reference to the Big 5 before, but have heard reference to the big 4.

What is the criteria for membership of this mythical club? Is it success/trophies over the years? Current form? Global brand or revenue?

Only 4 premiership clubs get into the top ten European highest revenue earners league, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Between them they have also been the most successful, and without doubt the biggest global brands.

Current form in my opinion is not a criterion, so City are a long way off membership

The big four must be Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool

 

[stevie_r]

Never heard reference to the Big 5 before, but have heard reference to the big 4.

What is the criteria for membership of this mythical club? Is it success/trophies over the years? Current form? Global brand or revenue?

Only 4 premiership clubs get into the top ten European highest revenue earners league, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Between them they have also been the most successful, and without doubt the biggest global brands.

Current form in my opinion is not a criterion, so City are a long way off membership

The big four must be Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool

you are right Shaun, far too many criteria to judge on, I think you also need to break it down into:

a. Current (with a definite time span)
b. All time

 

[harvey4banger]

Well I hate to put a dampener on your thread, but it’s official Spurs are the best team in London and we will stay there

I think it will finish

City
United
Spurs
Goon scum
Chelsea

YID ARMY!!!!!

 

[USER1999]

I think you might be as deluded as my pal who thinks qpr are the best team in London.

 

[need_my_wedge]

You'd need to define some criteria with regards to time frame etc. Whilst Citeh and the spuds are having a good start to the season, that doesn't necessarily make then a top 5 team. likewise, not having the financial muscle to match citeh or chavski should not preclude you from being a top 5 team. It must surely be based on performance over a specific time frame, at which point I'd have to say manure, chavski, the scouse army and the mighty gunners......errr, OK top 4 teams then..

If you are going on current form, there's only one English team qualified in the Champions League, ........errr therefore currently only one top club.......