ARE ARSENAL STILL A BIG CLUB?

frankbutcher · Post by **frankbutcher** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:36 am

King Vieira wrote:
Gunnersaurus wrote:We are a big club with a small club mentality.
Pretty much this.

Come back Paddy.

Percy Dalton · Post by **Percy Dalton** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:38 am

Look the question is a very subjective one and so peoples answers will differ as we all use different parameters to measure the grandness of our club.

There is no doubt we are a big club if you look at material assets such as the Wengerbowl, London Colney and Arsenal's property portfolio. You could, and should, also include players as assets but on that front we are considerably weaker in value than we were even last season let alone when the Invincibles side were about.

The creation of our wonderful new stadium (

) has meant we have had to downsize in other areas, notably player investment despite promises to the contrary, and so from a purely footballing perspective we are no longer the force we were and we are no longer regarded as a big fish.

Ask 1000 people who will win the Champions League this year and how many will say Arsenal? Ask the same question about the Premiership and again how many would plump for Arsenal? Compare those findings to maybe 5 years ago and it is clear to see our reputation and standing has diminished.

On the revenue generation side, this has obviously increased due to the new ground and the club's wonderful new attitude to its supporters, sorry I mean members, and so from that perspective we have grown and are a more investable proposition. We are a money making machine.

With regards to history, yes we have plenty of that domestically but one Fairs Cup and one Cup Winners Cup is hardly remarkable and this is demonstated by both competitions now being defunct. Doubles mean an awful lot to us but what do they mean in terms of staus to the outside world, not a lot really. Man Utd and Liverpool have won plenty domestically but it is their acheivements in Europe that have given them the status they enjoy throughout world football, the same status that Man City and Chelsea are striving for now.

My overall feeling is that we were a big fish in a small pond (Premier League) who very nearly pushed themselves into a even smaller pond with some very big fish (Europe) but we never quite made it.

Yes, we are a big club but to be honest big isn't that impressive these days as we are in a generation of super clubs that dwarf us! Gazidis himself admitted that this week when asked about transfers. If we was to raise our level of spending the giants would simply raise the bar to a whole new level again he said, something Arsenal simply cannot do.

UTU · Post by **UTU** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:16 am

In Business Terms Yes, Big Profits over there, Wenger is a good accountant. On the Pitch We are a Feeder Club just like West Ham used to be

King Vieira · Post by **King Vieira** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:20 am

frankbutcher wrote:
King Vieira wrote:
Gunnersaurus wrote:We are a big club with a small club mentality.
Pretty much this.
Come back Paddy.

We need him back, he'd probably still do a better job than Song

kiwomya · Post by **kiwomya** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:34 am

More "facts" shat from the anus of Babatunde.

You dismiss all of Wenger's opinions yet now seem to be holding him to his comment on us "not being a big club" if we sold Fabregas and Nasri.

Despite the amount of posts you rack up I still cannot see how you can call yourself a fan. You set up these threads in order to attack the response of anyone who disagrees with you.

I expect nothing but a diatribe back so try not to let me down.

frankbutcher · Post by **frankbutcher** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:35 am

kiwomya wrote:More "facts" shat from the anus of Babatunde.

You dismiss all of Wenger's opinions yet now seem to be holding him to his comment on us "not being a big club" if we sold Fabregas and Nasri.

Despite the amount of posts you rack up I still cannot see how you can call yourself a fan. You set up these threads in order to attack the response of anyone who disagrees with you.

I expect nothing but a diatribe back so try not to let me down.

AKB alert.

rigsby · Post by **rigsby** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:49 am

So are you calling 42% of the respondents on this survey idiots because they do not share your opinion?

Yes. The whol thread is ridiculous. We're a big club and that is that. You cnanot compare us with Forest or Villa as some have, as they never had sustained success. The fact is Arsenal's current form means fuck all to the stature of the side. Top 4 every year, always in europe, consitantly challenging for honours (despite our shortcomings and eventual failure of recent years)

If you looked at the last decade for instance, Arsenal had unbridaled glory, thats what people will look back on. The clubs gone through a dip, but it often does, and comes back. Its why we're always a big club. Because we're the famous Arsenal. In England AND in Europe.

frankbutcher · Post by **frankbutcher** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:54 am

rigsby wrote:
So are you calling 42% of the respondents on this survey idiots because they do not share your opinion?
Yes. The whol thread is ridiculous. We're a big club and that is that. You cnanot compare us with Forest or Villa as some have, as they never had sustained success. The fact is Arsenal's current form means fuck all to the stature of the side. Top 4 every year, always in europe, consitantly challenging for honours (despite our shortcomings and eventual failure of recent years)

If you looked at the last decade for instance, Arsenal had unbridaled glory, thats what people will look back on. The clubs gone through a dip, but it often does, and comes back. Its why we're always a big club. Because we're the famous Arsenal. In England AND in Europe.

Ask anyone who supports a "lesser" Club whether we're a big Club, and the answer would be "yes". Ask any supporter of a fellow "big club" and they would say, no we're not.

rigsby · Post by **rigsby** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:57 am

I think if you asked any non-plastic Man United/Liverpool fan (the only clubs bigger than us) if we were they would say yes.

Were Arsenal a big club when we were shit in the 80s? Yes. Short term success is not what the club is judged on.

frankbutcher · Post by **frankbutcher** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:58 am

rigsby wrote:I think if you asked any non-plastic Man United/Liverpool fan (the only clubs bigger than us) if we were they would say yes.

Disagree. We've done nothing in Europe. Never retained the League title in modern football (since the 30s). We've not won the League since 2004. We're in decline.

goonersid · Post by **goonersid** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:09 am

We are a big in decline, that cannot be denied.

frankbutcher · Post by **frankbutcher** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:15 am

Decline and fall. Wenger will leave us in a worse off position than GG.Why? Because we'll have no defensive oundation to build on. All we';; be left with is a couple of bright prospects and a massive wage bill.

MadRich · Post by **MadRich** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:26 am

Judging in terms of 'fanbase', revenue and facilities, then no doubt we're still a big club.
But right now we're in freefall. New board, management is needed!

frankbutcher · Post by **frankbutcher** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:33 am

MadRich wrote:Judging in terms of 'fanbase', revenue and facilities, then no doubt we're still a big club.
But right now we're in freefall. New board, management is needed!

Agreed.

Post by **DB10GOONER** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:36 am

frankbutcher wrote:
kiwomya wrote:More "facts" shat from the anus of Babatunde.

You dismiss all of Wenger's opinions yet now seem to be holding him to his comment on us "not being a big club" if we sold Fabregas and Nasri.

Despite the amount of posts you rack up I still cannot see how you can call yourself a fan. You set up these threads in order to attack the response of anyone who disagrees with you.

I expect nothing but a diatribe back so try not to let me down.
AKB alert.

He may be, but it is a valid point. Babatunde's posting style seems to be irritating a few people. But y'know - it's a free world and once Babatunde doesn't break the rules he is free to post.

ARE ARSENAL STILL A BIG CLUB?

Are Arsenal FC Still a Big Club?