What makes a football club big?

I think it is a mix of all of the things that make a big club, you have to be good in all of them.

It also seems that if a club is in so much debt, as Liverpool and United seem to be, that unless they do a 180 in their financial department then its possible they could fail to be big teams or even loose their status as such.

I think Youth programs can be important for clubs, but mostly to stay on top in a less expensive way and also a bit to make money – as Arsene Wenger appears to be very good at, buying a player like Adebayor for a small amount and selling later for much larger.
But if you’re a club like M.City and throw money around the way they do/will, then you may not feel like you need to worry about having a good youth system, when the players get good enough they will just buy them in. As much as this doesnt seem to be ideal, in fact, it seems like it must be wrong somehow, I do appreciate they the competition is getting better in the EPL… too bad for Italy and Spain though, i think they need a Sheik of their own!

You’re right David. Sergio Ramos did come from Sevilla (I think I saw him play for them a few times) and he is an excellent player at the Bernabeu (how do you spell it again? I forget.)

Hi you both make very good points. Kenmwu just one thing Sergio Ramos came through the Sevilla youth system and signed for Real Madrid as a youngster. All the same he developed into the player he is today because of Real Madrid.

Oh dang, how could I forget about the youngsters? Good point, kenmwu.

The point Brad made about having world class players is true, but you have to mention its also the ability to take a young player, either through your own youth system or from other teams, and make them stars. The ability to take big players from big clubs is great, but you also have to be able to make what you can buy. Players like Messi (FCB), Beckham (MUFC), Ramos (RMCF), who all came up through the youth system from their respected clubs and went on to become world class players. Or players like Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy and Fabregas, who were taken from small(-er) clubs, where they would maybe had moderate success, and became super stars only after moving into the Big Clubs. Making stars is just as (if not more) important then just being able to buy them. I think THATS what truly make a Big Club..big.

This is exactly the kind of article you would make, David. Good read.

What makes an FC big? Good question. It has to be the fan base. Teams like Barca, Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, the Milans, Juventus, and maybe be some German teams like Bayern Munich and VFL Wolfsburg have fans- and loads of them- all around the world. And quite a few of the fans are so devoted, they might even die to protect their club (don’t know if that would ever become necessary, but in this world you never know).
Fan base aint the only thing. You got to have the best players in the world. Messi, Henry, Ibrahimovic, and Iniesta (FCB); Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul, and Van Nistelrooy (RMCF); Rooney, Owen, Berbatov, Scholes, Giggs, and van der sar (MUFC); should I go on? With the best players, you win the best trophies.
there’s the other criteria: Trophies. Win them. Lots of them. Doesnt matter how you do it. Just do it. Real Madrid’s performance in the UEFA CL, Barca’s treble last season (plus everything else I dont need to mention), the Red Devil’s 11 PL titles in 17 or 18 (I lost count) seasons, plus the treble of 99, just how many FA Cup wins (hope we dont get upset again in that by a smaller team) plus a World Club Cup, and Inter’s 4 seasons straight winning the Serie A, these are all perfect examples.

This is exactly the kind of article you would make, David. Good read.

What makes an FC big? Good question. It has to be the fan base. Teams like Barca, Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, the Milans, Juventus, and maybe be some German teams like Bayern Munich and VFL Wolfsburg have fans- and loads of them- all around the world. And quite a few of the fans are so devoted, they might even die to protect their club (don’t know if that would ever become necessary, but in this world you never know).
Fan base aint the only thing. You got to have the best players in the world. Messi, Henry, Ibrahimovic, and Iniesta (FCB); Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul, and Van Nistelrooy (RMCF); Rooney, Owen, Berbatov, Scholes, Giggs, and van der sar (MUFC); should I go on? With the best players, you win the best trophies.
there’s the other criteria: Trophies. Win them. Lots of them. Doesnt matter how you do it. Just do it. Real Madrid’s performance in the UEFA CL, Barca’s treble last season (plus everything else I dont need to mention), the Red Devil’s 11 PL titles in 17 or 18 (I lost count) seasons, plus the treble of 99, just how many FA Cup wins (hope we dont get upset again in that by a smaller team) plus a World Club Cup, and Inter’s 4 seasons straight winning the Serie A, these are all perfect examples.

The point Brad made about having world class players is true, but you have to mention its also the ability to take a young player, either through your own youth system or from other teams, and make them stars. The ability to take big players from big clubs is great, but you also have to be able to make what you can buy. Players like Messi (FCB), Beckham (MUFC), Ramos (RMCF), who all came up through the youth system from their respected clubs and went on to become world class players. Or players like Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy and Fabregas, who were taken from small(-er) clubs, where they would maybe had moderate success, and became super stars only after moving into the Big Clubs. Making stars is just as (if not more) important then just being able to buy them. I think THATS what truly make a Big Club..big.

Oh dang, how could I forget about the youngsters? Good point, kenmwu.

Hi you both make very good points. Kenmwu just one thing Sergio Ramos came through the Sevilla youth system and signed for Real Madrid as a youngster. All the same he developed into the player he is today because of Real Madrid.

You’re right David. Sergio Ramos did come from Sevilla (I think I saw him play for them a few times) and he is an excellent player at the Bernabeu (how do you spell it again? I forget.)

I think it is a mix of all of the things that make a big club, you have to be good in all of them.

It also seems that if a club is in so much debt, as Liverpool and United seem to be, that unless they do a 180 in their financial department then its possible they could fail to be big teams or even loose their status as such.

I think Youth programs can be important for clubs, but mostly to stay on top in a less expensive way and also a bit to make money – as Arsene Wenger appears to be very good at, buying a player like Adebayor for a small amount and selling later for much larger.
But if you’re a club like M.City and throw money around the way they do/will, then you may not feel like you need to worry about having a good youth system, when the players get good enough they will just buy them in. As much as this doesnt seem to be ideal, in fact, it seems like it must be wrong somehow, I do appreciate they the competition is getting better in the EPL… too bad for Italy and Spain though, i think they need a Sheik of their own!