A study by Sportsmail ranking clubs according to how ‘big’ they are has provoked some controversy after Arsenal were ranked in second place behind Manchester United and in front of Liverpool and Chelsea.
A study by Sportsmail ranking clubs according to how ‘big’ they are has provoked some controversy after Arsenal were ranked in second place behind Manchester United and in front of Liverpool and Chelsea. Former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson has hit back.
The rankings claim to be based on ‘hard evidence’, and the criteria used are transparent, but in practice there are a number of alternative methodologies one could use. This particular one is concerned with winning trophies rather than attendance or away following which are often advanced as criteria. Despite the article’s claim, it will not resolve the arguments.
The whole ‘big’ clubs argument is in some ways faintly ridiculous with some clubs claiming to be ‘massive’ while others are dismissed as ‘tiny’. There seems to be no category between ‘big’ and ‘small’ when in fact many clubs could best be described as medium-sized.