Full Disclosure: I've been following Premier League soccer here in the US since the start of the 2010-11 season and very quickly adopted the Gunners as my team literally by watching the 6-0 thrashing of Blackpool, complete with a Walcott hatrick. I understand that my perspective on the state of our team, the manager, etc. is somewhat skewed toward recent events. My question is simple: Do you believe that Arsenal is a big club and what constitutes a big club to you in terms of the landscape of European Football?? To me, you're a big club when it goes without saying. Is that the case with Arsenal? I feel like lately I keep seeing the words 'big club' when I read about Arsenal in the media and in blogs as if someone is trying to convince me that it's the case. Do people do that with Real Madrid, Man U, Barca, Bayern, etc or does that go without saying?
The problem is is we are a longtime, prestigious but yet modest (historically speaking) London side that is run like a Bundesliga club (fiscally sound due to strict licensing restrictions) who happen to play in the Premier League, where everyone who suddenly realize that their new moneybags owner can write blank checks envisions themselves to be a "big club". Not sure what this means, if anything, but the Chavs have more FB fans than Arsenal now (15 million to 13 million). The biggest fan clubs on FB are Farca (40 million); Real Madrid (36 million) and Man Ure (31 million).
holy hell. a dozen or so league titles. 9 or 10 fa cups. a trophy or two in europe. selling out 60k every other week. seriously, by what standards could arsenal not be considered a big club? i mean, arsenal aren't one of the half-dozen, or so, elites of world football. but unless that's the definition of 'big club', what's with the vacilation?
I asked the question because of the reports a few weeks ago that Monreal joined us in January after Cazorla told him that Arsenal is a big club and being here feels like one big family. I seem to recall similar statements being made by Podolski to the media once he joined Arsenal. Regardless of what fans think, it made me question what players impressions of Arsenal are/were. Does a Spanish International player have to be told by a teammate that we're a big club? Would a German International player need to say the same when talking to the media?
http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/3357?cc=5901 Read the part about the German view of Europe
Like I said, Arsenal are an anomaly insofar as ticket prices excepted, they are run like a German club in terms of spending. They are perhaps the only big English side that would pass the strict German licensing laws with flying colors. Loved this quip about the *romantic* views of British football in France: " " "We think fondly of British footballers here -- we see them as physical players who drink heavily and die young."" The only thing missing was the reference to the players owning a pub after they hang up their playing boots.
for all the talk about balance of power shifting, german clubs, in the main, only 1 top german team can compete toe to toe with any of the top english clubs financially. it's not a boast, it's just fact. sure they've sorted their attitude to youth policy out, have kept most clubs supporter owned, (sort of) keep a rein on finances, but there's little to stop the english clubs copying the youth policy or just making offers almost too good to turn down for the best players coming through the german clubs.
Does it matter? Will you stop supporting the club if it's no longer a big club, if it gets relegated next season?
Big club is not the same as big team. Is Real Madrid not a big club since they may not win La Liga this season (or the Champions League for that matter)? What about AC Milan, who may only make Europa League? If you're a gloryhunter, so be it. Even if we're a shadow of the Invincibles, we still are one of the biggest clubs in the UK, and financially (and in media exposure terms) one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Does it matter? In the grand scheme of things, no. Will I stop supporting the club if they get relegated? no, but I doubt they'd play on TV again in the US until the get promoted!
If Arsenal get relegated then BeIn Sport would show us every single weekend (they have the Championship coverage).
so ... it seems that this thread's initial query is not so much about how 'big' a club AFC are, but as to whether arsenal is as attractive a destination for top talent as it was 10, or so, years back, when you were winning things. obviously, it's easy enough to hypothesize that, given the varying likelihoods of acquiring medals in the short term, the best players would be less likely to sign on now than back then. but let's be honest, signing the best players wasn't exactly arsenal's modus operandi back then, either, was it? were henry and vieira 'world class' at yours? ok, yes. but they surely weren't perceived as such when they signed. even bergkamp, if i recall correctly, was coming off a less-than-stellar stint at inter when he was brought in (and i think he was pre-wenger, anyway, no?). so lamenting AFC as a non-elite destination may be fair, but it's not as though they ever were, is it? i mean, you guys are still pretty much doing it as you did back in AW's heyday - sign promising young talent and develop it. the only difference is that, of recent, they've either not developed as well as the likes of henry/vieira, or they've just not stayed around. so true, you may not have considered the likes of podolski back then, but it's not as though you were signing names bigger than podolski. it's because you didn't need 'name' signings, at all. in summation, arsenal fc are no bigger, nor smaller than you've typically been. perhaps some folks have been confused by the club's aspirations (branding, marketing, stadium, etc.), which appear designed to make you as huge as madrid, milan, man u, and a very select few others; but assuming that those aspirations had ever been achieved - for all the club's accomplishments '98-'06 - would be (no disrespect) a mistake. as to monreal being told that arsenal are a big club ... well ... i remember darren purse saying the same thing about sheffield wednesday when he signed (not too long before they dropped into the 3rd tier). 'big' is relative. is arsenal big relative to madrid, milan, etc.?' no, but you've never been. and it's a big world out there, full of sheffield wednesdays, barnets, and havant & waterloovilles. arsenal are, in the big picture, fecking humongous. so ... are arsenal still a big club, you ask? yes. as big as they've ever been. unfortunatley though, to judge by implied aspirations, not any bigger.
Arsenal 1st played Arsenal reserves in the first ever televised match in England if i remember correctly. So f**k everyone else.
Exactly correct. Plus we are featured as Inspector Clouseau's favorite club in the Pink Panthar (or was it the enemy? I dont know, we were referenced though.)
Normally I wouldn't even bother to answer a dumb question like this but I have to agree with you pook. There are a lot of people on this site who just don't "get it". They need to think less about money and current success and more about fan base and history. (It's 13 titles by the way )
You never know - we might have a plane crash! You've posted 4 times on BS - once here, twice on the Chelsea board and once on the "what team should I follow" board. Has it ever crossed your mind to post on the ManU board? or are you worried that they might recognise you for the pillock that you are? Go away and come back when you grow up. (actually - I would recommend the Spurs board, they have a GSOH, and it's run by and populated mostly with complete twonks.) BTW - I spent a week in Charlotte one afternoon