I would say that the only truly world class player they have is Vidic.
Rooney still needs to grow up but I can't see that ever happening.
The all-in-one consolidatory football thread Page 240
Quote: TopBanana @ May 29 2011, 9:40 PM BSTTop 5 biggest clubs in the world (currently):
1. Barca
2. Real Madrid
3. Man Utd
4. Liverpool
4. AC Milan
5. Bayern Munich
That's how the world sees it.
Quote: TopBanana @ May 29 2011, 9:54 PM BSTI will not, however, accept that Chelsea are a bigger club than Villa, Everton or Tottenham!
Tottenham aside, I don't think Chelsea fans are bothered about that.
What we are bothered about is when people lump us in with the likes of Crystal Palace, QPR and West Ham and think things only changed in 2003.
I think that things changed for Chelsea when they got Hoddle & then Hoddle got Gullit
Before that they were no bigger than QPR or West Ham. apart from a swanky location.
Although they had a few quite good years with Osgood & that lot.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ May 30 2011, 12:03 AM BSTThings changed for Chelsea when they got Hoddle & then Hoddle got Gullit
Before that they were no bigger than QPR or West Ham. apart from a swanky location.
Although they had a few quite good years with Osgood & that lot.
But that's the thing.
Chelsea have spent 76 years in the Top Flight. QPR by comparison - only 20. West Ham - 53.
Chelsea won the league in 1955. Only 22 teams have ever won the league. Thousands down the pyramid haven't, including West Ham and QPR.
Chelsea have done the clean sweep of domestic trophies. West Ham & QPR - not even close.
Post War, Chelsea have finished in the Top six on twenty-six occasions. Only Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal have done so more times. QPR have only done so twice, West Ham - only three times.
Pre-war, Chelsea had four of the highest top ten English Football League attendances for matches. West Ham and QPR were playing to crowds of one man and his dog.
There was no point in even mentioning Palace during that.
Don't get me wrong, this is small fry compared to United and Liverpool. But we're above the likes of West Ham, QPR and Fulham. We always have been.
But below Tottenham & Arsenal.
(above Tottenham nowadays admittedly)
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ May 30 2011, 12:33 AM BSTBut below Tottenham & Arsenal.
(above Tottenham nowadays admittedly)
Although Arsenal should never have been promoted in the first place, so everything they've achieved since 1920 should be null and void.
I so agree
Especially that Michael Thomas Goal that ruined my 18th Birthday.
I remeber an Arsenal fan on an LBC phone in during the 90's
he was moaning about newly rich Blackburn having no History
I was tempted to phone in to say that at that time they had actually won the FA cup more times than Arsenal
Quote: Tuumble @ May 29 2011, 9:34 PM BSTThere wasn't a lot he could say after that.
He could have said "Stop living in the past".
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ May 30 2011, 12:40 AM BST
I remeber an Arsenal fan on an LBC phone in during the 90's
he was moaning about newly rich Blackburn having no HistoryI was tempted to phone in to say that at that time they had actually won the FA cup more times than Arsenal
Mmm, Arsenal fans are quite selective with their history. It's amazing how they've never won the European Cup.
I've never seen a set of fans so desperate to see Chelsea and (this season) Spurs fail in Europe. It will be their worst nightmare to see another London club lift the trophy first.
Quote: Ben @ May 30 2011, 12:43 AM BSTHe could have said "Stop living in the past".
He started the conversation remember. In any case United will be living in the past themselves in the not too distant future. Fergie, Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand will have gone and whoever is brought in won't be able to match their achievements.
Football is cyclical and all teams go through a dip just as Barcelona will do.
Quote: Splodge @ May 30 2011, 1:00 AM BSTMmm, Arsenal fans are quite selective with their history. It's amazing how they've never won the European Cup.
I've never seen a set of fans so desperate to see Chelsea and (this season) Spurs fail in Europe. It will be their worst nightmare to see another London club lift the trophy first.
I know they're not London but it must bug them to see Forest and Villa with pics of Old Big Ears.
Clough winning the European cup two years on the trot was certainly an achievment. Malmo and Hamburg weren't that huge though, were they? Hamburg had Keegan at some point, didn't they?
Quote: Tuumble @ May 30 2011, 9:57 AM BSTFergie, Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand will have gone and whoever is brought in won't be able to match their achievements.
You could have said the same things about Hughes, Kanchelskis, Ince, Pallister, Bruce, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy though...
Fergie's a different matter though. I think only Mourinho and Guardiola could replace his belief and demands. A lot of people say David Moyes is a candidate, but I don't see that he's ever competed on the big stage.
Moyes will replace Redknapp at Spurs when he goes to Chelsea or England, IMO. Or even Houllier at Villa this summer.
Top 5 biggest London clubs:
1- Arsenal
2- Tottenham
3- Chelsea
4- West Ham
5- ????????
Brentford
I hate that West Ham are thought of as a big club. Are they any bigger than Derby, or Wednesday? Or Sunderland?
No! With the coverage they get you'd think they were about 3rd or 4th in the League Titles table. They've NEVER been English champions!
Top 10 English League Titles:
Manchester United 19
Liverpool 18
Arsenal 13
Everton 9
Aston Villa 7
Sunderland 6
Chelsea 4
Newcastle United 4
Sheffield Wednesday 4
Blackburn Rovers 3
West Ham have won 5 trophies, Forest 11, Wednesday 9, Spurs 24, Everton 23, Villa 24, Chelsea 21, Liverpool 58 & Man Utd 59.
Sounds like you're including Charity Shields in that list. To my mind you can only include the 3 European and 3 domestic trophies as major honours.