SnoopJourneyOnOn the surface that looks like a good argument and fairly logical with a good conclusion (I’d say Real are the biggest club in the world) but players move for so many reasons, more money, better leagues etc.
The bundesliga is a better league than the SPL (you could argue that the EFL league 1 is a better league tbh) so of course you’re choosing that. It’s career progression not size of club.
Then of course you’ve got the money aspect. If player transfers were the only measure of size, then Saudi clubs would be ‘bigger’ than most of Europe right now—and no one actually believes that.
Quality of league is part of what makes a bigger club - being in a low quality league caps your size. Which is what has happened to Celtic - they're a big fish in a small pond, the size of the pond limits how big they can be.
The money aspect is a part of it - the Saudi clubs are limited again by league quality though. Ambitious players reject them - they get big name players who are declining and a very few players in their prime who have been squeezed out of clubs and accepted what they could get. I can’t think of any players a 'big' team wanted to keep/ sign who is in the Saudi league?
Ivan Toney chose Al-Ahli over premier league clubs, that doesnt make them bigger, he’ll it doesn’t even make them comparable with those clubs.
I read it was because of Fernandes’ wife that he decided to stay in England. If his wife had decided otherwise it wouldn’t have made that club bigger.
JourneyOnSnoopJourneyOnOn the surface that looks like a good argument and fairly logical with a good conclusion (I’d say Real are the biggest club in the world) but players move for so many reasons, more money, better leagues etc.
The bundesliga is a better league than the SPL (you could argue that the EFL league 1 is a better league tbh) so of course you’re choosing that. It’s career progression not size of club.
Then of course you’ve got the money aspect. If player transfers were the only measure of size, then Saudi clubs would be ‘bigger’ than most of Europe right now—and no one actually believes that.
Quality of league is part of what makes a bigger club - being in a low quality league caps your size. Which is what has happened to Celtic - they're a big fish in a small pond, the size of the pond limits how big they can be.
The money aspect is a part of it - the Saudi clubs are limited again by league quality though. Ambitious players reject them - they get big name players who are declining and a very few players in their prime who have been squeezed out of clubs and accepted what they could get. I can’t think of any players a 'big' team wanted to keep/ sign who is in the Saudi league?
Ivan Toney chose Al-Ahli over premier league clubs, that doesnt make them bigger, he’ll it doesn’t even make them comparable with those clubs.
I read it was because of Fernandes’ wife that he decided to stay in England. If his wife had decided otherwise it wouldn’t have made that club bigger.
No premier league clubs put in bids for Toney, so his choice was to either stay another season at Brentford (who wanted him gone), and hope one of the big sides wanted him when he was another year older, or move to Saudi.
I don't know about Fernandes' wife, when he said he wasn't going he said it was about football.
JourneyOnAre Al-Ahli bigger than Brentford?
I guess one could try to argue it based on their success, attendances etc. It would be a big reach though 😉
Given I think Toney basically snookered himself, probably not. It didn't seem like he burnt his bridges at Brentford to get a move there, he badly misjudged how keen Arsenal etc were on him.
It is a reach just like it’s a reach to suggest pulling power makes you a bigger club.
It’s a very old example but were Southampton bigger than Spurs, ManUre etc because Matt Le-Tissier turned them down in favour of staying?
Or even better the perfect example is Jude. I wouldn’t say Dortmund are a bigger club than ManUre. It was just sensible player choice.
The best indicator of a 'big'club is how many other clubs' fans have strong feelings about their result against them. Simples. Nobody cares about Brentford.
It's also how many shirts of that team do you see in say, Shrewsbury.
What makes a club a big club?
TOM WAGNER
Simples.
Snoop
So Leverkusen are bigger than Celtic
No they're not, what a ridiculous thing to say.
NewheavenlybluesWhat makes a club a big club?
TOM WAGNER
Simples.
Bronx hat on its way 🔥
BlueJimSnoop
So Leverkusen are bigger than Celtic
No they're not, what a ridiculous thing to say.
Leverkusen play in a meaningful league and won it, can out muscle them in the transfer market, have won a European final in the last 25 years etc.
But Celtic have a much larger ground and vastly more supporters.
And Leverkusen have just signed a player for £30m+ whilst Celtic's record signings cost £16m.
All clubs are inevitably bigger in the eyes of their own supporters.
Leverkusen are not bigger than Celtic.
I think me having history and tradition as a part of my criteria is very unpopular with a lot of people because it’s what the vilers say. I don’t know many Celtics fans but the ones I do know are insufferable because they are so much like vilers.
It doesn’t change the fact that they are a huge club based on things like history, fanbase etc and as unpopular an opinion it is to have on here, the vile are a big club too. Bigger than us.
Thankfully, the last few years have made me believe we can catch them up and even overtake them. Much like Chelsea would have been seen as a smaller club than West Ham 50 years ago.
Knighthead have made me believe.