Big 5

[FITZ]

First time today that I've ever heard Sky say "the so called big 5". Not that we're looking for it, but nice to get some recognition from them.

 

[michaelden]

Was it about us or ManCity or both minus Liverpool

 

[cozzo]

We are the big 4, They are probably just accommodating Man City.

 

[Dov67]

It should really be the big 3, since both city and Chelsea are guilty of financial doping and have done nothing to earn their right to be among the elite, other than being fortunate enough to be bought out by a couple of billionaires!

I resent city so much I think I would get as much pleasure from denying them a top 4 slot as I would the goons.......well, nearly as much pleasure

 

[Matt C]

It is Sky they probably mean Utd, City, Scum, Bindippers and Chelsea, they have it in for us

 

[Hot-Spur]

It should really be the big 3, since both city and Chelsea are guilty of financial doping and have done nothing to earn their right to be among the elite, other than being fortunate enough to be bought out by a couple of billionaires!

I resent city so much I think I would get as much pleasure from denying them a top 4 slot as I would the goons.......well, nearly as much pleasure

Me to, hate them with a passion :evil:

 

[dontcallme]

Bit early to be calling a big 5. We finished fourth last year and Man City have been there all season.

The Sky Four developed after many years of them consistently finishing in the top four spots and dominating the domestic cups.

Nice to get recognition but it isn't so easy to categorise the top clubs at the moment.

 

[yid1o]

It wasn't that long ago that the big 5 were Us, scum, red and blue scouse and the mancs

 

[Peters]

EPL big 4 last year ....CL big 8 this year and counting....

I don't think that SKY have been particularly biased against us in the past; we just haven't been anywhere near good enough for years but times are changing.

 

[Chimbo!]

It should really be the big 3, since both city and Chelsea are guilty of financial doping and have done nothing to earn their right to be among the elite, other than being fortunate enough to be bought out by a couple of billionaires!

I resent city so much I think I would get as much pleasure from denying them a top 4 slot as I would the goons.......well, nearly as much pleasure

We are more or less owned by a billionaire (Joe Lewis), as are United (Glazers) and Arsenal have a billionaire invester. In fact you probably cannot compete at the top of the Premier League without a billionaire backer of some sort.

 

[$hoguN]

We are more or less owned by a billionaire (Joe Lewis), as are United (Glazers) and Arsenal have a billionaire invester. In fact you probably cannot compete at the top of the Premier League without a billionaire backer of some sort.

The difference is in how that billonaire goes about their business; CIty and Chelsea's owners treat the clubs like their play things, buying success through signing the top players at inflated fees and paying them ridiculous wages whereas Utd, Arsenal and ourselves have far more restrained owners who run the club like a business, reinvesting profits and growing the brands, in an attempt to give the club the best shot at long term success without the need for a sugardaddy

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Well, the laughing gnome gang up at Old Trafford appear to be using the club to prop up their entire business portfolio of deserted malls and empty trailer parks back in the States, i think a lot of their success is similar to our progression in as much as the football is left to the football people.

 

[nicdic]

It was the Sun who said the big 5, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, City and us.

 

[Dov67]

The point is we spend what we generate through the clubs business activities and no more.

Without their billionaire owners there is no guarantee city would even be in the prem. The likes of tevez, dzeko, da silva, yaya etc would not be playing for them.
As for Chelsea, they accumulated approx £100m of debt under ken bates to get into a cl position and were 1 week from going into administration when they hit the the jackpot with Abramovich.

 

[pjspur1961]

SSN pissed me off this morning, it was probably highlighted by the fact I had a stinking hangover and 3 hours kip....but the "so called big 5" sniffing around Young (never mentioned who they were, but I'm guessing it was Citeh, Yanited, Scum, Scouse & Chavs). This was after they lauded over Yanited about winning in the CL with their current injury list (9 players which was made up of mostly fringe players & their 3rd choice 'keeper).

bad start to the day!!!

 

[Rocksuperstar]

The point is we spend what we generate through the clubs business activities and no more.

A majority of the posts recently suggest that quite a lot of our "fans" aren't as educated in this department as others, and they would have us chuck away the years and years of hard work it's taken to set Tottenham Hotspur up with this business model by over spending on... well, anything that they think will get us instant glory.

Wish more fans could appreciate the position Levy and his tribe have put us in, with regards to stability, both on and off the pitch.

I suppose a lot of the problem with the latest generation of supporters is that they have only the experiences of it being done by clubs like Chelsea & Citeh, rather than any idea of what kind of work it took for many teams to transit from a sports club into businesses.

Once upon a time, football was a game.

 

[Locotoro]

Only a period of sustained success will put us up in reach of the United's of this world.

I do think that if we can make the CL this season it will set us up for the next few years as all the other sides are facing major squad and squad management problems.

Man United have a number of players, including Giggs and Scholes, at the tail end of their careers and a perma-crocked Ferdinand to replace.

Chelsea's squad also have a number of key figures at the tail end of their game like Lampard and Drogba. There are also rumours of discontent in the dressing room too so i wouldnt be surprised if there were a few sold this summer. They will need to be replaced.

Man City will lose Tevez and will be bound by the financial fair play rules (as will Chelsea). Their income will not allow them to over spend.

Arsenal are the only bunch that seem to have a young side and have their financial house in order. Having said that I think Wenger's stubbornness in not signing an aggressive physical centre back and defensive midfielder will prove their undoing until he acknowledges that even Barca play with a regular hardman in the team (Puyol)

 

[WhiteStripe]

A majority of the posts recently suggest that quite a lot of our "fans" aren't as educated in this department as others, and they would have us chuck away the years and years of hard work it's taken to set Tottenham Hotspur up with this business model by over spending on... well, anything that they think will get us instant glory.

Wish more fans could appreciate the position Levy and his tribe have put us in, with regards to stability, both on and off the pitch.

I suppose a lot of the problem with the latest generation of supporters is that they have only the experiences of it being done by clubs like Chelsea & Citeh, rather than any idea of what kind of work it took for many teams to transit from a sports club into businesses.

Once upon a time, football was a game.

Disagree mate. I don't think people saying we need to spend 100k+ on wages believe we can do this currently, more that we will need to eventually to have sustained success. this will only come with increasing our revenue.

 

[Mr Pink]

Disagree mate. I don't think people saying we need to spend 100k+ on wages believe we can do this currently, more that we will need to eventually to have sustained success. this will only come with increasing our revenue.

Exactly - most understand that we need a bigger stadium to boost revenue to offer better wages.


Levy has done very well and obviously the business model he's used has been pretty sound and integral to getting us where we are today.

 

[Locotoro]

Do you guys not think that the level of wags will eventually start coming down once clubs realise they cant afford to run the books that way and not be penalised