Does size matter?

Nov 5, 2026 3:59 pm Rev Walker 64

BACK when I was a lad we had a big four: Spurs, Man Utd, Everton and Liverpool. This ranking was based purely on the clubs’ achievements in the 1960s.

Over the next 20-odd years little changed with the established order still picking up regular silverware, though the likes of Arsenal, Leeds and Brian Clough’s Forest, along with early Eighties Villa were knocking on the door.

By the time the Premier League was formed, Arsenal had permanently joined the party, so now we had a big five and for the next few years Man Utd and the gooners pretty much dominated.

Then along came Roman Abramovich and Chelsea, making it a big six. In the Eighties Everton had enjoyed great success, but eventually dropped out as oil rich Qatar, aka Man City, joined Rubles-rich Chelsea in the big six to Everton’s detriment, and that’s when we learned that money spent well – and often illegally – can buy you success. But is that a universal truth?

If money alone was the guarantor of success, how does one explain the Toronto Maple Leafs? They are by some margin the most valuable ice hockey club in North America, yet the last time they won anything was 59 years ago.

Or in baseball the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays? The latter team is in the bottom three regarding total payroll and average attendance, while the Brewers are in the middle strata yet thrashed the mega-bucks LA Dodgers 4-0 to reach the World Series, along with Tampa, who en route to the WS hammered the big money NY Yankees. Does this prove that spending money guarantees nothing?

Too much of a good thing?

Last week I highlighted the glut of goals in the first three rounds of the Champions League opening phase without looking at the context behind the numbers.

Simply put, with zero chance of the likes of Real, PSG, Bayern, Arsenal and Liverpool not making the knockout rounds, then these games, as enjoyable as they may be, are in truth glorified though very lucrative friendlies.

Not a good look

Four of the goals scored in week three were conceded by Man Utd at Como, and it could well have been seven, a scoreline with which United couldn’t have complained. That’s how wretched and bereft of ideas they were.

Afterwards, reigning Premier League Player of the Year Bruno Fernandes threw manager Michael Carrick under the proverbial bus, which is never a good look, but was Carrick on the pitch?

Was Carrick the reigning Player of the Year who strolled around waving his arms and doing nowt else all evening?

On Como’s second goal, was it Carrick who lost the ball and just stood there waving his arms as the player who nicked the ball off him ran 30 yards before registering an assist?

The answer to all the above is no, it was Fernandes, who as the captain should be looking at himself in a very large mirror.

12-season wonder

Last week when Bayern hosted Arsenal, the Germans were, for various reasons, minus all their creative players. Bayern’s solution? Get Harry Kane in midfield. And what a show he put on. We were treated to a passing master class from a player who I’ve always maintained was Spurs’ and England’s best passer, and on that night his full talents were on display against a very good Arsenal midfield.

On a night when he only had one shot on goal from open play, he was everywhere else on the pitch: full back, check; centre back, check; midfielder, check.

He was literally everywhere except the Arsenal area, other than when his goal-bound shot brought about the penalty from which he subsequently scored.

This man is not only a supreme goalscorer but he can play literally anywhere, and that is why he and not Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, or anyone else won the Ballon d’Or. What a player, we should appreciate him while we still can.

Team of the week

Zion Suzuki Aston Villa, Adrien Truffert Bournemouth, Jan Paul van Hecke Spurs, Ezri Konsa Arsenal, Dan Burn Newcastle, John McGinn Aston Villa, Mateus Fernandes Spurs, Justin Kluivert Bournemouth, Nicholas Jackson Aston Villa, Erling Haaland Man City, Mathys Tel Spurs.

Manager of the Week: Roberto De Zerbi Spurs. In just five days he cobbled together his (as per usual) injury-hit Spurs squad and found a way to earn six precious points, including that rarest of rarities a win at Stamford Bridge, in which his rejigged team played Chelsea off their own park.

Player of the Week: Mateus Fernandes. After a stop-start beginning to his Spurs career the fans were wondering what his best position is.

Well, based on what we saw at Chelsea last week, we now know: deep-lying midfielder.

Ice cool

As impressive as Fleetwood’s dumping Arsenal out of the League Cup was, what really impressed me was the quality of their penalties in the shootout.

Five unstoppable kicks would be unexpected, even for the very best sides, but from a team that is 18th in League Two playing the Premier League champions?

My favourite part was seeing a 20-year-old taking Fleetwood’s fourth pen and a 19-year-old taking number five, while Arsenal’s expensively acquired Brazilian Bruno Guimares did that awful stuttering run-up and was the only player to have a penalty saved. The moral of the story? Run up and whack it.

Excuse of the week

“The pitch was too short,” said an Arsenal fan explaining the Fleetwood result. As it happens the (Fleetwood) Highbury pitch is the same length as the Emirates, while when it comes to pitches being too short the old (Woolwich) Highbury pitch was the smallest in the league by quite some margin.

Best moment

Fleetwood are one of those clubs that play music whenever a goal is scored, a practice which usually gets on my wick, but when they got their goal against Arsenal all was forgiven. How can anyone possibly object to the glorious Captain Pugwash theme?

This week’s games

Premier League today 12:30; Chelsea vs Man Utd. 5pm; Bournemouth vs Leeds, Brentford vs Forest, Coventry vs Sunderland, Hull vs Ipswich, Man City vs Brighton. 7:30; Spurs vs Palace. 10pm; Villa vs Fulham. Tomorrow 4:30; Liverpool vs Arsenal. Monday 10pm; Newcastle vs Everton. Friday 10pm; Everton vs Coventry.

Selected Championship today 2:30; Norwich vs Watford. 5pm; Middlesbrough vs Charlton, Millwall vs Derby, Southampton vs QPR, Swansea vs Blackburn, West Ham vs West Brom, Wolves vs Cardiff. Tuesday 9:45; Portsmouth vs Swansea, QPR vs Burnley. 10pm; Birmingham vs Millwall, West Brom vs Southampton. Wednesday 9:45; Cardiff vs West Ham, Wrexham vs Middlesbrough. Friday 10pm; Derby vs Bolton.

Scottish League Cup Semi-finals today 7:30; Rangers vs Aberdeen. Tomorrow 5pm; Hearts vs Hibs. Premiership today 3pm; Falkirk vs Celtic.

Europe

Selected Champions League Tuesday 10pm; Atletico vs Bayern, Barcelona vs Aston Villa, Man Utd vs Roma. Wednesday 7:45; Fenerbache vs Liverpool. 10pm; Red Bull Leipzig vs Man City, Slavia Prague vs Arsenal.

Europa League Thursday 7:45; Crystal Palace vs Hoffenheim, Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth. 10pm; Celtic vs Beşiktaş.

Conference League Thursday 7:45; Thun vs Hearts. 10pm; Getafe vs Brighton.

Games to watch

Man City vs Brighton, Liverpool vs Arsenal.

Mexican Grand Prix, tomorrow 10pm. With the title firmly, if not yet mathematically, in Kimi Antonelli’s hands, the last few races of the season are practically non-events, but the track in Mexico is quite a decent one so hopefully we’ll get to see a good race.

And finally

Last week’s question: what happened in the 1964-65 Scottish first division season that had never happened before or since? Neither of the Old Firm finished the season in the top four. Kilmarnock won the title over Hearts on goal average, while Dunfermline finished third and Hibs fourth. Rangers came fifth and Celtic eighth.

This week: what is former centre-back Alvin Martin’s claim to fame?