Liverpool and United fans tend to argue about which is the biggest club. Supporters constantly debate over whether the number of trophies won, stadium size or global support are the most important factor.
So, to try and settle the arguments, a new survey reveals what makes a club big. They have used ten specific criteria in their poll, which 3500 supporters were then asked to rank based on their level of importance in terms of what constitutes a big club:
- Total Silverware
- Match-Going Support
- European Pedigree
- Worldwide Support
- PL Seasons
- Stadium Size
- Recent PL Seasons
- Recent Silverware
- Number of Internationals
- Transfer Spend
The survey then used a formula to rank the top 20 English clubs based on these criteria, weighting points based on the level of importance of each category. The results show that Manchester United beat Liverpool to the number one position, with Arsenal in third, Chelsea in fourth, Manchester City in fifth and Tottenham in sixth:
Of course, a lot of these surveys depend on the criteria you employ and adding two categories which use only the Premier League as a marker would inevitably make United favourites. Adding “recent silverware” to the list, along with “total silverware” also means more points will go in the Red Devils’ favour.
If the top four categories were used only, Liverpool would have had a much bigger chance of coming out on top, and you have to say recency bias is something that is very much in play here.
You can guarantee that arguments between Liverpool and Manchester United supporters will still continue long into the night despite the results. Reds fans will believe the fact that they have been the Champions of Europe six times (to United’s three) should be the most important factor, rather than recent league titles.
You only have to watch this video of supporters celebrating right across the world following the Champions League final win over Spurs back in June to see the astonishing level of support that Liverpool have:
With Jurgen Klopp at the helm, the Reds are also poised to continue their dominance over United domestically, and supporters will be hoping this is the season where they can move up to 19 English league titles, one behind their closest rivals.
The narrow defeat to Manchester City on penalties in the Community Shield show they should be right in the mix again, with United very much still in transition.