It's not Sherwood!

[Mister E]

They've been relegated 6 times in their history, we've been relegated 5 times. Even before the PL, they had more seasons averaging 40K+ than us.

That doesn't tell us much though as I'd guess Wigan have been relegated less than the both of us. plus before the PL Chelsea spent roughly on average 1 in every 4 seasons in the second division.

It was probably the average crowds that PWS was referring to.

[Matt Collins]

No, it makes them a rich club. not a big club. take the money away and they'll go back to having 20 000 fans a week, yo-yoing between the top two divisions, and worrying about QPR and Fulham. Chelsea are definitely not 'big'. Just successful.

I absolutely hate Chelsea but if you compare the last century of football we've won 1 league title,2 (I think?) FA cups, 5 league cups and the European cup

Chelsea have won much more than that in the last twenty years alone

How would we react to a forest fan claiming they are bigger than say Spurs? They just aren't in any meaningful sense

[Steve67]

We should perhaps just agree that, in this era, Chelsea are a big club. Bates took a gamble by mortgaging the club, then money bags came in. Fair play to them, I wouldn't mind some of that.  What I can't stand though, in any era, with any fan, is arrogance.

[richard moore]

No, it makes them a rich club. not a big club. take the money away and they'll go back to having 20 000 fans a week, yo-yoing between the top two divisions, and worrying about QPR and Fulham. Chelsea are definitely not 'big'. Just successful.

One won't be surprised to hear I am with you on every single word! I could never ever be convinced they are a big club.

[Toronto Villa]

You can call them rich but couldn't that have been said about us in the context of our place in the game when we were dominating English football? And I mean back in the 19th century. Essentially weren't we the Chelsea or Man City of that era? Yes money has created the divide and allowed them to outspend their way to titles, but that alone doesn't guarantee success. It certainly helps. For me they are a big club now irrespective of how they got there.

[Matt Collins]

Quite. I hate Chelsea but they are so clearly a big club now in every sense of the word

Paris Saint German were only formed in 1970. Anyone claiming that they aren't a big club? Of course not

[brian green]

Every club is a big club to somebody, it is just that the richer clubs are big to a larger number of people.   When Damon rugby tackled the centre forward of our neighbouring village boys' team in the under 11s cup final and they missed the penalty we ruled our football world.

[VillaAlways]

Talk about a perfect fit for a club, he was born to manage the Villa

[PeterWithesShin]

If he managed someone else i'd absolutely detest him. But I just can't help loving the bloke. He's ace.

[Monty]

If he managed someone else i'd absolutely detest him. But I just can't help loving the bloke. He's ace.

It's results, dear boy, as someone famous said in entirely relevant circumstances. It's very hard not to like someone who keeps winning matches!

[Steve kirk]

I love his after match interviews, he is so positive,  he has given the club, the players and us fans a massive lift, he should be knighted

[Phil from the upper holte]

Arise Sir Tim of Sherwood

[olaftab]

Yes he should be knighted but Not before  he wins the FA cup.

[Toronto Villa]

I love his after match interviews, he is so positive,  he has given the club, the players and us fans a massive lift, he should be knighted

He's a breath of fresh air that as a club we have need for a very long time. And you can see absolutely loves being our manager and takes it almost personally as we do. It rubs off on everyone. The one thing I don't he'd ever allow is complacency to creep in which is why our attitude will be right for the rest of the season. And all we need is one massive, no holds barred performance on the 30th to make what was turning into a disaster into a magnificent season.

[KevinGage]

We forget sometimes how big a job it is. 

Maybe not one of the very top jobs in English football any more, but still a beast of a challenge to take on, with the history, fanbase and so forth.

It requires a certain arrogance to do it.  Saunders, Atkinson and Gregory had that. 

Sir Brian didn't, but he walks on water, so he's exempt.

I read Alex Ferguson's justification for dropping Jim Leighton for the FA Cup Final replay in 1990 and going with Les Sealey: "Les wasn't a better keeper than Jim Leighton. But in his mind, he was. And sometimes that's important".

TS is a novice in terms of top flight management experience, but he has that belief. And he seems to transmit that to the players.