[AlbionFan]

As I, unintentionally, hi-jacked the Pre Match Chat thread with "define a top team" and the number of responses that were posted, I thought it might be appropriate if I were to make amends for going off the original topic and start this thread.

So, if the Mods think it's worthwhile to move posts from that thread to this to tidy things up or just to delete this thread, I'm comfortable with either.

So, based on my own opinion, forgetting some, but not all of past records etc. I think this season the "Top Teams" will be, in alphabetical order, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United

Many things define a top team, for me the crucial aspects are financial backing, manager, quality of the squad, and  fan base, hence my selection

[TheJacko2000]

As I said in the other thread. Liverpool and Manchester City only.

The rest have far too much catching up to do in one Window. Of your selections Everton in particular are a long shot, with at that level, a poor keeper, weak defence and misfiring strikers.

Yes he's sorted out the midfield (based on one match) but that's the extent of the improvement.

[seteefeet]

Technically the "top" sides are those who finished top last season so Liverpool, Man City, Man U, Chelsea, Leicester, Tottenham.

If you are talking about the Greed League's beloved cash cows then Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal.
Whilst others will fleetingly come and go, they are, ultimately, unimportant and expendable.

[Albionic]

Technically the "top" sides are those who finished top last season so Liverpool, Man City, Man U, Chelsea, Leicester, Tottenham.

If you are talking about the Greed League's beloved cash cows then Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal.
Whilst others will fleetingly come and go, they are, ultimately, unimportant and expendable.

Technically there is one "top" side, the others are clearly not "top"

[seteefeet]

Technically there is one "top" side, the others are clearly not "top"

They are in a "Top 6"

[Albionic]

They are in a "Top 6"

Different topic !  the question is "Who are and What defines A Top Side"
The answer is, its Liverpool and winning the premier league  (being a pedant of course)

[seteefeet]

Different topic !  the question is "Who are and What defines A Top Side"
The answer is, its Liverpool and winning the premier league  (being a pedant of course)

Well done mate, you won the thread 

I'm going to start another one asking who are the "top" 6 

[Albionic]

Well done mate, you won the thread 

I'm going to start another one asking who are the "top" 6 

Bugger !      Give me 5 to think about that !   

[Atomic]

It depends what someone means by top side.

Its similar to big club. What the hell defines a "big" club?

Its subjective.

[johnny Cash]

It depends what someone means by top side.

Its similar to big club. What the hell defines a "big" club?

Its subjective.

Agree with the sentiment of this although the top clubs in England at the moment are clearly Man City and Liverpool, however the Top clubs can change very quickly. Man Utd and Chelsea have both won titles in recently history and have the potential over two or three windows to become the top sides.  Similarly and intrinsically linked, a couple of bad windows or a bad managerial appointment and Liverpool and City could fall away quite quickly.

'Big club' is subjective but The biggest clubs is easy - Man Utd and Liverpool. This cannot be breached overnight as demonstrated by the fact the biggest two have both had wobbles in recent times yet are still at the top of this tree (global support and revenues support here). 

Arsenal's history still makes them a big club. Chelsea have had nearly 20 years in the top four now and City have had 10 so they are also arguably big clubs, certainly to current players. History and Fan base is something fans like to debate but that becomes more subjective and probably far less important than the hear and now than we would like to believe.

If Zuckerberg bought West Brom and spent a billion in the next window, we could become a topside over night, and we would become a big club over night. We couldnt become one of the biggest instantly though.

The top 6, most fans understand as Liverpool, City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Spurs, even if occasionally one of them finishes outside of that. The big 6 might as well be a big 4 plus Arsenal and Spurs for this season though.

[FallOutBoy]

I would say we're already a big club, but there are obviously bigger. When you look at the grand scheme of things, we have played more Premier League football than not over the last two decades, we have a decent trophy haul (although nothing recently, Chelsea have only surpassed us since Abramovich took over), and we still get 20,000+ crowds on a regular basis (when fans are allowed in).

Teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, etc., those are massive clubs. The likes of Rushall Olympic, Telford, etc, they are the small clubs. Everybody else is somewhere in between.

We're miles behind City, but light years ahead of Rochdale, so it's all a matter of perspective.