Scrap the replays, scrap the league cup, scrap half the league games and just award the big teams 3 points in lieu of playing the games. All in aim of creating a mega Champions League where teams play games 365 days a year. It's really hard to feel sympathetic to those moaning when European football is getting more games, international football has got more games over the years. If the schedule needed cutting down it should have happened before adding games to the calendar. The calendar isn't any less gruelling for these clubs or players, it's just replaced by money-spinning ties on the continent with a bigger Champions League next season. The next World Cup is being played in 3 countries, the following World Cup is being played on 3 continents. I'm not sure why the domestic cups should suffer in the name of "player welfare" when none of the authorities or football clubs really give a toss about that. If the FA Cup was more financially rewarding than the Champions League they'd sack off the latter instead.
Sadly is another tradition that will eventually go. Can't have the big clubs being inconvenienced by having to play another game. How dare say a league 2 team gets the chance to play at a big ground like Anfield in a once in a lifetime moment for them players.
Just have it be agreed in advance. Extra time instead of replays if both clubs agree. Replay as normal if not.
a cup replay may be a humdinger, may be a stinker, the humdingers and cup upsets always used to promote the cup and replays but there are too many games, many pointless and drab, and for some just 'tradition' which dates back to when Europe was two legged affairs and no group stage easy enough to blame 'greed' of clubs, want the money but not the games, but some of these clubs are playing 50+ games minimum. international breaks don't make it any easier to cram it all in, they want a xmas break, Europe, internationals, two domestic cups and a league what other competition panders to replays? I think most in support of it are simply using it as a stick to beat big clubs and their fans with, cite a selected scenario or two as supporting evidence. not 100% sure why some think the lower leagues should sponge off the big clubs, but surely a fairer share of money from the games rather than an oft awful replay where the tie may as well have been scrapped and just gone straight to penalties. not sure why so many care so much given their cup runs are rare and seldom involve a chance at a trip to a big ground, ironic that people slating football for the money are after every cent they can get from a tie domestic cups may be won predominantly by Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City but the money and interest isn't there, except to those who have little better to look forward to ie no chance of Europe or winning it so make a domestic cup out to be the best thing around, a chance granted for teams to play teams from another league, but end of the day most clubs are only really interested in staying afloat and thus the bread and butter of the league Take palace (away from football altogether ideally!), Hodgson takes off Eze was it to avoid injury when playing bitters in the cup, 1-0 down and every chance of clawing it back, but then days later leaves him on when goners are hammering palace and no chance of salvaging anything. Not only lacking any kind of logic from the doddering old fool, but from a club that may have little hope of reaching Wembley let alone winning it to not bother when their chances of reaching Europe or winning the league are so small you'd need the Hubble telescope to see them it is a joke - their attitude, not their miniscule chances, no money in it will be the why, being in the topl flight and place money more important which leads me neatly back to replays, that tie was a replay, Hodgson had no interest trying to win it, only to save his own skin and reputation which keeping palace midtable would have done PAL 0-0 EVE EVE 1-0 PAL after a comfy home win over Bumley they went out to Luton, lost on penalties in the League Cup which offers enough excitement to be better than many games in any competition and better than extra time - obviously those watching yesterday might disagree, but exceptions do not maketh the rule
No replays in the FA cup from next season it seems as expected probably. Predictable but strange to scrap Round one and two replays when the PL clubs don’t enter those rounds ?
Another decision that benefits the big boys. No more money-spinning replays for the minnows. Pretty disgraceful really. They've also said the final will take place before the last weekend of the PL campaign, meaning it's no longer a stand-alone match at the end of the season, so that's also shit. On the plus side they've said all FA Cup games will take place on weekends from now on.
The pandering continues. Surely now we won't have to hear certain managers use every media opportunity to cry about the English football schedule, pretty much all thats left is a stockpile of matches that financially benefit their bosses, like extra European games in January now. The biggest whinger leaving in the summer probably goes a long way in helping with that anyway.
I remember the days when there would be 3 or even 4 games/replays in cup ties, seem to remember Everton and Villa having 4 shots at a League Cup semi? Actually checking, it was the final and only three matches were played. Pretty sure there was a game that needed 4?
Whining managers and players = VAR Whining managers and players = Scrap FA Cup repays Why not just knuckle down and earn your inflated wages for a change?
Sorry meant the 4th round will be played from for Friday to the Wednesday so there is the potential for some mid week ties but guess the 5th round will fit in better over a weekend.
Scrap same division replays, or no replays from round 5 onwards or something. At least then you get replays for the smaller clubs and those in the same leagues don't have more games that they don't care about.
they seem to have made a deal to get their allocated weekend slots for each round. this seems more important than gates for the clubs with dreams to get a glory tie.
Another financial kick in the teeth for the smaller clubs who dream of getting a draw at home to an understrength Premier League team in round 3 & a lucrative away tie in the replay even if footballers are having to play a ridiculous amount of games throughout the season at top flight level , but that's called success achievable through hard work.
I guess managers will prefer the risk of their team playing 120 minutes plus penalties once before a mid week game than a replay . It will free up an extra week too from their point of view . All down to money though of course.
With money made in PL all proceeds from PL teams games should go in a pot and be shared out between all other clubs after this scandalous decision.
