Smiley Culture Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 Just read that there were nearly 275 changes from team's starting XI's from their weekend games this evening on the BBC and them posting a thought provoking article about the importance of the League Cup these days and it's a question I want to ask everyone here, too. Is the League Cup on its last leg's or is it still an important part of the footballing calendar? What can be done to change it for the better if you think it needs change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Hasn't it always been devalued? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honey Honey Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 I don't remember championship clubs being this negative with their line ups several years ago but maybe I'm wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted August 23, 2017 Subscriber Share Posted August 23, 2017 I think it'll be gone within ten years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirBalon Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 It's absolute crap and I don't want Arsenal to be in it. I haven't watched a League Cup game in years. Meaningless competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 If there was an opt out option I'd like to think we would take it. With more and more impatient owners a good league cup run can affect teams momentum in the league which can lead to a manager being sacked. It's completely counter productive. All this shit with the sponsors has curbed my enthusiasm somewhat too. Dropping it in favor of looking to space out the FA Cup (starting it six weeks earlier maybe) may be the way forwards. It would drop all these top managers doing relatively well in cup competitions moaning about fixture congestion a little too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blue Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 I think it is obviously the smallest competition available, if you don't count the community shield as silverware as certain members do. It was actually never highly valued, second tier trophy but at the end of the day still silverware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted August 23, 2017 Administrator Share Posted August 23, 2017 14 minutes ago, True Blue said: I think it is obviously the smallest competition available, if you don't count the community shield as silverware as certain members do. It was actually never highly valued, second tier trophy but at the end of the day still silverware. for Premier League clubs, yes. Leagues 1 & 2 have the Johnstone's Paint Trophy (now called the EFL Trophy) to compete for which ends with a day at Wembley. In my lifetime, the League Cup used to hold some value and was taken fairly seriously by most clubs, even in the Premier League. There used to be some respectability and prestige about it (not to the levels of the FA Cup, but still a reasonable amount). But now, because of all the changes in sponsorship and shite decisions like holding the draw in a foreign country (what's the fucking point?!), it has definitely been devalued. Clubs have different priorities now, too. With the financial incentive for even finishing 17th in the league, it's common sense to put more eggs in that basket than the League Cup one. There needs to be an overhaul of the League Cup. Maybe don't involve Premier League clubs? If there's so many changes by Premier League teams from weekend to these midweek cup games, is it really worth having them in it? Are Premier League clubs just trying to get a message across sticking 2 fingers up at the hierarchy by not playing full strength squads? At worse the whole competition could just be disbanded but I guess there's a lot of income for lower league clubs so it wouldn't be fair on them to get rid of the competition just because Premier League clubs don't like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blue Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Yes i was about on the Premier League teams only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honey Honey Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Apparently Chelsea, Man City etc. can play 55 games a season but 40 is pushing it for Crystal Palace, Leicester, Newcastle and Brighton. GIVE ME STRENGTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirBalon Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 If they take Premier League clubs out of the equation then the competition will just become another of those unknown cup competitions played in the lower divisions. I also remember when the League Cup had a modem of respectability about it when I was a kid although nowhere near the FA CUP... But then again winning the FA CUP was absolutely MASSIVE back then too and it isn't so much now either. Spain used to have their version of the League Cup as did Italy and both federations disbanded it due to lack of interest and empty stadiums... There is no way of fixing this in the way modern football is run these days and with the importance of the national leagues and the Champions League... All emphasis and product placement is used up on those competitions and then you have international football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Culture Posted August 23, 2017 Author Share Posted August 23, 2017 I think there's a lot more hysteria about the competition this year because of the way in which the sponsors have gone about the draws this season and I really don't think it's as bad as many make out. Just for arguments sake I have tried to think of some form of resolution for the tournament rather than just binning it altogether, which would be the simpler and easiest way. The 'best' (though by no means perfect or without flaws) idea I could come up with is to try and mirror the Scottish. Their League Cup equivalent is over and done with before Christmas and it might be more effective for the Carrier Bag Cup, or whatever ludicrous sponsor it gets every couple of years, to become a first half of the season tournament. Rather than do a group stage like the Scots do, I'd keep the same format as we have now, though I'd stage the first two rounds on Saturday's (for crowds more than anything) before the league season kicks-off in order to try and condense the competition. From there, the non-European Premier League teams enter and the tournament remains the same, though ending in December rather than February, as it does know. I'd run the competition as follows. 1st Round - July - Two weeks before the Football League season, with the draw live from a televised game on the Sunday afternoon. 2nd Round - July - One week before the FL season starts. 3rd Round - early to mid August 4th Round - early September. Quarter Final - early October. Semi Final - early November, possibly a a weekend but a one legged game rather than two. Final - December. Now, that doesn't really change the importance of the competition or make it that worthwhile for sides and I've read suggestions of giving the FA Cup and League Cup winners direct places in the Champions League instead of rewarding 3rd and 4th but I'm not sure how I feel about that. The one thing that clubs, or specifically their owners care about is not silverware, its money, so if a stomach lining incinerating energy drink company want to sponsor the competition, make them pay and make the prize money on offer to teams worth their while. The money needs to be £30m+ in all honesty and given English Football is lauded the world over, it can't be that hard to find a company willing to pay that money to have their name slapped all over the cup. I'm sure some will be able to pick that thought apart but it's just a fantasy rather than what I think will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted August 23, 2017 Administrator Share Posted August 23, 2017 59 minutes ago, Smiley Culture said: I think there's a lot more hysteria about the competition this year because of the way in which the sponsors have gone about the draws this season and I really don't think it's as bad as many make out. Just for arguments sake I have tried to think of some form of resolution for the tournament rather than just binning it altogether, which would be the simpler and easiest way. The 'best' (though by no means perfect or without flaws) idea I could come up with is to try and mirror the Scottish. Their League Cup equivalent is over and done with before Christmas and it might be more effective for the Carrier Bag Cup, or whatever ludicrous sponsor it gets every couple of years, to become a first half of the season tournament. Rather than do a group stage like the Scots do, I'd keep the same format as we have now, though I'd stage the first two rounds on Saturday's (for crowds more than anything) before the league season kicks-off in order to try and condense the competition. From there, the non-European Premier League teams enter and the tournament remains the same, though ending in December rather than February, as it does know. I'd run the competition as follows. 1st Round - July - Two weeks before the Football League season, with the draw live from a televised game on the Sunday afternoon. 2nd Round - July - One week before the FL season starts. sad thing about this is that teams not competing in Europe already take part in stupid Premier League-endorsed friendly competitions which pay out a lot. One example being Leicester, Palace, Liverpool & West Brom played the PL Asia Trophy for all those hardcore fans and probably for a lot of money. Sadly I don't think clubs will sacrifice those finances for the first 2 rounds of a League Cup they already don't care about . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Culture Posted August 23, 2017 Author Share Posted August 23, 2017 12 minutes ago, Stan said: sad thing about this is that teams not competing in Europe already take part in stupid Premier League-endorsed friendly competitions which pay out a lot. One example being Leicester, Palace, Liverpool & West Brom played the PL Asia Trophy for all those hardcore fans and probably for a lot of money. Sadly I don't think clubs will sacrifice those finances for the first 2 rounds of a League Cup they already don't care about . Those tournaments tend to be earlier than one week before the season though, don't they? I'm sure that Asia Trophy was mid-July? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted August 23, 2017 Administrator Share Posted August 23, 2017 37 minutes ago, Smiley Culture said: Those tournaments tend to be earlier than one week before the season though, don't they? I'm sure that Asia Trophy was mid-July? this year's was 20-22nd July. But just can't see clubs agreeing to it with all the travelling to be done and would probably end up having weaker squads in that suggested format as well Can see logic behind your idea though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber RandoEFC+ Posted August 23, 2017 Subscriber Share Posted August 23, 2017 5 hours ago, HoneyNUFC said: Apparently Chelsea, Man City etc. can play 55 games a season but 40 is pushing it for Crystal Palace, Leicester, Newcastle and Brighton. GIVE ME STRENGTH This. Clubs use this cup as an excuse to cry about fixture congestion, it's an epidemic. I'm delighted to see my club take part in as many competitions as possible and play as many games as possible. There's no downside to having an extra cup competition, the rebranding this year is embarrassing but that's not specific to this competition, it'll come into the FA cup and the Premier League in time, the League Cup was just the easy target because clubs and the FA care about it less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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