The League Cup

English Football
#1684

Oh yeah.

Jammy bastards. Would have given you a like for the quickness of your reply but the content of the post is all wrong

1 Like
#1685

Remember Southampton having that Italian striker that was going through a purple patch around that time.

1 Like
#1686

Graziano Pelle was it not? Quick look says he’s still playing for that Chinese club he transferred too. Money must be sweet.

#1687

Not him. He was more consistent than the fella that went through a purple patch. I think he might have been Pelles replacement during that January transfer window.

#1688

Ah you mean Osvaldo I think?

#1689

No it was Manolo Gabadini or something

2 Likes
#1690

That’s the one!

1 Like
#1691

Top 7 will be exempt. So we’ll still be in it, then :expressionless:

6 Likes
#1692

We’ll be favourites to win it, after Wolves or Sheffield United. :grinning:

#1693

Maybe not, if the table finishes as it is now they won’t be in it. They’ll probably both be in the Europa League :laughing:

1 Like
#1694

If that’s true then it means spurs won’t be in Europe.
That’s at least something to celebrate. :grinning:

#1695

So it seems the teams in European competitions are in this competition next season after all. Schedule is jam packed.

#1696

All the football all the time the football never stops!

#1697

For those wanting the league cup scrapped this season. It is still beneficial to lower league clubs, even without fans.

5 Likes
#1698

This years competition started today. Forest gone at Barnsley @DavidHillier.:kissing:

#1699

so scrap it and move 3% of the PL tv deal money which is in the several billions into league finish rewards for the championship as part of the FA contract if it is that important. The idea that they pay you like ÂŁ100m to get into the PL anyway so that a newly promoted team can realistically aim to buy quality strikers straight off fucking Valencia for ÂŁ30m is already telling you something about how the resource distribution is maybe off as well.

I mean it is not necessarily as if the championship club costs are what they are by default, they are what they are because they’ve adjusted to having a certain in flow and rightly so, but you could probably adjust it to preserve a reasonable schedule in the top league as well, where this is not about money but about game play quality, squad wear and international competitiveness.

Someone could probably make a really shady back of the envelope calculation with fishy numbers about how less burnt out club squads will perform better in European competitions, increase the English coefficients and make some of the money back in turnover, ultimately.

2 Likes
#1700

Barnsley are Forest’s bogey team

#1701

Well if we get rid of this competition and replays in the cup were do the young players get games.
Can’t see any need for 30 man squads at this rate.

1 Like
#1702

It’s a good question and I don’t know. I do think it has begun to affect squad wear though and most other countries do not have one so it is becoming an issue, comparatively in Europe.

Perhaps expand and improve on the PL2 football league for u23s? maybe jam together those division 1 and division 2 leagues, put some effort into increasing the prestige of winning the PL2, show the games on telly etc. Something like that perhaps. I don’t really know a lot about the u23 football leagues though, might be obstacles in the way here.

Maybe look at how college football is pretty big in the US for example, some sort of “if you promote it enough it might become a thing”. Increase competitiveness on the national u23 level and perhaps you would come out with better youngsters over all after a while? I really don’t know.

1 Like
#1703

Well you’ve put two constructive posts too make your points.
There is definitely a problem from academy u23 to first team football.
Something were youngsters are playing against and with older players has to become a thing.

2 Likes