Should we scrap replays?

Crocker

News & Rumors Moderator

Arsene Wenger has staed in the past few days we should scrap replays in the FA Cup, do you agree?

Do you think we should change the rules for a cup competition involving a couple of hundred teams to suit the top 4?

Should we deny the chance for a small team to get the chance to go to a big ground after holding one of them to a draw at home?

Opinions please

Tyler Durden

Well, in an ideal world, I'd scrap the League Cup altogether so replays in the FA Cup would not be an issue (not in terms of number of games in a season anyway).

It's hard to see his point, or Lehmann's the other day, since Arsenal are rotating and playing their younger players in the League Cup and FA Cup. Hardly any of their players are playing weekends and midweeks consistently (only Toure and Fabregas are anywhere near to having been overplayed). They will also benefit greatly from being able to do this over the years since this has provided good experience for them.

The Cup runs bring in income that is then used to pay players wages, which then in turn allows them to bring in players to improve the sizes of their squads so they may then rotate and field differing teams in the domestic cups. I would feel for a team with a first team squad of 18 or so, but our big four all have huge squads on the basis they need them to do exactly what they are all doing, rotating in the domestic cups. The whole "we're tired the English league is so much worse than everyone else's" thing seems to just be a precursor to an excuse that they may use down the line.

Spain has 20 teams in it's league, as does Italy, as does France. Since the big four in England aren't using many of their 1st team players in domestic cups, it's hard to see what their arguement is. Their schedule is virtually the same as every other elite European nation.

In fact the only country that went and reduced to the "ideal" 18 teams was Germany, and they've bombed ever since they did this on the Euro stage.

Okay so long rant, but no. Let's keep cup replays, screw the bigger teams (since, frankly, that's all they want to do to everyone else anyway!!)

Mikk

WC's Sexy Beast

Plain and simply, no and Arsene should stop complaining and get on with it, he doesn't use his main squad for these cup matches so its not like he's risking his bigger players.

God

Super Moderator

I think there should not be replays, it just adds to fixture congestion. Take Newcastle as an example, they have had a horrid time with injuries a lot of the time being forced to play academy players. If they have to keep playing replays it will severly damage them. Same can be said for any of the small teams.
Another example is Arsenal. Carling Cup, Champions league and Premiership, add FA Cup replays and internartional friendlys the players dont get a lot of time to rest. The manager and the coaching staff are constantly on the road so how can the team train? Same for Chelsea.
Man Utd, Liverpool, Blackburn and any other teams in the Uefa cup also face similar situations.

No team wants a replay and any team that goes out and plays for a 0-0 just to get a pay day at their home ground dont deserve to be in the competion in the first place.

I dont know about other teams but i know Arsenal have played a game every weekend and midweek since November/December.
How can you expect teams to do that?

Mikk

WC's Sexy Beast

To be honest, these teams that moan and complain about the fixture list is just pointless.

These players are paid massive ammounts of money for 90 mins of work {normally} a week plus training and i think its only right they should have to play these extra fixtures when required as it justifies there massive salaries.

I mean wouldn't you want to play as much as possible if you were payed 10k a week?

God

Super Moderator

You have to exhert a lot of enery in order to play against sides of that quality, whereas in the lower leagues the opposition isnt as good so it shouldent take as much out of you. Add in the burn out factor for young players. if a youngster is forced to play every three or so days he wont last long. Same for players over 30.

Mikk

WC's Sexy Beast

And my heart goes out to them.

I really don't have a whole lot of sympathy as they should justify the wages that they are on and with the right training they won't burn out.

Crocker

News & Rumors Moderator

So if Rochdale go the Emirates and get a 0-0 draw they dont deserve to be in the cup?

We have been having replays in the cup for nearly 150 years why should we change it just to suit a few clubs? If Rochdale were to get a draw at the Emirates they would deserve every penny they get from a replay

If you dont want a replay beat the team 1st time around

God

Super Moderator

When teams go there and just sit everyone in their own half and play a 6-4-0 formation, yeah they shouldent be in it. Funny how people change their opinion (Not saying you as i dont know yours). It used to be they are there to entertain us, how is a nil nil draw where one side doesnt leave their own half entertaining? But now its they deserve to do it again only this time they get loads of money for it.

If your in front and theirs not a lot of time left/ your players are tired then and only then do i condone the defensive tactics i mentioned. Other wise you should go out and play and try to win the match like the object of the game is.

Tyler Durden

Lol, I love how the current wave of Arsenal fans are all about the entertainment.

My generation of footie fans used to have to endure year upon year of 10 men behind the ball 1-0 (on the break) to the Arsenal football!!!

Now they have the players to play it differently, we should all be entertaining like them and stop sucking the fun out of it for them!!

You play with what you've got, just like Blackburn did last week at your ground. If you can't get past what they put up in front of you then you don't deserve to go through, simple as that. They're not there to attack and have you guys knock six past them again.....

Having said that, you know you'll beat them in the replay, and without replays you might have lost on a penalty shoot out at the Emirates (especially with Friedel in that kind of form that day) so be happy there are replays....it may have saved you!!