Should Priership Clubs Be Excluded From Competing In The Fa Cup?

[Colmc54]

I watched Liverpool youth squad manage a draw against Exeter on BBC 1 just now. In terms of sport it was meaningless and insulting to the viewers, a diminishing majority of whom still watch the BBC having actually paid for a TV licence.

It was a sporting fiasco in which Liverpool faught the equivalent of a children's crusade against a team who's goal on the night was to draw, a result that made them iro £2 million according to the Today programme this morning.

Meaningless, non-contest made to look the opposite. Sorry but please stop Premiership clubs competing in the FA Cup unless they agree to play their first team.

[ToraToraTora]

you miss the point, these david against goliath early FA cup rounds are used by The Big Clubs to help out the small clubs. So Draw at Exeter that holds about 5 people. Then wallop replay at Anfield with Exeter getting a large slab of cash they would not get it Liverpool Walloped them tonight. It's a form of philanthropy really.

[ToraToraTora]

....So to answer the question, no!

[Buenchico]

All that's required is for the FA to actually enforce the rules of its own Competition.

Rule 15(a): "Each team participating in a match shall represent the full available strength of each competing Club"

[Old_Geezer]

Seems an odd rule. One would have thought that the coach would be at liberty to select an adequate team, trying out newer, less experienced players when the opposition looked less of a challenge. It implies the whoever in the FA is running the competition could dictate who formed the full available strength, effectively picking the team.

[Sycamore3House]

No they should not be excluded. I thought it was a good watch tonight on a pitch that was far from perfect. Good luck to Exeter. They are now going on a trip of a lifetime to play at Anfield & the Club (that is run by a trust) will profit from this. I thought that these matches was the spirit of the cup. As the adverts say 'It's the FA Cup anything can happen'

[Canary42]

No.

[Colmc54]

Thanks to you who braved my typo and read on. No it's not good enough and in terms of the ethos of sport it is an insult to the intelligence of those of us who pay directly or indirectly through our TV licence to watch competitive sport.

Hence my award of best answer. The FA are turning a blinds eye to blatant ignoring of their own rules by Premiership sides.

[tonyav]

Liverpool FC do have quite a few players injured though.
http://www.thisisanfield.com/season/injuries/

[magicmick]

On the contrary Colmc54 I think that all clubs should be in the competition from the very 1st round, people always laugh when I say this but why should the best clubs come in at the third round proper as they say, would it not be great to see a Amateur team play a Prem side in the very first round. It is the same in the Champions League no two teams from the same country can be in the same group, then again in the next knock out stage what a load of rubbish. If it is a cup you should all go in the hat together and play whoever you draw. Rant over

[tonyav]

I totally agree ^^^^^^^

[PankySmooch]

Might as well say the same about the League Cup and Europa League, Premier League teams always play a weakened side in them

[magicmick]

Thank you tonyav, PankySmooch I meant to mention those comps as well but I felt I had ranted enough, I have never agreed with seeding in any sport.

[PankySmooch]

Mick, they should make them pick the same team for their next premier league match

[magicmick]

That would be interesting, or if they get to the Semi Final play tonight's selected team I think not.

[VHG]

First, if you banned the larger teams from the FA cup then nobody would sponsor it, and the FA need the sponsorship money.

Secondly, Liverpool are in the Carling Cup semi final (two legs) AND the FA cup and have just played a tight schedule of matches over Christmas.

They played on the 26th December, 30th December, 2nd January, 5th January, 8th January and are still due to play on the 13th of January and the 17th of January and 23rd January.

No players or sportsmen can expect to play every match of a schedule like that.

Thirdly, they have a terrible injury list, with 11 first team players out injured (Henderson, Sturridge, Gomez, Lovren, Skirtl, Ibe, Coutinho, Toure, Saakoh, Origi, and Ings). They have no fit first team centre halves.

If you are going to blame anybody blame the football authorities (all of them) who expect players to play almost continuously.

Every other year we have either the World cup or Euros which takes up most of the summer. They have now decided to have 32 teams in this years Euros, stupidity.

They are also looking to increase the number of teams in the World Cup.

Also teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Man U, Man C etc go off on long tours to the USA or Asia so the players never get a break.

I run a number of Fantasy football teams and I have never had to make so many transfers due to players being injured. All the top teams have had players out (Kompany, Aguaro, Wilshire, Welbeck, Courtios, Valencia, Shaw and many others have all had long injuries).

Football really needs to take a long hard look at itself.

My first suggestion would be to reduce the Premier League to 18 teams (4 less matches a year) and set up a Premier League B (second tier) to replace the Championship. That would be a start.

[bibblebub]

Perhaps Exeter should be excluded because, in the OP's opinion, they set out to get a draw for the money rather than trying to win.

[jd_1984]

Clearly you aren't aware of Liverpool's extremely limited options due to injury and their very congested fixtures this month where by squad rotation is necessary. Klopp fielded a team he though could win the game, that is all he is obliged to do. It was a good old fashioned FA cup game, wet and windy, poor playing surface and crunching tackles. It was the essence of the FA cup. A small team with limited funds now get some revenue and their players a once in a life time chance to play at Anfield. Take the Premier league clubs out of the equation and this could never happen.
It was in every sense of the word a "contest" and a close one. It appears that what you wated was to see a 7-0 "thrashing of Exeter from a team of superstars. For the reasons I have outlined this couldn't have happened.

[ichkeria]

It isn't only the "big" clubs who field weakened teams sometimes.
Anyway, as tony says, LFC are scraping the barrel at the moment with injuries.

An interesting idea promoted by Matt Dickinson in the Times is that teams should be forced to field, say, 5 "home grown" players in the FA Cup

[Colmc54]

Bibblebub.

In retrospect Dr. Carniero and I have something in common besides being able to call ourselves doctors. The Chosen One would surely call me as being as naïve as he called her if he read my original question!

Any manager would describe a single fixture as merely a skirmish in a greater more glorious campaign. So really we shouldn't complain when clubs field more 2nd string players in the FA cup against lesser opponents. It gives an opportunity for young English players like Loftus Cheek (love the name) to show their potential while the lesser clubs get a huge boost in income from the replay.
I'm watching MOD Oxford v. Swansea right now and I think I should withdraw my question. The FA Cup is fine just as it is. We've all seen some brilliant football this week-end.

[Lynn_M]

Give every club three points for a win in this competition. It wouldn't be a 'meaningless non-contest' for much longer after that