Citeh vs LFC a question for the 'neutrals'

[Solaris]

its football, Sunday's exciting game was an anomaly, tonight's more like the norm.

The Premiership has been fantastic this season.

Man City, Tottenham and Arsenal are an absolute joy to watch.

Some of the most exciting games I've ever seen.

But the Carling Cup and even the FA Cup are a waste of time.

Let's just have the league and Europe.

The League Cup should be an under 23's competition for the Premier League sides. I don't care if people think it devalues it, having half the teams put out 30 year old journeyman for their one game of the season is what really devalues it.

The FA saw to it that the FA Cup would forever be ruined when they sent Manchester United off to that useless tournament in an attempt to win favour for their aborted World Cup 2008 bid

Something needs to be done to reinvigorate both competitions.

fyp

Rubbish, nobody forced United to go. No doubt they faced some pressure, but if there was any club strong enough to stand up and say no it was United. You didn't and it's have an incredibly negative effect ever since.

[TightEnd]

I agree that both competitions are a shadow of what they used to be

The League cup will never go as it is the flagship comp of the Football League. I tend to think it should exclude Premiership clubs though

The FA cup still has a lot of importance for non-premiership sides, mainly for the 45% gate receipts if you do get the Old Trafford or Emirates draw

there are fewer shocks (much better pitches, bigger gap top division and bottom divisions)  which also makes it less exciting

[chatban]

Camel I was waiting for somebody to say that.

If we gave the FA cup winner the 4th spot soon it would no longer be there.

If teams like portsmouth (millwall/cardiff/pompey have also been runners up to teams already in champs league so would therefore qualify) our coefficent ould BOMB if those teams were to qualify. Soon we would drop behind italy spain and germany (only top 3 leagues get 4 spots) and we would have shot ourself in the foot.

[Solaris]

Giving the FA Cup winner a Champions League spot is the only answer.

Disagree there. You don't need a tough cup run in order to actually win the thing. If the path opens up for you and you get that bit of luck you'll see a side like Portsmouth win it, as they did.

The league's the true test of a team's ability over the course of the entire season and is surely the only fair way to reward teams with CL spots.

[mondatoo]

I want both Cups to stay, would love it if we just made the final of one.

[Josedinho]

Carling Cup >>>>>> FA Cup for me

[mondatoo]

Carling Cup >>>>>> FA Cup for me

Surprised anyone would think this, why ?

Agree the FA Cup doesn't have the appeal it did but would much rather win the FA Cup than the Carling Cup.

[bobby1]

its football, Sunday's exciting game was an anomaly, tonight's more like the norm.

The Premiership has been fantastic this season.

Man City, Tottenham and Arsenal are an absolute joy to watch.

Some of the most exciting games I've ever seen.

But the Carling Cup and even the FA Cup are a waste of time.

Let's just have the league and Europe.

Hi Keith,

How you been mate?

There have been 40 games in the Prem this season with either one goal or less and 7 that ended 3-2 either way, so tonight's game is nearer the norm. Tho Sundays FA cup game being a str8 knock out tie instead of tonight's 2 leg affair deffo makes a difference.

Those teams you listed are the best in the country and far more likely to provide good games but in general the entertainment value of football has declined in most major leagues in recent years if you use goals scored as the barometer. Probably because the best players end up at a small selection of clubs.

Take Spain for example, most people put La Liga forward as the best/most exciting league in the world but almost every game we see in the UK features Bacra or Real. No doubt they are the most exciting games goals wise but they aren't the norm. For all the plaudits given to La Liga there have been more 0-0 games there this season than any of the 5 big country leagues (23), Italy in second (20) and 58 games in Spain featured 1 goal or less. So the norm in that league too is for less scoring in games featuring average teams, the opposite of what we see on TV.

The main reason for the big drop in goals in Spain this season is prob the same reason as Engalnd, best players end up at big clubs but the other huge factor this year is the lack of money that these clubs now have to reinvest.

[mondatoo]

0-0 games can be as exciting as a 3-2.

[bobby1]

0-0 games can be as exciting as a 3-2.

That's true but that happens a very small % of the time doesn't it?

[Josedinho]

Rather win the FA Cup obv but as a fan the FA cup ruins a perfectly good weekend league schedule.

It's a cup for big boys now. Success by most teams is regarded as hanging around long enough to play a big team.
If you're team is struggling or doing well in the league players get rested irrespective of the league they are in and who their opponents are.

Carling cup keeps itself midweek, big boys don't really take it as seriously so there is more chance of somebody beating them but also get to see their young talent.

[mondatoo]

0-0 games can be as exciting as a 3-2.

That's true but that happens a very small % of the time doesn't it?

I just think some games that aren't on TV are great games that we miss out on, some that are choosing, such as tonights game are pretty boring games. Overall though I still think it's good viewing as long as you actually like football and we are lucky that there are so many televised games now compared to 20 years ago.

[mondatoo]

I like the Cup weekends, and the buzz of the draw for the next round when we are still in it, there was a good few loud ooohhhs and ahhhss in my local during the draw on Sunday.

[bobby1]

0-0 games can be as exciting as a 3-2.

That's true but that happens a very small % of the time doesn't it?

I just think some games that aren't on TV are great games that we miss out on, some that are choosing, such as tonights game are pretty boring games. Overall though I still think it's good viewing as long as you actually like football and we are lucky that there are so many televised games now compared to 20 years ago.

That's deffo tru but the one thing having so many games on TV has highlighted is that football is now a sport that in most cases is not decided solely by the participants, as Sundays game showed. The fact that the sending off made the game so exciting shouldn't be forgotten.

[bobby1]

Talking of exciting sport check this out.

http://www.brobible.com/videos/watch/chinese-womens-volleyball-rally