It’s not had its day, but it’s lost its prestige for the top five or six clubs, who chase European and Premier League titles instead; and the other 20 or so clubs who bob up and down between the Premier League and Championship, who’ve decided lining their pockets with obscene wealth and getting leathered most weeks just to say they’re in the Premier League are more important.
I wouldn’t do away with FA Cup replays. That’s part of the spirit of the competition. It’s what makes it great. I would get rid of the bye process though; have the qualifiers to whittle the teams down, then everyone goes into the first round. If City end up going out to Morecambe because they can’t be arsed fielding a decent team, so be it. The joke’s on them. Likewise, I’m not opposed to the idea of introducing Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish teams and making it a UK-wide cup. That could be quite fun.
I’ve got a hell of a lot of time for Jürgen Klopp. I think he’s great. He’s wrong on this one though. Moaning because your squad, assembled with hundreds of millions of pounds, doesn’t get a fortnight off in February because you didn’t show Shrewsbury enough respect and they took you to a replay? Nah, #### off mate. Our centre half goes and teaches kids in between being a footballer.
I do think it’s different with the League Cup though. That competition has been cheapened beyond parody, to the point it’s named after a buffalo. Get rid of replays in that altogether.
The same applies to the FA Trophy. One game, 90 minutes and penalties. Keep replays in the FA Cup. Seems sensible.