My idea for a cup

[jc8gooner]

I've never been that enamoured with play-offs myself, so I think it would probably be better if at the end of the season, the third placed team in Div 1 played the third bottom team in the Prem to decide who goes up.

In my opinion, if you finish 6 in Div 1, you do not deserve the oppportunity to be in the Premiership.

Look at Watford 5 years ago. They came 6th, won the play-offs, and entered the Premier league. It is massively unfair on the 3 teams that finished above them during the season to be judged on the play offs.

Scrap the play offs altogether imo and just have the top 3 going up.

 

[Exiled In Newcastle]

I agree that the play offs should be totally scrapped, but I fear the financial side means this won't happen. If we have to have play-offs they should be weighted in favour of the teams that finished highest. Have 6th play 5th at 5th's ground. Winner plays 4th at 4th's ground, and the winner of that plays the third placed team. And stop giving a bloody trophy to teams that win the playoffs, which means the daft situation of (from the Watford example) them ending the season with a trophy whilst the team that slogged through the league and finished second got bugger all.

 

[lewdikris]

Keep the play offs at all cost - they're the only time of the year that Division 1 is worth watching! If they produce nothing else they produce some amazing games - Bolton v Reading back in the day being the most amazing of all....

 

[VCC]

While it seems unfair to the team finishing 3rd in Division 1, the playoffs are good for one reason - they give many teams something to play for. without the playoffs, many teams would have nothing to shoot for from January onward - safe from relegation, they would be destined for a season of midtable ineptitude (reminds me of Nick Hornby's experience in Fever Pitch).

Now, with 16 games to play, there are plenty of teams still with a shot at making the playoffs. 10 points below 6th place is the team in 15th, so that's a ton of teams with a shot to make the playoffs. This makes more games meaningful which is better for the people buying the tickets to go see the matches.

 

[Sol man]

I'd prefer the Worthington Cup to change to a cup competition that all teams in the UK can compete. That will improve the cups status and will be interesting when teams like Arsenal Chelski or United are drawn against teams like celtic or rangers

 

[The Mini]

The winner of the new 'cup' gets to play a game against the top team in premier league and the homeground of the 'crap' team and if they win they win a cup or something..

That's a nice idea, and they have to use most of their top players. Would be interesting.

 

[Arsenal316]

The Worthington/Carling Cup is just a waste of time, period. The EPL, SPL, and la Liga are the only three leagues that have two cup tournaments. All the other leagues have only 1. That's the way it should be.

 

[The Mini]

The League Cup was made by The FA to give lower teams a competition with a good prize and top teams a chance to give their top players a rest.

 

[Aussie]

The winner of the new 'cup' gets to play a game against the top team in premier league and the homeground of the 'crap' team and if they win they win a cup or something..

That's a nice idea, and they have to use most of their top players. Would be interesting.

Can you imagine Wegner letting Henry, Viera, Pires play in some mid year friendly against a first division team where we have nothing to gain exept injuries.

 

[Soler]

The Worthington/Carling Cup is just a waste of time, period. The EPL, SPL, and la Liga are the only three leagues that have two cup tournaments. All the other leagues have only 1. That's the way it should be.

That's not true.

Italy has the Super-coppa, Germany the Liga-Pokal, France the Coupe Ligue.

The League Cup is still good to have. It gives clubs like Middlesbrough and Bolton a chance for some silverwear - which they really have no chance in getting in the FA Cup or the Premier League. It may be a waste of time for clubs like Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea, that's why they field below strength sides so they can get eliminated and to try out the youth players.

 

[Gunner4Eva]

Originally posted by Arsenal316:
The Worthington/Carling Cup is just a waste of time, period. The EPL, SPL, and la Liga are the only three leagues that have two cup tournaments. All the other leagues have only 1. That's the way it should be.



That's not true.

Italy has the Super-coppa, Germany the Liga-Pokal, France the Coupe Ligue.

The League Cup is still good to have. It gives clubs like Middlesbrough and Bolton a chance for some silverwear - which they really have no chance in getting in the FA Cup or the Premier League. It may be a waste of time for clubs like Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea, that's why they field below strength sides so they can get eliminated and to try out the youth players.
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And it also gives teams like Middlesborough, Bolton and others alike to think they are the best for beating teams like Arsenal's Reserves, Chelsea's Reserves and Man Utd's Reserves. They need that much at least.

 

[lewdikris]

The League Cup was made by The FA to give lower teams a competition with a good prize and top teams a chance to give their top players a rest.

That's not true at all mate. League Cup was begun in what 1967 (maybe 57 - not sure)? It was created because there seemed to be a need for it, and because there was a financial benefit to be had by having it. Just like anything in footy - and that's always on the basis that the big clubs will probly win it.

 

[Aussie]

The League Cup was made by The FA to give lower teams a competition with a good prize and top teams a chance to give their top players a rest.

That's not true at all mate. League Cup was begun in what 1967 (maybe 57 - not sure)? It was created because there seemed to be a need for it, and because there was a financial benefit to be had by having it. Just like anything in footy - and that's always on the basis that the big clubs will probly win it.

Well the league cup has pretty much turned in to what the mini said. Teams like Boro and Bolton winning the league cup can mean everthing to them. However for top sides like Arsenal its just a chance to try out the reserves and give players a rest.

 

[mayoud]

It is an English Cup, but Premiership are not allowed to join. It is a cup where the winners are given a place in the league above for the next season. If the winners are promoted anyway, the honour is given to the runner-up, and so on.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet is that until the winners of this new cup are known, the number of teams promoted in the normal way from any division would not be known. Two mid table teams from the first and third divisions, say, could contest the final and only then would it be known if a spot in the premiership or a spot in the second division had to be found for the winners. Not a good idea at all. Needs more thought.