Originally Posted by
The Lone Gunman
Of course Klopp has a point and it's a very good one. There was no point whatsoever in the Football Association, the Premier League and the EFL agreeing to a winter break for the top flight clubs if they were going to schedule FA Cup replays in the middle of it.
When the plans for the winter break were officially agreed in June 2018, the Football Association described it as "a significant moment that will greatly benefit club and country." Everyone knew it was coming, including the association that administers the FA Cup. Therefore, it should have been properly observed.
Those who are opposed to it need to appreciate just how different football is these days for clubs in the highest echelons of the game. For instance, when Nottingham Forest won the European Cup in 1979 they played a total of 9 matches in that competition. The following season, when they successfully defended the trophy, they played another 9 games in the competition and 2 in the European Super Cup.
This season, Liverpool have already played 6 Champions League games,1 Super Cup game and 2 FIFA World Club Championship games, and we're only in January! Last year, when they won the competition, they played 13 Champions League matches.
This season, Wolves have already played 12 Europa League matches. They started playing competitive football in July!
Something has to give as the top clubs playing so much football benefits absolutely nobody - not the players, not the fans, not the clubs themselves and not the national teams.
Personally, I believe the League Cup should be done away with completely and replays should be done away with in the FA Cup. I also believe the number of clubs playing in the Europa League should be greatly reduced as that competition is a farce.
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