Chaka Khan Trophy

[les@donr]

Get Chris Brown back  to Donny.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I think it will be safe to say by now, DF will know his targets for January and also know who has no future at DRFC.

He'll also know that his targets can be funded in one way or another and, we should not be surprised if he pulls a rabbit out of the hat!

[wilts rover]

Pulls a rabbit out of the hat... bunny ... bunny warren - he's signing Lee Warren to be our new midfield dynamo!!

[tommy toes]

Keegan needs time to get back to form.
A couple of years ago he was a regular in our Championship side and did OK in what was a tough league.

[drfchound]

The goal Exeter scored was a penalty too??

Crickey, I had forgotten that.
That makes us even better then.
The second half at Stevenage was just a blip , one of those things that happens from time to time.

[IDM]

IT IS A BAD IDEA!!!!!

This competition is for lower league teams, PERIOD!  If the top divisions want an u-21 or u-23 league that is competitive enough to blood their young players, then let them have their own!! FFS there could even be a sponsored televised tournament if there was enough interest, but stay the feck out of the Associate Member's Cup!!!!

[The Red Baron]

If we win tonight then we are in the last 16 and at that stage it becomes an open draw. So we could face a long trek in the next round. Norwich B away, anyone? 

Wow!

Another one of the little changes, which when stacked against the others, continues to make this competition lack any serious credibility.

I still maintain that having Under 21s teams (as long as they are just that) isn't a bad idea - it's the crap planning, knee-jerk and 'make it up as we go along' rules/resolutions which has alienated too many folk.

It'd just be in keeping with the Benny Hill-type organisation iif the final got shifted Wycombe or somewhere daft, if it ended up as Sunderland's Under 28s vs Swansea's Under 31s or whatever.

Actually I agree with you there.

The U-21 sides should be just that and you need the clubs with the best academies. The fact that Man United, Man City and Arsenal, for example, are not there, devalues the competition badly.

Also FL teams should be allowed to play who they want. If they field their kids, and they do well (eg Luton) they should not be punished for it.

I was against the concept of the competition before because I thought it was a Trojan Horse for B Teams in the Football League. That's dead (for now) but this competition could work if only the EFL leadership wasn't useless at stakeholder Management.

My guess is that it will limp on in the current format (with Reading u-21s plus over age players etc.) for another season then will be killed off entirely. An opportunity missed because of poor planning and management.

[The Red Baron]

I think the competition has been fatally damaged. The EFL needed to ensure all the PL academies were on board and think about things like fixture dates long in advance.

One key reason why the big boys didn't compete is because traditionally the early rounds are played at the start of international weeks. However U-21 players at the big clubs are usually on international duty - or at least the better ones are- with age group sides.

Also the EFL seemed to be totally blindsided by the fact that development football has this season changed from U-21 to U-23. The EFL kept this as an U-21 competition but allowed over-age players. It should have been U-23 but with no over-age players allowed.

Whoever was responsible should be collecting their P45.

[IDM]

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the top clubs developing their young players in competitive matches, especially if they have young English (and other home nations) players for the good of their international futures.

However I think that this particular tournament is not the right place for that, and if that makes me a traditionalist then so be it.

Why not make the league cup U-23 for Premier and Championship teams?  for some of them it more or less is anyway??

[donnyguy61]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/08/checkatrade-trophy-english-football-league

[Sammy Chung was King]

They should make the league cup for those below the previous seasons top six in the premier league down. The top six of our country and each British countries top six with two highest qualifiers making it upto thirty two teams.
It would create fresh interest in all British football. A knockout cup competition of each countries best. Even if the Arsenal's or Chelsea's played young kids in the games, especially away from home there would still be plenty of interest.

It would give young players experience against better side's many of whom qualify for Europe each year. Sort of a British Champions league knockout. It would improve our young players, improve the other nations players and some extra revenue and i suspect many fans would like it.
The EFL Trophy should revert back to the lower football league but with so many also qualifying to play from the conference.

[The Red Baron]

I read that Guardian article last night. I dare say they will go back to the old JPT format next season. I have my doubts that will be enough to give the competition back its credibility.

[RedJ]

They should make the league cup for those below the previous seasons top six in the premier league down. The top six of our country and each British countries top six with two highest qualifiers making it upto thirty two teams.
It would create fresh interest in all British football. A knockout cup competition of each countries best. Even if the Arsenal's or Chelsea's played young kids in the games, especially away from home there would still be plenty of interest.

It would give young players experience against better side's many of whom qualify for Europe each year. Sort of a British Champions league knockout. It would improve our young players, improve the other nations players and some extra revenue and i suspect many fans would like it.
The EFL Trophy should revert back to the lower football league but with so many also qualifying to play from the conference.

For one thing, that would kill the cup - and another, games are played on Tuesday night so that would in no way work.

And of course the small matter that the other FAs would never agree to it...

[bobjimwilly]

If Shaun wants to stick to his argument it's about youth development, easy, make it about youth development. All EFL teams (including championship) must enter the comp, all teams must play a minimum of 5 under-21 players, who play at least 60 minutes in every game. Scrap the group stages and make it a simple knockout comp with no replays. And make sure there's a legitimate, big prize fund for winning at Wembley and also making the latter stages. Simple.

[eastender]

I see we would have drawn Wycombe Wanderers at home in the last 16.

That should have given us a fair chance of reaching the quarter finals.

[RoversAlias]

They should make the league cup for those below the previous seasons top six in the premier league down. The top six of our country and each British countries top six with two highest qualifiers making it upto thirty two teams.
It would create fresh interest in all British football. A knockout cup competition of each countries best. Even if the Arsenal's or Chelsea's played young kids in the games, especially away from home there would still be plenty of interest.

It would give young players experience against better side's many of whom qualify for Europe each year. Sort of a British Champions league knockout. It would improve our young players, improve the other nations players and some extra revenue and i suspect many fans would like it.
The EFL Trophy should revert back to the lower football league but with so many also qualifying to play from the conference.

I'm not sure who benefits from a tournament in which the best English clubs resoundingly annihilate The New Saints, Linfield and Aberdeen every year before playing each other when they already face off twice in the Premier League with more at stake.

[Sammy Chung was King]

They should make the league cup for those below the previous seasons top six in the premier league down. The top six of our country and each British countries top six with two highest qualifiers making it upto thirty two teams.
It would create fresh interest in all British football. A knockout cup competition of each countries best. Even if the Arsenal's or Chelsea's played young kids in the games, especially away from home there would still be plenty of interest.

It would give young players experience against better side's many of whom qualify for Europe each year. Sort of a British Champions league knockout. It would improve our young players, improve the other nations players and some extra revenue and i suspect many fans would like it.
The EFL Trophy should revert back to the lower football league but with so many also qualifying to play from the conference.

I'm not sure who benefits from a tournament in which the best English clubs resoundingly annihilate The New Saints, Linfield and Aberdeen every year before playing each other when they already face off twice in the Premier League with more at stake.

The young players who would more likely play. Is it tougher to face sides who qualify for European football or leagues one and two sides?. I know some of the sides might not even be as good as league one and two but some are.
It would be good preparation for young kids playing some of the bottom rung European sides like your Dundalk's or Linfield's. Also maybe playing in a big game at Ibrox or Celtic Park. Whatever the teams picked you could bet those stadiums would be almost full.

[RoversAlias]

It's probably more beneficial for them to play in a pre-season friendly against Celtic than it is to play Linfield, TNS then Celtic in this British Cup. I do not believe the standard of those clubs in other British countries are even as good as League Two level. Wasn't Dave Morley playing for one of them in a Champions League qualifier a few years ago!? Says it all.

[RedRover45]

They should make the league cup for those below the previous seasons top six in the premier league down. The top six of our country and each British countries top six with two highest qualifiers making it upto thirty two teams.
It would create fresh interest in all British football. A knockout cup competition of each countries best. Even if the Arsenal's or Chelsea's played young kids in the games, especially away from home there would still be plenty of interest.

It would give young players experience against better side's many of whom qualify for Europe each year. Sort of a British Champions league knockout. It would improve our young players, improve the other nations players and some extra revenue and i suspect many fans would like it.
The EFL Trophy should revert back to the lower football league but with so many also qualifying to play from the conference.

I'm not sure who benefits from a tournament in which the best English clubs resoundingly annihilate The New Saints, Linfield and Aberdeen every year before playing each other when they already face off twice in the Premier League with more at stake.

The young players who would more likely play. Is it tougher to face sides who qualify for European football or leagues one and two sides?. I know some of the sides might not even be as good as league one and two but some are.
It would be good preparation for young kids playing some of the bottom rung European sides like your Dundalk's or Linfield's. Also maybe playing in a big game at Ibrox or Celtic Park. Whatever the teams picked you could bet those stadiums would be almost full.

They'd have a problem playing Dundalk as they're from the Republic of Ireland but I take your point.

Signed.  A Pedant

[Sammy Chung was King]

They should make the league cup for those below the previous seasons top six in the premier league down. The top six of our country and each British countries top six with two highest qualifiers making it upto thirty two teams.
It would create fresh interest in all British football. A knockout cup competition of each countries best. Even if the Arsenal's or Chelsea's played young kids in the games, especially away from home there would still be plenty of interest.

It would give young players experience against better side's many of whom qualify for Europe each year. Sort of a British Champions league knockout. It would improve our young players, improve the other nations players and some extra revenue and i suspect many fans would like it.
The EFL Trophy should revert back to the lower football league but with so many also qualifying to play from the conference.

I'm not sure who benefits from a tournament in which the best English clubs resoundingly annihilate The New Saints, Linfield and Aberdeen every year before playing each other when they already face off twice in the Premier League with more at stake.

The young players who would more likely play. Is it tougher to face sides who qualify for European football or leagues one and two sides?. I know some of the sides might not even be as good as league one and two but some are.
It would be good preparation for young kids playing some of the bottom rung European sides like your Dundalk's or Linfield's. Also maybe playing in a big game at Ibrox or Celtic Park. Whatever the teams picked you could bet those stadiums would be almost full.

They'd have a problem playing Dundalk as they're from the Republic of Ireland but I take your point.

Signed.  A Pedant

Yes i included their teams also even though they are not part of the British set up.