I can't understand why bruce would play a fully rotated team and then play full bunker style. Neither team wanted a replay, open it up and try and get a goal or 2.

Yea tbh to Bruce I gather Hull have a ****load of games coming up in the next month.

Here is one for 2+2 - How do we improve the FA Cup? Does it need improved?

Play it mid week.

Keep replays though.

I have nfi how Arsenal and Hull are going to be able to play a replay before the QF weekend. Looks like they'll have to play it that weekend actually, and postpone their QF.

They were talking this morning on Soccer Saturday about seeding the 3rd round draw so that the smaller clubs are guaranteed to get a big name club rather than drawing another smaller club.

Basically trying to get the smaller clubs more money.

Personally not a fan of that, open draws are the way to go.

Also I'd be happy if they ditched replays. One of my main problems (I guess it's not that major) is having the Semi Finals at Wembley, I get they need to pay for the stadium etc...but have an extra concert or sporting event, keep the semi finals at Neutral venues to not only keep the final somewhat special but keep both sets of fans happy. Why drag 2 northern clubs down to London for a semi final when they could have them closer to home for both.

Classic cup competition, doesn't need improving.

It's the PL that needs improving by the removal of at least 2 teams to reduce game congestion and increase English teams' chances in the CL and England's chances in Euros and WC.

Then you're decreasing the chances of a smaller club going on a cup run.

France, Spain and Italy all have 38 games. They don't struggle.

It's the more the physicality of and greater competition that is having an effect, if anything.

Also England haven't been good enough to win the Euros/WC. There wasn't any complaints 8ish years ago when the PL teams where the best in the world. The PL teams just aren't as good as others and nor do we have any superstars - aside from Aguero. They are all at Barca/Real/Bayern.

We're getting the super star coaches/managers which should help over all.

But of course the TV companies will determine what happens, as always now.

fa cup is fine, punches above its weight. early rounds are a drag but that is true of most CL group stage matches too.

congested schedule moaning just needs to stop, if you're a cash team then rotate your half billion £ squad. that 41 caps for argentina bloke that never gets a game because you got two other superstars on £175k/wk who also play his position could do with a kick about. if not a £ team play the reserves in the games you deem less important. simple

High variance cup competitions are high variance.

Reducing the amount of clubs in the PL would have no effect on PL's club chances in Europe and international football unless the league is reduced to an amount of teams that can cherry pick all the best players and then play against each other every other week. If that happened, it would hamper England's chances in international tournaments because the current group of elite English players are not as good as their French, Spanish, German or Brazilian counterparts.

+1 to BAIDS

meanwhile we're still aids

Style of football is very different in PL to the leagues you cite, being faster and more physically demanding. Numerous foreign players have commented on this.

Agree re. England's tournies - players lack technique to compete with the best - but even if tiredness isn't a factor, reducing the league to 34 games would remove that from the list of reasons/excuses we always hear and might force the FA to address the far greater problem of kick n rush type football played in schools.

So let's have a look at both starting XI's today for Arsenal and Barca who meet during the week.

Arsenal: Ospina, Chambers, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Flamini, Elneny, Campbell, Iwobi, Welbeck, Walcott.

Barca: Bravo; Alves, Mascherano, Mathieu, Alba; Arda, S.Roberto, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar.

Arsenal at home to a Championship side. They draw so now have an added another game to their schedule.

Barca away in the league.

How many of those players start during the week for both teams?

Kick rush football isn't coached in England at schools or grass roots.

Walking football ftw

7 of those Barca players start midweek Kev. You very rarely see MSN rotated, they just man up and play.

Exactly.

And they will play 3 games per week just like Arsenal in the coming weeks. English clubs whinge way too much, I think its more a mental thing at this point.

i don't know what you all are on about pretty sure a Spurs-laden England team will meet a Spurs-laden Belgian team in the Euro championships final this summer.

Wow Alexis is getting a ton of hate on Twitter. Arsenal fans saying he needs to be dropped for Tuesday and some even saying he's not good enough and the club should move him on.

tbf though messi suarez neymar can pretty much just take a day off even if they're playing, it just means that whichever paella salesmen they face only lose by 3 goals rather than the usual 7

Pretty much says it all.

loltwatter

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lol HH