They should make the League Cup a competition for Football League teams only as opposed to allowing Premier League teams to enter. Sure, they would have to remove the UEFA cup spot for the winners of the trophy but it would be a refreshing tournament for all teams and, with the increased liklihood of success and a possible trip to Wembley, surely attendances would rise.

As for that extra UEFA Cup spot, it would of course go to a Premier League team; how about a play off between the four sides that finish just outside of the current UEFA Cup spots; now that there is no Intertoto it would be a little pre-season play off to decide our final UEFA Cup qualifier, add some spice to pre season and give teams that are 11th or 12th in mid April something to aim for (a play off spot).

The league cup does need something. I beleive I read recently that the competion was mainly introduced as a comprimise to try to prevent clubs joining the new fangled European competions in the 60's, that the FA were against. I think its safe to say that the European ship has well sailed!

Ive always considered that an amalgamation of the English and Scottish league cups would increase interest in the competion both sides of the border, as well as giving us a final regular season answer as to weather the old firm could cut it in England. I would also be in favour of including the N. Irish and Welsh club teams, with the final venue rotating around the 4 countries national stadia, but I suppose given the current climate within the respective FA's current stance regarding the 2012 Olympic team this would be very unlikely. Still, a Man Utd - Rangers final at the Millenium anyone?

As a point of information, the Ipswich-Orient crowd was misreported by PA. It was 10,477, which is probably above-par for that sort of game, though I wish I hadn't been among them

I think the League Cup was intended as part of an overhaul of the League, the main part of which involved a change to five divisions of twenty teams each. The League Cup was intended to make up the shortfall in fixtures. However, the clubs rejected the bulk of the package (including the five-division structure) but stuck with the League Cup idea. I'm pretty sure the European ship had already sailed by 1960.

A major part of the problem for the League Cup isn't Man United and Chelsea resting players. It's that almost every Premier League or Championship club will do it. You chose Whaddon Road as your example. Stoke, who travelled there, made 10 changes from their Premier League side against Villa. And they still won. Which shows the problem. But then Stoke's reserves had the 8 of the regulars from the side that finished 2nd in the Championship last season, so it's really no suprise that they were too strong for Cheltenham. Which emphasises the problem, that Premiership reserve teams, even at clubs odds-on to be relegated, can have so many good players stockpiled in them.

Tony Pulis' justification for the team he picked was two-fold;
i) It worked. Hard to argue with that.
ii) He needed to give his fringe players a competitive game, as the reserve league hasn't begun as yet.

The second one is fascinating. It's almost as if the Premier League is encouraging teams to play their reserves in the League Cup by delaying the start of the reserve league. Surely they can't be so cynical as to try and undermine another competition just so it doesn't detract some interest from their own bloated product.


It's not just the League Cup, of course. Attendances in the FA Cup also seem on average to be below those of league games. Probably because for all but a handful of clubs there is the thought that they have no hope of winning it (see Dave Kitson's comments about Reading last season), so unless you get a plum tie at home to a Premier League club that might allow a little short-term glory, then there is little point in bothering. Ties against clubs from your own division, or even worse, a home tie against a team from a lower league are merely potential embarassments with no long term gain in evidence.
It will be interesting to see if last seasons suprises give that competition more impetus, but I think it will need another couple of years like that in quick succesion before people return to the belief that any decent side from the top two divisions might win it.