Originally Posted by
MagicBoots
OK - I think I may have understood the point being made by Tarquin. Sorry for the long post.
If I understand correctly, you are saying there is no difference between playing an U23 side in the FA CUP and an U23 side in the Check-A-Trade. Completely agree. There is no difference should that be the case.
However (you knew it was coming) in the FA Cup, a premiership club is only represented by one team. If they choose to select U23's its up to them.
What is happening in the Check-A-Trade is a move to purposely create a club structure and culture to have two teams. Man Utd A, Man Utd B. Man City A ,Man City B Newcastle A Newcastle B .... etc.
I see a number of problems here;
1. Apparently it is to give England youngsters a chance to play. Absolute codswallop. There is no requirement that the B squad has to have any English players. By supporting this competition you are actually giving Spanish/French/Croatian/German etc future players the opportunity to blossom. In effect, it is detrimental to the England team.
2. Age Restriction. U23 is it. How long do we expect that to be in place for. Whether we are in the EU or not, some law case will prove it to be unjustified in that one team has this restriction (i.e. seen it before with Bosman ruling), so very soon it will be lifted and before you know it, the whole principle of developing U23 talent goes out the window and we get a true B squad.
3. Money & Greed. Cmon, we talked about the parachute payments and the amount of money premiership teams have. It is pure greed to enter this competition. If they are so wanting to develop U23's, why don't they wave the admission price when they play, why do they not have a policy to give the million pound prize money to grass roots should they win it ?
4. 5th league. Its coming. And we will be one division lower with B squads in the championship, possibly premiership, moving us down the pecking order. Its already been mentioned Chelsea have 40 players out on loan, 40 players that are way too good for League 2, so it wont be too long before we see Chelsea A, B and possibly a C team ! All in the premiership ! We will end up with a 20 team premiership consisting of the big 6 teams having A, B and C squads. Do we honestly want that ?
5. If its all about developing U23's than surely the answer has to be ..... an U23 league ! Wow now why have they not thought of this. Because........that will not get them into a league 5. I really do not believe people cannot see this.
What proves all this to be true is the way the premiership teams were reluctant at the inclusion of Scottish teams in our league, but they don't see anything wrong with B squads....hmmmmmm.
I am a season ticket holder, but live up in Leeds. I have been to a few EFL trophy games previously but there is absolutely no way I would even contemplate going now in its current format, and cannot understand why we still get over 1000 people actually attending.