Quick proposal
- The first thing wrong with the Carabao is that it is too like the FA CUP ...... but a watered down version - so I propose:-
1. Create a formula to assess the performance of all participating clubs in the Carabao Cup over the last three seasons. Give the best 12 only byes to the last 32, whichever division of the EFL they are in. The other 80 play the first round.
2. Divide the eighty into 20 groups of 4, they play each other once only, winning team only goes through, 5pts for a win in 90 minutes, if teams are drawing at 90 minutes there's a penalty shoot-out and it's 3 points for a shoot-out win.
3. Teams are allocated at random to groups on their past three Carabao performances. So you have 4 pools of twenty teams, Pool A are the best performers below those 12 who got byes, Pool B the next best, Pool C down to Pool D (specially designed for no-hopers like Chesterfield). SO each of the 20 groups get a team from each pool.
4. Arrange the fixtures so there is a slight advantage to the teams that perform best in the competition, but also gives the others a chance:-
Pool A team v Pool C team
Pool B team v Pool D team
Pool B team v Pool C team
Pool D team v Pool A team
Pool C team v Pool D team
Pool A team v Pool B team
5. You then have 32 teams committed either by having won through three games already to be there, or a desire to retain their bye ............ and it's a knock-out with an exciting draw (held in Luangprabang).
Why do I always want to change everything?
- The first thing wrong with the Carabao is that it is too like the FA CUP ...... but a watered down version - so I propose:-
1. Create a formula to assess the performance of all participating clubs in the Carabao Cup over the last three seasons. Give the best 12 only byes to the last 32, whichever division of the EFL they are in. The other 80 play the first round.
2. Divide the eighty into 20 groups of 4, they play each other once only, winning team only goes through, 5pts for a win in 90 minutes, if teams are drawing at 90 minutes there's a penalty shoot-out and it's 3 points for a shoot-out win.
3. Teams are allocated at random to groups on their past three Carabao performances. So you have 4 pools of twenty teams, Pool A are the best performers below those 12 who got byes, Pool B the next best, Pool C down to Pool D (specially designed for no-hopers like Chesterfield). SO each of the 20 groups get a team from each pool.
4. Arrange the fixtures so there is a slight advantage to the teams that perform best in the competition, but also gives the others a chance:-
Pool A team v Pool C team
Pool B team v Pool D team
Pool B team v Pool C team
Pool D team v Pool A team
Pool C team v Pool D team
Pool A team v Pool B team
5. You then have 32 teams committed either by having won through three games already to be there, or a desire to retain their bye ............ and it's a knock-out with an exciting draw (held in Luangprabang).
Why do I always want to change everything?