CUP DOESN’T HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON . . .

Extra time will not be a feature of EFL Cup ties from next season. If the game is drawn on 90 minutes, it will progress directly to a penalty shootout. This is good for tired legs, not so helpful to the spectacle. An overmatched underdog could start to play for penalties from half-time. There is every chance performances will become more cautious or negative. yet, in the face of this, the twoleg semi-final remains — now a complete anomaly. Every other round is decided on the night, truncated like never before. yet one tie, in one specific round, takes a minimum three hours to complete in game time and over a week between the fixtures. Competitions should at least make sense. This doesn’t.