Cup chiefs can end our extra whine by ditching extra time

BETFRED CUP chiefs have made superb changes to the tournament.

But now they need to keep pushing forward, keep being innovative and take the additional step of scrapping extra time and going straight to penalties.

Seeing how it has worked in the English equivalent Carabao Cup this term has convinced going that little bit further with our cup is the right idea for both players and, more importantly, supporters.

The SPFL have taken enough kickings for doing things badly so they deserve praise when they get it right and they have done well with their alterations.

This is a tournament that was dying. It had lost its allure. It was a long, drawn out affair which dragged over seven months and lost its spark and cutting edge.

Starting the event in the summer and using the competitive matches as a replacement for unattractive pre-season friendlies was the first positive step. That’s been a success.

Crowds have come out for it and the coaches have said that little bit of competition gets players sharper quicker.

In addition, getting back to tradition and hauling the semi-finals and final back to dates which come before Christmas was both a sensible and correct move.

It’s added an intensity to the tournament, kept interest levels up and also opened the door for a team who start the term well to maintain their momentum and seize their moment.

The opposite could be seeing a side win a quarter-final in October and being a totally different outfit in terms of personnel and form by the time their last-four date arrived on the last day of January.

The idea to scrap extra time in the group stage has been well received and although it won’t satisfy the purist that format should now be brought into the knockout phase as well.

The EFL made their decision to cut fatigue for players. With the calendar log-jammed already it made sense to cut back on game time where possible.

In many ways the same applies to our clubs. The workload is severe

Going straight to spot-kicks in the Cup adds to the chances of a shock

for sides, especially those who have also played in Europe.

Before the smaller clubs talk about giving an unfair advantage, it’s obvious the bigger team with more resources have a better chance to use their quality and strength to succeed in extra time, whereas going straight to spotkicks adds to the chances of a shock.

The Betfred Cup has made great changes for the better. This is one more small switch that would enhance the competition yet again.