GARY LINEKER has called for the FA to scrap extra-time in the FA Cup following Manchester United’s defeat to Fulham on Sunday.
Lineker, 64, called for the major change after United and Fulham played out a 1-1 draw that saw over an hour of goalless football lead to a penalty shootout success for the Cottagers.
Lineker labelled the clash as “bad” as he suggested that penalties are often more exciting than the extra-time that precedes it.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, he said: “We’ve argued many times, just get rid of extra time. Just go to penalties. It makes so much sense.
“Particularly with the amount of football teams are playing now, the amount of injuries we’re getting. Just play 90 minutes, then settle it on penalties.
“Because once it goes to extra time, the vast majority of us are thinking, particularly when it’s as bad as it was last night [Man Utd vs Fulham], you’re just thinking ‘come on, penalty shootout, a bit of excitement’.”
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Fellow podcast host and England icon Alan Shearer was in full agreement with Lineker too.
He added: “Straight to penalties, I’m all for that.”
The FA Cup already saw replays scrapped after the first round at the start of this season, meaning clubs lower down the football pyramid lose their shot at lucrative repeat fixtures.
So much so that the EFL urged the FA to “re-evaluate their approach” before the season began, claiming clubs are being “marginalised in favour of others further up the pyramid”.
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However, ditching extra-time alongside the replays could give smaller teams a better chance of advancing with the lottery of spot-kicks somewhat levelling the playing field.
Lineker spoke out on that issue earlier in the season after Tottenham edged past non-league Tamworth in extra-time.
Speaking back in January, he said: “We still have extra-time. Personally, I think if they’re going to take away replays, they should take away extra-time.
“Because otherwise, it really favours the strong teams.
“Because they’ve got bigger squads, and they can put on their best players in extra-time like Spurs did. And they went on to win.”
Of the eight FA Cup fifth round ties that took place last week, four of them went to extra time, with three being decided via penalty shootouts.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
