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Author: MartinW
Date: 24-08-2005, 08:17

(Apologies if this is only of interest to English fans, but it does concern the draw format of the competition.)

After R1 of the Carling Cup this week, I was looking at the format of the draw, in particular because the clubs who are participating in Europe are allowed a bye and only join in R3 (the other EPL clubs will join in R2).

Anyway, I noticed that all 72 football league clubs are playing in R1 this week and that means there will be 36 qualify for R2. But so that the number of teams in the draw can work properly, it means that only 12 EPL clubs will join in R2. Then from 48 clubs in R2, the 24 winners will then be joined by the remaining 8 EPL clubs who received a bye, making 32 teams in R3.

So who are the 8 clubs that will receive a bye direct to R3? Well of course seven of them are Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Everton, Liverpool, Bolton and Middlesbrough who are playing in CL or UC. And the final eighth club must be Newcastle!

Now we know that Newcastle are out of Europe after losing in the Intertoto, but from what I can tell it seems that at the time of the Carling Cup R1 draw the progress of Newcastle was unknown and so they had to get a bye in case they did qualify for UC.

So the result is, if you join the Intertoto cup then you get an automatic bye to Carling Cup R3 even if you are knocked out. Now Newcastle have the benefit of a bye compared to the other 12 clubs who are also not playing in Europe. Does this seem fair to other people?

Author: mjwillan
Date: 24-08-2005, 11:37

Given that the FA is trying to persuade clubs to go into the Intertoto, it seems like a good incentive. This season we could have had 2 English clubs in the Intertoto, but only Newcastle applied - obviously for most clubs a bye in the Carling Cup and a possible UEFA Cup place isn't sufficient compensation for the disruption to preseason training.

The bye will give Newcastle a better chance of reaching the Carling Cup final and without European games to tire their players they may be a good bet to reach the final. Of course they will find a way not to win the cup