It seems this season more than ever that the existence of FA Cup replays has been scrutinised more than ever. Funnily enough, this debate only starts up once the Premier League clubs come into the competition. Replays are vital to the existence of loads of clubs up and down the pyramid yet to abolish them would put most clubs in an insecure financial position and show yet again another move that favours big clubs.
Tonight, Liverpool play Shrewsbury in an FA Cup replay. The Premier League side had been 2-0 up before substitute Jason Cummings scored twice to rescue a replay for lower league side. It was a brilliant match, a brilliant story and now a brilliant occasion for the Shrewsbury players and fans to go to Anfield and watch them do battle with world champions Liverpool once more.
But Jurgen Klopp won't be there. Neither will the first team players.
Klopp's decision not to manage his side - with U23 manager Neil Critchley set to be in the dugout - has nothing to do with Liverpool having to play a replay but to do with the schedule winter break. Liverpool are now on their winter break and were supposed to not play again until the 15th February but the replay has been scheduled for tonight, when most clubs are on their winter break.
In a press conference Klopp said,
One reason might be because your team is playing a football match. Now, Critchley has already managed one Liverpool match this season but that was in exceptional circumstances, with Liverpool asked to play two matches on two continents within 24 hours. That was understandable but this winter break was introduced for the players, not the manager. Klopp may insist that he isn't disrespecting Shrewsbury with his stance but he is. It's as simple as that.
This decision also feeds into the debate as to whether big clubs are disrespecting the FA Cup by playing weakened sides. With no first team players present, it will be a team of academy kids. Klopp is not disrespecting the FA Cup by playing a weakened side, which he would've intended to do anyhow, but he is disrespecting his squad. Klopp says he has to "respect" the winter break, which seems such an indictment on the modern game that a competition with almost 150 years of history is less important than a winter break.
Liverpool, though, are not the only Premier League club involved when they should be enjoying the luxuries on theunnecessary winter break. Newcastle play tonight while Southampton and Tottenham face each other tomorrow. There has been no outcry from those three sides about the injustice of playing a football match, because that's what football clubs do. Even with this game, Liverpool would still receive an 11 day break which is more than any scheduled break in the history of English football before this season.
It's not as if Liverpool wouldn't benefit from this match. Senior players like Naby Keita, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip have all recently returned from injury, with the latter two incredibly rusty in the first tie. The only way to increase match sharpness is to play matches, and those three players could definitely do with 90 minutes more than a break. It makes no sense to have them miss this match when playing would be better for the squad and it would make Klopp have fitter players to choose from as he approaches the return of the Champions League.
Furthermore, it's not as if an FA Cup run would be detrimental to their league form. They are 22 points clear at the top of the league as Liverpool search for their first league title in 30 years. There are 13 games left so the Reds would have to lose 8 matches to be caught. It's practically confirmed that Liverpool will win the league so why not try and win the treble, something the club has never achieved. Jurgen Klopp can build a legacy when he leaves Liverpool and it will look more impressive if he wins as much as possible.
The decision for Klopp and his first choice players not to be at the game has also had a financial impact on Shrewsbury. Replays are one of the few ways in which big clubs (albeit indirectly) help lower league clubs. Hyper-capitalism and the increasing shift in revenue streams from top clubs has created an ever widening gap in wealth across the English league and is replicated in Europe, too. Liverpool have, quite rightly, charged cheaper tickets for the replay and Shrewsbury have sold out their allocation. It won't be a capacity crowd at Anfield tonight and Shrewsbury manager Sam Ricketts has said that the main attractions not being there has cost the club £500,000, not due to ticket prices but also down to not being put on live TV.
To clubs like Shrewsbury, that is a massive amount of money that could change the club beyond belief. But that doesn't matter to Jurgen Klopp as his players have to play another match. They have the resources to cope with fixture schedules like this and perhaps he is right that the decision to fix the tie between their winter break is not right, but not turning up is worse.
The winner tonight gets to play Chelsea. That may be the money maker Ricketts was hoping for and it would be great to see Shrewsbury rewarded. Klopp doesn't care what happens tonight, he would rather Liverpool lose. His position on this is wrong and one that may impact him, his club, the FA Cup and Shrewsbury for years to come.
Tonight, Liverpool play Shrewsbury in an FA Cup replay. The Premier League side had been 2-0 up before substitute Jason Cummings scored twice to rescue a replay for lower league side. It was a brilliant match, a brilliant story and now a brilliant occasion for the Shrewsbury players and fans to go to Anfield and watch them do battle with world champions Liverpool once more.
But Jurgen Klopp won't be there. Neither will the first team players.
Klopp's decision not to manage his side - with U23 manager Neil Critchley set to be in the dugout - has nothing to do with Liverpool having to play a replay but to do with the schedule winter break. Liverpool are now on their winter break and were supposed to not play again until the 15th February but the replay has been scheduled for tonight, when most clubs are on their winter break.
In a press conference Klopp said,
What difference would it make? Why should I be there? Give me a reason why I should.
One reason might be because your team is playing a football match. Now, Critchley has already managed one Liverpool match this season but that was in exceptional circumstances, with Liverpool asked to play two matches on two continents within 24 hours. That was understandable but this winter break was introduced for the players, not the manager. Klopp may insist that he isn't disrespecting Shrewsbury with his stance but he is. It's as simple as that.
This decision also feeds into the debate as to whether big clubs are disrespecting the FA Cup by playing weakened sides. With no first team players present, it will be a team of academy kids. Klopp is not disrespecting the FA Cup by playing a weakened side, which he would've intended to do anyhow, but he is disrespecting his squad. Klopp says he has to "respect" the winter break, which seems such an indictment on the modern game that a competition with almost 150 years of history is less important than a winter break.
Liverpool, though, are not the only Premier League club involved when they should be enjoying the luxuries on the
It's not as if Liverpool wouldn't benefit from this match. Senior players like Naby Keita, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip have all recently returned from injury, with the latter two incredibly rusty in the first tie. The only way to increase match sharpness is to play matches, and those three players could definitely do with 90 minutes more than a break. It makes no sense to have them miss this match when playing would be better for the squad and it would make Klopp have fitter players to choose from as he approaches the return of the Champions League.
Furthermore, it's not as if an FA Cup run would be detrimental to their league form. They are 22 points clear at the top of the league as Liverpool search for their first league title in 30 years. There are 13 games left so the Reds would have to lose 8 matches to be caught. It's practically confirmed that Liverpool will win the league so why not try and win the treble, something the club has never achieved. Jurgen Klopp can build a legacy when he leaves Liverpool and it will look more impressive if he wins as much as possible.
The decision for Klopp and his first choice players not to be at the game has also had a financial impact on Shrewsbury. Replays are one of the few ways in which big clubs (albeit indirectly) help lower league clubs. Hyper-capitalism and the increasing shift in revenue streams from top clubs has created an ever widening gap in wealth across the English league and is replicated in Europe, too. Liverpool have, quite rightly, charged cheaper tickets for the replay and Shrewsbury have sold out their allocation. It won't be a capacity crowd at Anfield tonight and Shrewsbury manager Sam Ricketts has said that the main attractions not being there has cost the club £500,000, not due to ticket prices but also down to not being put on live TV.
To clubs like Shrewsbury, that is a massive amount of money that could change the club beyond belief. But that doesn't matter to Jurgen Klopp as his players have to play another match. They have the resources to cope with fixture schedules like this and perhaps he is right that the decision to fix the tie between their winter break is not right, but not turning up is worse.
The winner tonight gets to play Chelsea. That may be the money maker Ricketts was hoping for and it would be great to see Shrewsbury rewarded. Klopp doesn't care what happens tonight, he would rather Liverpool lose. His position on this is wrong and one that may impact him, his club, the FA Cup and Shrewsbury for years to come.
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