Uwe Rosler: Brentford boss critical of cup competitions

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Uwe Rosler

Brentford boss Uwe Rosler believes lower league teams have to take part in too many cup competitions each season.

League One and Two sides play in the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League Trophy, as well as completing a 46-match league campaign.

And Rosler believes the demands of the extra matches are proving detrimental to English football as a whole.

"In the lower leagues, you don't really need three cup competitions," the ex-Man City forward told BBC London 94.9.

"The lower leagues are there to develop players. That doesn't only come through games but also training.

"In our league we have no time to train, it's just resting then playing. Other countries are miles ahead in terms of player development."

This season, Rosler's Brentford enjoyed a fine run in the FA Cup, taking Premier League side Chelsea to a fourth round replay before a 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge ended their involvement.

The German has previously stated that the FA Cup run has damaged their League One promotion push and, in all, they have had to play an extra 10 matches this season.

Despite all the tradition surrounding the cup competitions, Rosler believes lower league teams are at a disadvantage compared with clubs in the top two divisions because of the strains extra games place on them.

"Every foreign football fan looks at the Premier League and English football because a big part is the tradition and history," he said.

"But you have to move with the times, and I feel in the lower leagues when you don't have such big squads or big budgets for sports science like the big clubs, then it's tough," he added.

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  • Comment posted by PeruSaddler, at 12:44 12 Mar 2013

    Uwe, if the cups are that bad for you, give back the money you have made from them which has funded your playing budget.

    Can't have it all ways; this is just an excuse for when they fall out of the play-off places....

  • Comment posted by U14474912, at 13:36 12 Mar 2013

    Cup runs generate a lot of much needed money for the lower league teams, money that is desperately needed unless of course your funded by some misguided Russian. As for the Football Trophy its the only realistic chance of a lower league team winning some silverware and playing at wembly other than the play off finals.

  • Comment posted by whatyousay, at 19:26 12 Mar 2013

    Just a way to get in the media to try to promote his football club.

  • Comment posted by U15642707, at 16:41 12 Mar 2013

    Right so not knowing every manager club combo is ignorant?

    ** No. This is laborious. You've dug a deep hole and yet you want to continue excavation despite the fact doing this will leave you trapped.

    I never at all mentioned every. I mentioned 2 of the most talked about lower league managers ALL season!!!!!

    You are now having a pop at me for allegedly doing what YOU ARE NOW DOING! Comprende?

  • Comment posted by Chris1566, at 15:40 12 Mar 2013

    @11 Those people saying we should keep the cup competitions are perhaps right, but it will mean some teams playing weaker sides which devalue the cups anyway. It's surely better to scrap the League Cup and keep the FA Cup as the one meaningful cup competition, meaning a stronger tournament all round.

    How many other countries have 2 cup competitions which qualify for Europe?

  • Comment posted by devils advocate, at 15:10 12 Mar 2013

    It's the Johnstone's Paint Trophy that's pointless. What is the point of this. You don't even qualify for the Intertoto cup. Why do fans go? Does it hurt to get knocked out?

  • Comment posted by poppy, at 14:56 12 Mar 2013

    Why's Rosler moaning now? .The simple alternative is to do what Prem clubs get chastised for doing, play weakened sides and get knocked out early then "concentrate on the league". Or do what Brentford, Oldham and especially Bradford have done this season, enjoy the cup successes, publicity and prize money and accept the adverse effects on league position. It's rare to have it both ways.

  • Comment posted by plath, at 14:37 12 Mar 2013

    they should get rid of replays. boring, total waste of time. adding even more games to congested fixture lists.

  • Comment posted by U15615093, at 04:27 13 Mar 2013

    I agree with Uwe Rosler, teams from leagues lower than the Championship shouldn't have to take part in all the competitions if it's too strenuous for them to do so and could drop out of the League Cup and only participate in their league, the FA Cup and the FL Trophy leaving the League Cup for Premiership and Championship teams to compete for. Just a suggestion but it could work.

  • Comment posted by CarlosBM, at 19:38 12 Mar 2013

    @53.

    Well, it's not like it's going to happen on the pitch...

  • Comment posted by U14120369, at 19:10 12 Mar 2013

    The PL clubs play in the FA Cup, the FL Cup and Europe.
    Not all lower league clubs have a really good FA Cup run like Brentford did.
    Is Rossler complaining about the money the club made from the cup run?
    Not on your nelly he isnt.
    The clubs fans will have loved it.
    If he doesnt like it, go back to Germany and join the German League.

  • Comment posted by Eddies Gonna Get Ya, at 18:14 12 Mar 2013

    SlutanA I apologise if I've disregarded the club you support, no offence was intended. All I'm trying to do is to look at possible solutions to this problem, which needs more thought.
    It would of course mean in effect "relegating" 16 teams. However, as the FA usually shakes up the non-league scene every season for no reason, at least this gives them a reason to do so.

  • Comment posted by JD, at 18:04 12 Mar 2013

    This is just another excuse to charge more money at the front gate & too have a few more days off a year! "Its just resting then playing" Yeh tough, try working my job for a few days fella, you wouldnt last a day never mind 2 weeks straight!!!

  • Comment posted by U15631203, at 16:55 12 Mar 2013

    Rosler says; "The lower leagues are there to develop players." I think he'll find clubs in the lower leagues mean alot more than that to the fans! They want to see games, not training sessions!

  • Comment posted by lglater, at 16:27 12 Mar 2013

    I disagree with those who suggest re-jigging the leagues. The league cup is what should be scrapped really. All the other major leagues in Europe have 1 significant cup competition. The league cup has been de-valued over the years with clubs like Man Utd playing reserves and kids in it. Whilst great to see Bradford get to the final, would that have happened if everyone played full teams? No!

  • Comment posted by U14406369, at 14:43 12 Mar 2013

    He could be right.

  • Comment posted by U15587064, at 13:29 12 Mar 2013

    Bradford City by the end of the season will have played 61 matches, not including pre-season matches, Brentford (who gladly knocked us out of the FA Cup btw) will have only played a measly 56.

  • Comment posted by Marksrilankarobin, at 10:52 13 Mar 2013

    Get rid of the Johnston Paint Trophy that's a waste of time. I guess the only bonus is a day out at Wembly? But I'd rather swap that with reaching the play offs and getting to Wembly that way.

  • Comment posted by ajm6730, at 00:40 13 Mar 2013

    Yeah, let's get rid of some games.
    I pay hundreds of pounds for my Premier League season ticket, and during the season can go a month or more without seeing a home game because of the stupid international breaks. I want to watch my team, not no hopers (England) playing pointless matches in an international environment which is totally corrupt.

  • Comment posted by Drasticus Maximus, at 22:24 12 Mar 2013

    Portugal has a League Cup, and France's League Cup winner gets into Europe. We need to keep the cups for trophies and they are great for tradition - the season would be more boring without them.
    But I would have leagues of 22 to reduce games. Expand Lge 2 to north and south and invite the top 16 Conf teams in (who are all professional) and you could have four regional conferences below.

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