Gary Neville agrees with Jurgen Klopp on key issue as Manchester United legend makes demand

Gary Neville has agreed with Jurgen Klopp's view of FA Cup replays needing to be permanently scrapped.

It is believed the FA are set to bring to an end to replays which still exist in the third and fourth round of the competition and can be worth thousands to lower-league clubs. Cambridge United earned over £1million in 2015 after taking Manchester United to a replay at Old Trafford, with other sides following suit in earning lucrative sums as a result of their heroics displays.

There were previously replays at every round of the FA Cup, though they have not been staged from the fifth round of the competition onwards since 2018/19 in a bid to reduce the number of fixtures clubs are participating in each season.

Replays are expected to be axed altogether to coincide with a new TV deal, expected to begin in 2025/26, and could also see two-legged Carabao Cup semi-finals ditched. Such changes are viewed as necessary by many due to adjustments to European football from next season, which will see sides competing in more fixtures than before as the number of clubs involved in the Champions League and Europa League first phases rises from 32 to 36.

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Of the opinion removing FA Cup replays is the right way to go, Neville said on The Overlap's Stick To Football Podcast: "They have to take replays away in the FA Cup. They have them in the early rounds, but they have to get rid of them. It’s all or nothing.

“I get it [the argument about keeping them for the lower clubs] but to save the competition [replays need to go].