Hibs manager Lee Johnson admits the Premier Sports Cup group stage format is one that leaves him perplexed.
The former Sunderland manager's first tenure in Scottish football has started in the roughest possible fashion, with the 2021 finalists heading out after a Group D loss to Falkirk and a 1-1 draw with Morton that was turned into a 3-0 defeat because Rocky Bushiri played while ineligible. Hibs join fellow Premiership clubs St Mirren and St Johnstone - whom they open their league campaign against next weekend - in heading out early. Johnson doesn't agree with the system.
He said: “It doesn’t make sense playing the League Cup this early. It almost degrades the competition itself. You’re talking about players playing competitive games every three days, when you can only make five subs, two-and-a-half weeks into pre-season. I’m new to this country in terms of football management and I need to abide by its rules.
READ MORE: Three things we learned as Hibs Premier Sports Cup hopes dangle by a thread after Morton draw
"But if we want players to stay fit and to perform well, it’s a competition which should begin after the first game of the league season, perhaps in midweek.
“That’s how it should be if what matters is the balance of pushing the lads to the extreme in training, but also protecting them for a long season to come.
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“It’s been interesting getting used to the format but some things don’t add up. I find it very strange that at this level we don’t have a fourth official, for instance.”
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