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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
John Ashdown

The Conti Cup: a slightly farcical few days for a slightly farcical competition

Marc Skinner and his Manchester United squad
Bungled admin at Aston Villa = bad news for Manchester United. Photograph: Charlotte Tattersall/MUFC/Manchester United/Getty

UNITED THEY FALL?

Like regionalised draws? Enjoy weirdly uneven group stages and flawed tiebreakers? Got a thing for points deductions with unexpected ramifications? Then you’ll love the Conti Cup (or Women’s League Cup if you prefer). And it has been a slightly farcical few days for a slightly farcical competition. First, the background. Last week Aston Villa hammered Sunderland 7-0 in their final group game, securing top spot in Group A and a place in the quarter-finals. Second-placed Sunderland were out, their points-per-game record (more of which later) not quite good enough, so Manchester United and Tottenham reached the last eight as the two best runners-up in the five groups. Fine, all good, nothing to see here.

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