What is the point of a competition even the organizers consider to be a joke, exactly?
Just scratch the league cup altogether
It's a bit weird really - I'm not saying that the League Cup should *only* be pandering to the big teams here, but let's face it, they're the ones that draw in the $$$. And I'm not even talking Manchester City etc - specifically Liverpool, Man Utd and the like.
We just played one of the most incredible/insane League Cup ties, ever.
The competition is in serious need of promotion, because it's becoming increasingly sidelined. They're still stuck in the 80s when it was a semi decent Cup to win.
(Before anyone accuses Liverpool fans of calling it a tinpot cup, I'd still love to win it - but it's WAY, WAY low down on the priority list - and the gap has only increased).
So let's show complete inflexibility and have the team that is probably going to draw the biggest interest, basically kicked out.
From a business/marketing standpoint, it's a bit dumb.