SAM ALLARDYCE has criticised the Premier League for trying to upstage the FA Cup.
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| Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is not happy with Premier League chief Richard Scudamore |
Sunderland manager Alardyce claims next week's full midweek programme straight after this weekend's third round is another blow of the world's oldest knock-out competition.
His anger at Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore is fuelled by the decision to put back Sunderland's crucial game at Swansea 24 hours to next Wednesday, with his struggling side facing Tottenham in a lunchtime kick-off at White Hart Lane three days later.
Allardyce says he will therefore have no choice but to send out a virtual reserve side for this Saturday's cup tie at Arsenal.
"If the Premier League decides to put a stupid fixture midweek when they don't need to then I haven't got much choice," said Allardyce.
"That's diabolical. Why put one in there?
"We've got the rest of the season after that and we've just done six games in 24 days.
"We're flogging the lads with injuries, it's more and more apparent every year but it's completely ignored by the Premier League."
It is the first time this season that all 20 Premier League sides will be in midweek action.
Allardyce hopes the controversial move has not been made to maximum revenue from overseas media rights with no top flight football this weekend.
"It would be very, very sad if they had done it for that reason because we get enough money as it is," he said.
"How much more money do we need, for god's sake?
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| Richard Scudamore decided to put back Sunderland's game at Swansea 24 hours |
"It's a game to be enjoyed, not a game to be destroyed and we destroy the game by asking the players to do too much in this period. It's a fact.
"If you want to respect the FA Cup, then you don't put a Premier League fixture there, do you?
"So don't give me stick when I change the side. Give the Premier League stick, not the managers."
Sunderland's appeal against the switch of the Swansea game was rejected with the league siding with the home side who asked for a change because they play at Oxford on Sunday.
"We complained but they described it as frivolous because Mr Scudamore and the board don't look at the facts properly," added an angry Allardyce.
"I'm not annoyed with Swansea but the Premier League.
"Our circumstances are far greater and far worse than them because we have to play three away games which is around 2,000 miles of travel with Tottenham kicking off at 12.45pm.
"Swansea probably won't play their best team at Oxford.
"They dismissed our appeal which is totally and utterly wrong by Mr Scudamore."
The Premier League will refund any Sunderland fans who have bought a ticket for Swansea but cannot make the new date.
Allardyce called that "a load of b******s".
He added: "Richard Scudamore has my number. He can ring me up any time he wants but he won't do that and tell me why Swansea's situation is better to change the game than our own."
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