Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville make feelings clear on EFL problem

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have shared their thoughts on a controversial EFL competition, admitting that it is one they are not particularly fond of.

Debates surrounding club performances, player quality, fanbases and transfer decisions are common across the English Football League. However, there is one competition that appears to generate considerable frustration among supporters of League One and League Two clubs.

The EFL Trophy, now officially known as the Jersey Mike’s Trophy, has long been a divisive subject, particularly because of the involvement of Premier League Under-21 sides.

The competition features 48 teams, comprising clubs from League One and League Two alongside 16 Category One academy teams from the Premier League. They are divided into regional groups, with the leading sides progressing to the knockout rounds before the final is staged at Wembley.

However, the inclusion of academy teams has never been universally welcomed by supporters of the lower divisions, and Carragher and Neville have now made their own positions clear.

Carragher and Neville share their EFL Trophy frustrations

The discussion came during the latest episode of The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, where the former Liverpool and Manchester United defenders spoke about the competition following Wigan Athletic’s 2-1 victory over Crewe Alexandra.

Carragher had a personal reason for following the fixture, with his son James featuring for Wigan. However, the former Liverpool defender admitted that he only watched the first half before switching off.

He explained that his son had told him he would play for 45 minutes, adding that Wigan had already secured qualification for the next stage, as far as he understood.

Neville was even more direct in expressing his opinion, admitting that he was not a fan of the competition.

“I don’t like that trophy. It’s a weird one,” he said.

Carragher compared the tournament to the Carabao Cup for Premier League clubs, particularly when discussing the significance of reaching a Wembley final.

Neville also reflected on his experience with Salford City, where he is involved in the club’s ownership structure.

Salford won the competition in 2021, beating Portsmouth in a final that was originally scheduled for March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its postponement.

Neville revealed that the original final had generated considerable excitement, with approximately 32,000 tickets already sold before the postponement.

Salford had also expected to sell between 5,000 and 6,000 tickets, with the financial arrangements offering both clubs a share of the revenue.

However, the eventual final took place behind closed doors, meaning the occasion was very different from what the clubs had initially anticipated.

The Salford co-owner recalled how directors and club owners were present at Wembley, but supporters were absent, with social-distancing measures also affecting the experience.

His comments highlight the complicated relationship between lower-league clubs and a competition that offers a Wembley opportunity but continues to attract criticism over its format and the participation of academy sides.