Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp believes the Champions League is
"fast replacing the Carling Cup" and the group stages were
"monotonous" and "plodding".
He continued: "The Champions League is fast replacing the Carling
Cup as a stage for the reserves to enjoy a few days in a pretty,
foreign town and a run out."
He said recent scorelines - such as Liverpool's 8-0 demolition of
Besiktas and Arsenal's comprehensive 7-0 victory over Slavia Prague
- were becoming commonplace.
"It is because of the huge disparity between the teams and,
moreover, what I regard as the monotonous, plodding group stages,"
he said, adding that it only gets interesting in the second
round.
Redknapp points out the games that are interesting are those that
take on "the feel of the traditional, old knockout match".
He said: "I am speaking not as a manager and member of the football
fraternity but as a punter who likes to watch exciting games on
TV."
Redknapp also said the UEFA Cup was suffering the "same syndrome",
but admitted: "I know the big clubs' chief execs would be dead set
against reverting to the old format."