Stan's 5-Point Stance: FA Cup Switch Can Help Small Clubs, Axe January Window

In this week's five-point stance, Stan Collymore visits topics related to the FA Cup, the January transfer window, Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and the Africa Cup of Nations.

1. Give smaller clubs choice of FA Cup venues

Cambridge will face Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday night at the Abbey Stadium.

That is going to be some atmosphere at the ground, but I think smaller clubs should automatically be able to choose where the matches should be played if they are given a home tie.

If a lower-league team faces a Premier League side, they should be given the choice of playing the tie at home or playing at a major stadium.

At a time when there is little money trickling down from the Premier League, it would keep clubs like Cambridge going for the next three or four years. That would be a hugely important thing to do.

In the past, some smaller teams would give away the right to play at home, but it would be a great idea to help lower-league teams who are not as financially strong.

There used to be an option for smaller clubs to do this while others opted to stay at home—few people are going to forget Sutton United beating Coventry on their home ground in the late 1980s.

But a few quid given to the bigger teams to cover costs for staging the tie, with the rest going to the smaller club in the tie, would be a boost for teams fortunate to be paired with giants in the FA Cup.

2. January transfer window should be scrapped

I'm not a huge fan of the January transfer window. It's a chance for the biggest clubs just to buy another player to push on to bigger things, but smaller clubs can't always do that.

I would scrap the January transfer window tomorrow. Clubs should register their squads on Aug. 1 and then be allowed to buy players again only after the final game of the season.

Some fans might say, "What if there's only 15 fit players?" But Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and virtually every Premier League club are supposed to have academies with some of the best young talent in there. So let's give them some game time.

Being able to spend around £30 million on a player when you have a few injuries, as City did on Wilfried Bony, is grossly unfair.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

3. Redknapp right to turn down Pato in relegation fight

Queens Park Rangers were offered former AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato this week, but manager Harry Redknapp says the player is not for him, according to Sky Sports.

Redknapp has to get QPR back to what got them promoted into the Premier League: graft, hard work and discipline.

The problem with filling a team with high-profile mercenaries is that once it starts going downhill in terms of struggling in the Premier League, it can come unstuck.

In a relegation scrap, you need every character you can possibly get. I'm not sure Pato coming into the Premier League for the first time would necessarily be a good option for QPR going forward.

QPR need players like Joey Barton and Karl Henry—players who can dig deep at the foot of the table.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

4. Only Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would justify Chelsea spending this month

Jose Mourinho says he is happy with his squad and does not want to do any business this month.

The only way Chelsea can add momentum to their squad at the moment is if they bought a Lionel Messi or a Cristiano Ronaldo. And I doubt Financial Fair Play rules would allow them to anyway. 

Unless it was one of those players—someone who makes jaws drop—I really don't think there is anyone Mourinho should add to his squad.

5. FIFA missing a trick over zonal tournaments

It's understandable that African football fans and authorities should want the Africa Cup of Nations to be staged when it makes sense to them, but the vast majority of footballers playing in the tournament are playing in Europe's biggest leagues.

Ian Walton/Getty Images

We are in the ridiculous situation that Manchester City have just signed a striker but can't play him for a month.

If 50 per cent or more players in a zonal tournament play their club football in Europe, these finals should be played to fit in with the European season.

Why not have all the zonal tournaments such as the Africa Cup of Nations, the Asian Cup, the Copa America and European championships at the same time of year?

This could be a real televisual feast of football when there is no World Cup. There's no reason why it can't be done with a bit of joined-up thinking. Fans would love it, and so would the broadcasters.