Football: Robson joins call for extension to season

Bryan Robson joined his former manager, Alex Ferguson, in calling for the season to be extended after seeing his Middlesbrough side pitched into a replay when the Coca-Cola Cup looked to be theirs.

"Getting into a situation now where the backlog of games is ridiculous," Robson said. "I would prefer to see the season extended because that would only be fair, although [Manchester United's] Alex Ferguson has already had a knock-back and perhaps there's no point in me trying.

"We could end up playing four games in seven days, maybe five in seven days if we draw with Chesterfield in the FA Cup semi-final next Sunday. Surely that's ridiculous. If there's any way we can get an extension to the season I would like to try it. If you ask players to play that many games you will pick up a lot of injuries."

Robson thought his side had looked comfortable in extra time before Emile Heskey's late equaliser for Leicester. "I am just so disappointed for the boys. They have dominated the game and deserved to win it. Fabrizio could have had a hat-trick on another day. At least we're still in the Cup, still got a European place to go for but the lads are despondent, yes."

Leicester's manager, Martin O'Neill, was all smiles but he admitted the tension had go to him. "I am absolutely knackered and I never kicked a ball!" O'Neill said. "I always felt that one goal was going to decide it but we never gave up and that's epitomised our spirit this season. To be honest even I thought our effort was running out but we lived to fight another day and who knows, that might give us the psychological edge."