Should the Premier League be reduced to 18 teams?

[horsechoker]

Reasons why it should:

• Eases fixture congestion and possibly allows for a winter break
• Matches have more importance and less dead rubbers
• 2 less whipping boys
• Premier League feels even more elite and the standard is raised

Reasons why it shouldn't:

• Less fixtures to broadcast
• Less money
• Does 4 less games really make that big a difference?

 

[thegregster]

I think it's a great idea. They could easily fit in a winter break then.

Or they could scrap the league cup instead.

 

[Tiber]

dreadful idea. Dont break something that works for the sake of doing 'something'

Tho I despise the idea of a winter break

 

[drdoityourself]

If they want a winterbreak, keep the 20 teams. Scrap the League Cup and put PL fixtures on the League Cup dates.

If reduced to 18 teams, there is less chance of staying up after promotion, getting the PL money and actually build a good PL team.

I do however hate the idea of a winter break, don't think it solves anything. If managers think their players need a break, take them out for a week or two.
Many PL teams are throwing the FA Cup, fielding weakened teams and getting early elimination. So they are already getting a few weekends out.

 

[villain]

What are people's biggest gripes with a winter break? Just out of curiosity.

 

[SirHenryPercy]

We could fit in another 4 international breaks, we could play friendlies against The Faroe's, Malta, Grenada and Botswana.

Reducing the league size will not reduce the workload, it will just disrupt it, there will be more tours, more garbage internationals and more meaningless games of football. The clubs and the FA will not allow the extra free time to allow r&r.

 

[AlwaysRed66]

If I had my way I would extend it to 22 teams like it used to. Arsene Whiner & Kloppy would have an coronary.

The OP said it would ease congestion. I agree we should be easing congestion but not by cutting back on the main football tournament & only really interesting one. Pointless Champions league group games, International friendlies, Pre season tours, crap like the World club tournament (mind you, we haven't figured in that nonsense for awhile), League cup (sides playing in Europe should be given exemption for not playing in this). Reform that lot, & you could cut back the games considerably.

As for the winter break, I couldn't care one way or another, not that it would improve things. As long as we can play the Christmas & New Year games as per normal.

 

[rcoobc]

If they want a winterbreak, keep the 20 teams. Scrap the League Cup and put PL fixtures on the League Cup dates.

If reduced to 18 teams, there is less chance of staying up after promotion, getting the PL money and actually build a good PL team.

I do however hate the idea of a winter break, don't think it solves anything. If managers think their players need a break, take them out for a week or two.
Many PL teams are throwing the FA Cup, fielding weakened teams and getting early elimination. So they are already getting a few weekends out.

Pretty much this.

Problem with a Winter Break in England is where do you put it? Games might get rained out in December, February of April.

There should be a 1 week break in the Champions League Quarter Final weekend for the Champions League teams.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

18 teams in PL
No League Cup
FA Cup only for Championship and Lower
Winter Break
Free Christmas Period

Yes to all.

 

[JeffBoomTetris]

It would be a horrible idea for the general supporters. Could you imagine thinking about Christmas and saying," No football this time around, fml!"
The holiday fixtures are an intrinsic feature of English football. Losing that would be a kick in the teeth to that identity.

 

[Bojan11]

Has @fontaine hacked your account @horsechoker?

First the long distance goals should count as double and now this.

 

[coolredwine]

18 teams in PL
No League Cup
FA Cup only for Championship and Lower
Winter Break
Free Christmas Period

Yes to all.

Championship and Lower clubs are in a much bigger problem with 24 clubs in the league and all, no?

 

[MounchesterUtd]

If we had 19 teams, one team gets a 'bye' per round to compensate for the lack of a winter break.

 

[Adisa]

Reasons why it should:

• Eases fixture congestion and possibly allows for a winter break
• Matches have more importance and less dead rubbers
• 2 less whipping boys
• Premier League feels even more elite and the standard is raised

Reasons why it shouldn't:

• Less fixtures to broadcast
• Less money
• Does 4 less games really make that big a difference?

Not necessarily true.

 

[PhilMcD79]

There's no need to do that. All of the top European leagues have 20 teams. I never really get the fixture congestion argument. England has the league cup which all the top teams play second string sides in anyway. Other than that the same amount of games are played across Europe. The problem is in how the games are scheduled, not the number of games. The FA needs to help English clubs in Europe more by being more flexible with fixtures and not be dictated to by TV companies constantly. The fixture pileup at Christmas needs to be looked at too, while its great for the fans with games coming thick and fast, it is not very good for professional teams trying to perform to a consistent high standard without adequate recovery periods between games. Then there is the ridiculous international break which seems to come earlier each season. Scrapping that would free up a weekend for another league game which could be moved from the Christmas schedule.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

Championship and Lower clubs are in a much bigger problem with 24 clubs in the league and all, no?

They should just dump their surplus lower, and so on and on. Problem fixed.


(I was just fooling around there, I'm actually very against any of the things in my previous post - I adore FA cup for instance, and might just die without Christmas football)

 

[BorisDeLeFora]

If it makes it easier to get rid of Sunderland I'm all for it. They just hang around, being useless, and then kind of okay, but ultimately continue to be useless.

It would create a massive wacky races clusterfeck the year it would be implemented.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

It would be a horrible idea for the general supporters. Could you imagine thinking about Christmas and saying," No football this time around, fml!"
The holiday fixtures are an intrinsic feature of English football. Losing that would be a kick in the teeth to that identity.

This. I love the games over Xmas personally.

 

[711]

It would require 15 out of 20 clubs to vote for it, so there is no chance whatsoever.
Thankfully.

 

[Jacko21]

When it comes to football over the festive period, I'm really not fussed about it and would happily see a winter break introduced.

The only argument given for having Premier League fixtures across the winter, is because it's 'tradition' - that is not a legitimate reason for opposing winter breaks.

What's more I don't even think the quality of games at Christmas and New Year is particularly high (players not enthused and fatigued) and the atmospheres around the grounds tend to be pretty muted. Sure, if you're at home on boxing day, watching a game on the TV is an easy thing to do, but travelling to games with sporadic kick-off times lessens the appeal.

Scrap the league cup and introduce a winter break - though you would have to persuade (or introduce legislation) that prevents the hierarchies at Premier League teams from trying to arrange money-spinning, winter tournaments in Doha!

 

[horsechoker]

It would be a horrible idea for the general supporters. Could you imagine thinking about Christmas and saying," No football this time around, fml!"
The holiday fixtures are an intrinsic feature of English football. Losing that would be a kick in the teeth to that identity.

You can keep holiday fixtures in an 18 team league, just have the break in January. That would also negate the effect of the AFCON on Premier League teams.

 

[Jacko21]

What are people's biggest gripes with a winter break? Just out of curiosity.

The quality of the fixtures across the period tends to be reduced - players are fatigued and would sooner be with family/friends and atmospheres within the ground are pretty muted too - supporters are weary at Christmas and New Year. All in all, I think the reality of the winter games is different to that of the traditionalist sentiment that is often the sole reasoning for wanting to watch football over Christmas.

 

[villain]

The quality of the fixtures across the period tends to be reduced - players are fatigued and would sooner be with family/friends and atmospheres within the ground are pretty muted too - supporters are weary at Christmas and New Year. All in all, I think the reality of the winter games is different to that of the traditionalist sentiment that is often the sole reasoning for wanting to watch football over Christmas.

I agree, I was asking more for people who don't want to get rid of winter games.

It's nice to watch football when there's holidays and more family around, but the reality is that with the TV rights for games being split between Sky and BT, and 3pm games not being televised at all, we're actually not getting that much football being shown.

Compare that with NFL & NBA, over the Christmas & NY break, there were at least 2 games on each game day and it was much more immersive and festive.

 

[notcool]

I think it's a great idea. They could easily fit in a winter break then.

Or they could scrap the league cup instead.

Could do both. Not sure what the point is of having the FA Cup AND the League Cup.

 

[shaky]

No winter break. All I want to do over the festive period is put my feet up and binge watch football. It's hard enough surviving international weekends with no good games on. We can scrap all these stupid international friendlys for a start. Maybe teams in Europa and CL should get to skip the league cup. Would give the wee teams a better chance of decent silverware too.

 

[m1y2]

I like it how it is

 

[Alex Styles]

What are people's biggest gripes with a winter break? Just out of curiosity.

This! I'd like to know the answer to this.

Come on people. Give us your arguments on why you personally don't want football over the festive period.

Do the players not get paid enough so as to warrant a winter break?

 

[Alex Styles]

This! I'd like to know the answer to this.

Come on people. Give us your arguments on why you personally don't want football over the festive period.

Do the players not get paid enough so as to warrant a winter break?

(also why is this a thread???)

 

[horsechoker]

(also why is this a thread???)

Because I made it so!

 

[villain]

This! I'd like to know the answer to this.

Come on people. Give us your arguments on why you personally don't want football over the festive period.

Do the players not get paid enough so as to warrant a winter break?

I meant the other way around

Why don't you want a winter break?

 

[Alex Styles]

Because I made it so!

You laid out the pros and cons. What's your opinion?

 

[worldinmotion66]

If I had my way I would extend it to 22 teams like it used to. Arsene Whiner & Kloppy would have an coronary.

The OP said it would ease congestion. I agree we should be easing congestion but not by cutting back on the main football tournament & only really interesting one. Pointless Champions league group games, International friendlies, Pre season tours, crap like the World club tournament (mind you, we haven't figured in that nonsense for awhile), League cup (sides playing in Europe should be given exemption for not playing in this). Reform that lot, & you could cut back the games considerably.

As for the winter break, I couldn't care one way or another, not that it would improve things. As long as we can play the Christmas & New Year games as per normal.

Absolutely this.

I'd prefer the Premier League to remain the same, but I would certainly like to make wholesale changes to the format of European football.

The Champions League should be exactly that - a league of Champions. Each of the top five leagues by coefficient should have an automatic spot for their champion, then the remaining champions throughout Europe should enter a qualification period (as per current format), to include a further 1,2 or 3 participants. Teams play each other twice in a league format, and you can even hold a final between the top two sides should that be desired.

This would make the CL the elite of the elite, and would also produce a much more competitive and valued secondary European competition (Europa League).

 

[Alex Styles]

I meant the other way around

Why don't you want a winter break?

oops.

ok for me personally as a football fan, I love the congested fixture list and all the shocks that come with it.

Wanting a winter break for me would be anti football.

 

[RobinLFC]

If we had 19 teams, one team gets a 'bye' per round to compensate for the lack of a winter break.

United gets their bye at the end of August, Liverpool at the end of December. Would you be happy?

Don't fix something that isn't broken. It's fine how it is.

 

[horsechoker]

You laid out the pros and cons. What's your opinion?

That it would be a good thing for the Premier League and solve fixture congestion issues.

 

[villain]

oops.

ok for me personally as a football fan, I love the congested fixture list and all the shocks that come with it.

Wanting a winter break for me would be anti football.

Anti-football, I've never really understood this term - surely the concept of a congested fixture list within a small period of time, to maximise tv viewings and therefore sponsorship's and money - is more of a Corporate "anti football" sentiment, than having a winter break?
Unless I'm not understanding the term correctly

 

[MounchesterUtd]

United gets their bye at the end of August, Liverpool at the end of December. Would you be happy?

Don't fix something that isn't broken. It's fine how it is.

I don't like it when people moan about their schedule, so yeah, I'm fine with it

Not that I'm saying there are too many teams in the PL, just throwing it out there

 

[Thisistheone]

Enjoy it as it is tbh. The one thing I wouldn't mind is canning all international friendlies during a league campaign.

 

[Alex Styles]

Anti-football, I've never really understood this term - surely the concept of a congested fixture list within a small period of time, to maximise tv viewings and therefore sponsorship's and money - is more of a Corporate "anti football" sentiment, than having a winter break?
Unless I'm not understanding the term correctly

You're right about the corporate agenda. From MNF and now FNF as well. But it isn't necessarily anti football. For the money the players earn, that's what I as a football fan expect. Entertainment.

 

[Dec9003]

I personally would never want a winter break. Coming home over Christmas and getting to watch football with family and friends is not only the best bit about Christmas, but one of the best parts of the the season as well!
As someone said above the twists and shocks that come with it make the league more exciting. Since every team has to play in them there is no clear advantage to anyone either.
All in all keep it how it is because it's a fun league to watch, don't fix what ain't broken.