I don't think it needs a break, just do away with the idea that we have to have matches on boxing day and new years day, just play them on the weekend as we do for the rest of the season. Tradition is massively over rated.
Should the Premier League have a winter break?
- Thread starter Raptori
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Yes, but should keep the Boxing day + New Years Day matches. Then have a break after it, before restarting with the FA Cup.
Make them play every day I'm not at work imo.
The problem with having a winter break is that the fixture list will be packed towards the end of the season. The other leagues have either only one domestic cup or fewer teams in the league so they can manage with a break. As long as they have the league cup (two leg semis etc.) and FA cup replays I don't think you can have a winter break.
Anyone remember the FA cup game vs Chelsea in 12/13 where we played under 48 hours after a league game? Chelsea were playing on average every third day during April/May. In fact I think they only had one single available midweek during the whole season where they didn't play. All right it was a freak season for them with the Super Cup, club WC, reaching the FA cup and league cup semi-finals and the EL final but imagine how their fixture list would have looked like if they had a two week break during that season. They would have been playing every other day between March and May in order to get all the fixtures in before the end of the season.
Unless they cut some of the cup fixtures or extend the season I don't think a winter break will be possible in England.
Anyone remember the FA cup game vs Chelsea in 12/13 where we played under 48 hours after a league game? Chelsea were playing on average every third day during April/May. In fact I think they only had one single available midweek during the whole season where they didn't play. All right it was a freak season for them with the Super Cup, club WC, reaching the FA cup and league cup semi-finals and the EL final but imagine how their fixture list would have looked like if they had a two week break during that season. They would have been playing every other day between March and May in order to get all the fixtures in before the end of the season.
Unless they cut some of the cup fixtures or extend the season I don't think a winter break will be possible in England.
Probably skewed after our result at Spurs. If we won all 3 games over this period it would go the other way.
On Monday Night Football last night they pointed out that Burnley have played the same starting XI for 5 games in a row and didn't even use any subs against City and still managed to get a point. Most players can handle it. We were a little unlucky to have a 12 o'clock kickoff away from home though, followed by another midday kick off at Stoke, that isn't ideal.
I remember a few years ago Arsenal played us at highbury, it was the last game of the Xmas period and it was one of the worst matches ever played.
It was worse than that second half against spurs.
The quality of the game suffers when there's little time between games, as others have said have a game on Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.
It was worse than that second half against spurs.
The quality of the game suffers when there's little time between games, as others have said have a game on Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.
No way, they get enough time off in the summer, more than a normal person gets and all they do is kick a ball of wind around for 4 hours every morning in between match days, they get loads of time to themselves, remember an interview with Tom Cleverley bragging how much free time he has after training, saying he just goes home, chills and watches box-sets all day.
Overpaid moaners.
Overpaid moaners.
You have to admit that the amount of games they play over the xmas period is a bit ridiculous though.
I'm all for reducing the amount of games they play during the winter. Having a game on Boxing Day just for the sake of tradition is silly seeing that these players now have 3 or even 4 competitions to deal with and not just the Premier League. I think the extra rest would do wonders for squads in terms of injuries.
Yeah but those same players shouldn't have played 2 games in a row, that is what a squad is for.
First time Van Gaal has named a unchanged side as Manchester United manager and he did it 48 hours apart, was that a wise decision? You can't do that and then blame the FA/Premier League for not getting a result saying players was tired and lacked sharpness due to the congestive Xmas footballing calender that's always been part of English football.
United have probably the biggest squad in the Premier League and Van Gaal had the chance to do something about fatigue and he never.
Who else was fit to play? He basically had to play who ever was fit.
We were missing DiMaria, Blind, Herrera, Januzaj, Fellaini and Rojo. And had Smalling, Shaw, and Rafael coming back from injury so they couldn't start. The rest of the bench was Wilson, Pereira, Fletcher and Lindegaard did you fancy any of those players starting a match away to spurs?
No. Not particularly fond of that Summer one as well.
We have played far fewer games at this stage of the season than we usually do and I believe we've used more players than any other side in the Premiership to date, so fatigue for most of the players shouldn't be an issue (other than those just coming back from injury). I think the game being a lunch time kick-off away from home and us simply being guilty of missing chances was a bigger factor than a game in quick succession, our form in the first half was great then Spurs bucked up their ideas in the second half and we didn't have a bench that could change the game for us.
No. The english premier league is my favourite football league precisely because of this.
Yes, break in January, maybe remove the Mickey Mouse cup and the schedule would look already much better for me.
I love the Xmas fixture period and I don't think the league needs a winter break, it just needs better fixture planning. They do not need to play so many games around this time of the year, there are plenty of times throughout the season, particularly early on before the cup fixtures start, where they could slip in a couple of midweek games and free up some of the rush around xmas.
Boxing day and New Years games should stay but there is no need for the fixture inbetween.
Boxing day and New Years games should stay but there is no need for the fixture inbetween.
No, but move the 28th game to the 29th, stupid playing 2 games in two days.
Don't see how we can have a winter break, given the FA Cup Final is on 30th May. You either extend the season into June or you clutter up the end of the season with too many games . A break would benefit the clubs playing in Europe but not if they had to cram in lots of games when they were fighting for the PL and/or the CL. Other option is to reduce the size of the league like the Germans where they have fewer games and have an extended winter break.
The festive period is great fun for fans but there should be a minimum of a 3 day break between matches
The festive period is great fun for fans but there should be a minimum of a 3 day break between matches
make it 2 fixtures instead of three. Day after Boxing day (Boxing day itself can be used for training) and New years day.
Not neccessary. Surely all it means is fixtures are more packed together in the 2nd half of the season, when a lot of teams have important European ties to contend with already?
I'd just make it 2 fixtures instead of 3. Boxing day + New years and do away with the game in between.
I'd just make it 2 fixtures instead of 3. Boxing day + New years and do away with the game in between.
If all of the bigger leagues took a mid winter break of say 2 to 3 weeks, what are the chances that the various football associations around the world would just fill the time up with international friendlies and even meaningful international games?
People are always complaining (Even me), but would you rather we have a hectic schedule when/if we are in a CL Semi Final and we have to play 2 PL matches right before that? Because that's what would probably happen because of PL TV coverage, the FA also doesn't give a feck about how well teams do either, as shown when they refused to move Chelsea's fixture with Liverpool before their CL semi final.
No, I'm on holiday over Xmas, I want to see more football not less.
If I can play a match nearly every evening and still go to work fine, the players can also handle it.
Baited
Baited
No. They don't need a break. If they can't keep up the pace after just a few months from the summer break, then they shouldn't call themselves athletes.
The festive fixtures are a huge asset for the Prem and they'd be stupid to drop them. Keep the busy schedule over Christmas and have a break in Jan if they must.
Yes, and I've always thought so. It wasn't only our second half against Spurs that was tumescent - game after game was just the same. If not a full break something seriously needs to be done to reduce the number of fixtures over the Christmas period.
I've always wondered when people moot these winter breaks, just when do you have it?
Weather can be atrocious anywhere between November and Feb.
What if you have a 2-3week break, and then the next month have a 2-3 week period of ridiculous weather.
Ok, postponements happen less often in the Premier league than other leagues, but you still get them here and there.
In the lower leagues, you often get some sh!thouse little club like Carlisle or Accrington miss a fair few games due to weather, so you could end up with serious backlogs
Weather can be atrocious anywhere between November and Feb.
What if you have a 2-3week break, and then the next month have a 2-3 week period of ridiculous weather.
Ok, postponements happen less often in the Premier league than other leagues, but you still get them here and there.
In the lower leagues, you often get some sh!thouse little club like Carlisle or Accrington miss a fair few games due to weather, so you could end up with serious backlogs
Yes on the break, but after new years. Keep the Christmas schedule the way it is. I'd just have FA cup games in January
When I look out of my window (oh, no, that is not my window - that is Munich right now - but we have as much snow) I know why Germany has a winter break.
This.
I quite enjoy watching all the football but it's a bit ridiculous how there is just one full day off from football after boxing day.
Every other league has a winter break, so should we and so should our players. It's about time we streamlined the different European leagues, they should all start and finish at the same time IMO.
I like the festive period but it's ridiculous cramming so many games into one small bit of the year.
I like the festive period but it's ridiculous cramming so many games into one small bit of the year.
No way. Festive football is absolutely great and a real feather in the cap of the PL over other European leagues in my opinion. Having just one day off in between games was admittedly pushing it though. But a 2 games a week schedule for a couple of weeks around Christmas and New Year, watching with family and friends. Christmas wouldn't feel the same without it.
Well i don't remember either but that's one of those "epic matches" portuguese media talks about in what regards notorious portuguese football feats. I watched it on "RTP Memória" once though. Amazing that they let Porto and Peñarol play in those conditions.
They need to cut down on international breaks in the first half of the season so then there won't be such a fixture congestion at Christmas time. Then having no break wouldn't be such a big deal
On a personal side I'd say no, as I love this time of year and getting to watch United play so regularly. Keeps me excited and anticipating the upcoming matches. Hate those stretches when there are internationals and it feels as though we haven't played in ages.
On a footballing side, I do think it needs a break or at least not to have so many matches in a short stretch. Playing within less than 48 hours is just crazy. I know the players do it, but it really shouldn't be allowed as it risks injuries to the players and provides for lesser football due to exhaustion/fatigue. If they stretched it out a little more and didn't play so tight it's still doable, but likely does hamper English sides in the CL.
On a footballing side, I do think it needs a break or at least not to have so many matches in a short stretch. Playing within less than 48 hours is just crazy. I know the players do it, but it really shouldn't be allowed as it risks injuries to the players and provides for lesser football due to exhaustion/fatigue. If they stretched it out a little more and didn't play so tight it's still doable, but likely does hamper English sides in the CL.
Yeah it's all a big conspiracy. All these doctors and science people are conspiring against the common man with real jobs to protect those over paid moaners. I swear some people think that just because you get paid a lot of money, players have to do whatever they're told, defy the laws of biology, take abuse from fans and keep their mouths shut. They are privileged because they happen to be good at something that people like you and me are willing to pay good money to watch just like entertainers in any walk of life throughout history. That, however, doesn't mean they don't abide by the laws of biology.
As for the original post, I don't think we should scrape it altogether as it makes the PL special and makes a huge part of the festive period for so many people. However, I don't get why games weren't played on Monday for example like Liverpool's game. At times, it seems like they're just playing a sick game with players to Traveller them as much as they possibly can. I also like the idea of take a week or 10 days off after new year's to recuperate. Starting the second half of the season with a round of FA Cup games would carry a certain charm to it and we will definitely see the results of a break on the performances of British clubs in the CL.
Exactly right.