No to a break, simply because of the inconsistency of our cold spells, although pitches aren’t the issue now with under soil heating. International friendlies should be moved to the end of the season, with the days set aside for them, utilised for spreading out league games, allowing players better recovery time between games.
I can understand the need to extend the season by a couple of weeks so that congestion can possibly be lowered, that would help........We are already having international breaks two or three times a season which is in the main causing the need to play league games during mid week. Not having replays in the cups would also help. However definitely am not in favour of a two or three week shutdown mid season....that in my opinion will not help the two games a week scenario, because the cause of the pile up of fixtures will still be there, only worse.!!!
Good point. On the other hand though, replays may have financial benefit for smaller clubs? Unless of course they won the first leg and had another game in the next round anyway. I'd like to get rid of replays though and think straight to penalties would be the way to go.
Hardly the same thing, but I have noticed that if I miss a week at the gym, it is harder when I return. Prefer extra time....penalties are a lottery to be used only if teams can't be separated after 90 + 30 min.
Some fans talking about shortening the summer break....the problem with that is getting holibobs in for players if they have taken part in a major tournament. The big clubs can't be that bothered about overworking their players or they wouldn't drag them round the world for lucrative tours. They should stop treating the League as an irrelevance whose only value is getting them into Europe.
I'm a traditionalist, I like to agonize over Saints in the Winter and Hampshire in the Summer, if the two overlapped for too long I would seriously fear for my health!...
I've never wanted it and still don't but it's inevitable it will happen though imo. I just hope when it does that it's not over Christmas but late January instead. It'll be largely pointless anyway as I fully expect the big clubs to use the break to play lucrative friendlies in Malaysia etc.
Exactly this....I remember last season when Man City were out of cup so could/should have had a weekend off but no they flew to the Middle East for a friendly, and I am sure if there was a break these events would continue.
I would hate to see the loss of FA Cup replays, altogether. I don’t even agree with the way they are now, with only one replay allowed. Too many changes are being forced onto the majority of the clubs to accommodate the top six, in their quest for glory on four fronts. Pandering to their wishes just makes it easier for them to continue sucking up all the home grown trophies. The fact that they have massive squads, with so many back up players being full internationals, should mean that they are better equipped to cope, successfully, with additional games than less well equipped sides.
Wow. I haven’t looked at this until now. I really didn’t think there would be so many negative responses to this. I couldn't disagree more with most of the opinions so far. I am all for a break and would be delighted if it meant we didn’t have the ridiculous number of Christmas/new year fixtures. There are a lot of “dinosaur like” comments I believe a break would benefit all teams, not just the big ones. A big fat “YES” from me.
I'd be for getting rid of Wembley and turning it into much needed housing. Pure vanity trip by the FA who charge top whack for a ticket.
Back to the discussion. What is really needed is a reform of the playing schedule. This is achievable in two ways. First, the League Cup becomes a PL club freezone. PL clubs do not really need to participate in this competition because what is at stake is an expensive vanity trip to Wembley to meet one of the vanity clubs themselves. The other would be to reduce the international breaks from 3 to 2 per season, but add in an extra week, thus allowing 3 games to be played instead of the two. (Personally, I would get rid of international football as it does nothing for me as a fan of football)
Do you not think clubs would just play friendlies instead though? Must admit even though I'm against it I'm surprised at the reaction and thought I'd be in the minority.
Aren't they already talking about making the international breaks longer? Makes sense to me. Also not sure why people keep mentioning international friendlies when they've essentially been done away with in Europe anyway with the nations league.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/26762899 Nations League explained. Draw already made, but have already forgotten the two countries we've drawn.
There's a difference between a winter break and a Christmas break. The snow I was clearing off my car yesterday morning will support that. I'm completely against a Christmas break. I don't have much of an opinion either way over a break in January or February. Although I suspect it would play into the hands of the bigger clubs (fixture congestion created elsewhere in the season will be easier to overcome with larger squads), and something else would surely have to give. Whether that's excluding PL clubs from the league cup, or scrapping the community shield so as to start the season a week earlier, or moving the FA Cup to midweek, or something else, I don't know. But if such a break was to come in, then I could only accept it on the proviso that clubs are not allowed to play friendly matches during the break. Otherwise it just becomes a money-making PR exercise abroad for the big boys.
