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Winter Break ??

Winter Break..??

  • Yes

    Votes: 14 53.8%
  • No

    Votes: 12 46.2%

  • Total voters
    26

cider spurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 5, 2016
9,399
23,731
Sky Sports suggesting that FA are to confirm a Premier League winter break starting in season 2019/20.

Although selfish, I do really enjoy the flurry of fixtures over the festive period.

Positves and negatives for me.

Has to be a good thing in relation to those involved in Summer tournaments.

However, our excellent fitness levels are well documented, something that we use to our advantage as the season progresses into a new year.

Will this break allow for other teams to get such a rest that our fitness superiority is somewhat reduced. I know we too will benefit from a rest, but i believe our fitness levels really become superior over a sustained amount of time.

A rest for others might nullify this.
 

-Afri-Coy-

Well-Known Member
Jun 26, 2012
5,838
18,570
Sky Sports suggesting that FA are to confirm a Premier League winter break starting in season 2019/20.

Although selfish, I do really enjoy the flurry of fixtures over the festive period.

Positves and negatives for me.

Has to be a good thing in relation to those involved in Summer tournaments.

However, our excellent fitness levels are well documented, something that we use to our advantage as the season progresses into a new year.

Will this break allow for other teams to get such a rest that our fitness superiority is somewhat reduced. I know we too will benefit from a rest, but i believe our fitness levels really become superior over a sustained amount of time.

A rest for others might nullify this.


I personally think if we had more depth in our squad a winter break would affect our season more than it would now. Kane, Alli, Eriksen and Son could all benefit from a break as our squad stands.

If we had depth to fill these positions without a drop off in quality on the field, our competitive fitness levels that usually give us an edge in the later parts of the season would be nullified by a winter break. We would have no need for a break to recover fitness and fatigue levels as our squad could handle the extra fixtures as long as we had the players to rotate with our key players. Right now we do not have the depth, so a break might actually be beneficial to us, as it would be for the other teams in the PL.

It's the proverbial double edged sword in my opinion.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,553
It won't be a festive winter break, it's too ingrained in the football culture here. If there's a break it'll be mid-January, maybe with the 3rd round of the cup rounding off the festive fixtures.
 

cider spurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 5, 2016
9,399
23,731
It won't be a festive winter break, it's too ingrained in the football culture here. If there's a break it'll be mid-January, maybe with the 3rd round of the cup rounding off the festive fixtures.

It appears you are correct.

The Times suggest that the break would run from late January to early February with the FA prepared to schedule all of the FA cup 5th round fixtures in midweek slots.

Hurrahh...like my boxing day football.
 

CoopsieDeadpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2012
18,257
70,419
I honestly think we would benefit. We do seem to tail off, or look tired / leggy in the last couple of months of the season.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
It will be a staggered break. Different teams having 2 weeks at slightly different times so that there will still be games being played on the weekends.
The fa cup 5th round will no longer have replays as well.
 

wirE

I'm a well-known member
Sep 27, 2005
4,676
5,582
I don't see the point of a break when all they do is to travel to middle east and play games during the break.
 

Thewobbler

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2016
3,814
5,701
No cup game should have a replay imo. Just a waste of time. Get it done and dusted on the night.

I can live with mid week FA cup matches. Get rid of international friendlies would be a help as well.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
No cup game should have a replay imo. Just a waste of time. Get it done and dusted on the night.

I can live with mid week FA cup matches. Get rid of international friendlies would be a help as well.

It gives the smaller (league 2 etc...) teams a chance to play at bigger grounds and earn some money.
That team we played got to play at wembley and earn £900k which probably secured the financially for the next few years.
That's why round 3 and 4 will have replays but the later stages not.
 

Thewobbler

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2016
3,814
5,701
It gives the smaller (league 2 etc...) teams a chance to play at bigger grounds and earn some money.
That team we played got to play at wembley and earn £900k which probably secured the financially for the next few years.
That's why round 3 and 4 will have replays but the later stages not.

Well if they want the money they can always switch the tie to the bigger grounds.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
The problem with a winter break is a) teams would use it to play friendlies in America etc. and b) we have so many games that are already congesting the calendar so if you give everyone a month off all it does is create even more mid-week games to make up for lost time so you'd end up with teams playing midweek virtually every single week throughout the season, which is far more likely to cause fatigue and injury than to prevent it if anything IMO.

I don't think the problem is the lack of a break. I think the problem is too many games over a quick succession during the Christmas period. It's been made worse now that the TV companies have made them stagger games so they're on virtually every night between Christmas and new year. I think it was Southampton last year (or someone anyway) ended up having to play like 4 games in 10 days or something because of how the TV screwed them all up.

My idea would be:
  1. Get rid of the League Cup - it's just a the FA Cup but without all the history and prestige, I really don't see the point in it at all. It's shit. And before you say "Oh but it helps finance the lower league clubs, it's vital" I'm sorry but that's what the FA Cup is for and I honestly think the League Cup is just as much of a pain in the arse for lower league clubs as it is the premiership clubs. They already have to play 46 games per season and they often don't have massive squads that allow for the same rotation as the prem clubs have, so if they're fighting for their lives in League 2 etc. I bet having to play midweek away to Derby etc. is just as much of a pain in the arse to them as it is to us.
  2. Move the FA Cup to be in the first half of the season in place of the League Cup. People will moan about this as breaking tradition but if you actually go back and look at it over history the FA Cup has been played at various different times throughout seasons so that argument is just complete bollocks.
  3. Use the extra time that's now been freed up in the second half of the season to spread out the games better so you don't have this 4 game in 10 days crap over the Christmas period. Just have the boxing day and new year's day games and leave it at that.
 

Donki

Has a "Massive Member" Member
May 14, 2007
14,451
18,966
I don't see the point of a break when all they do is to travel to middle east and play games during the break.

I read somewhere that clubs will not be allowed to do this, no big money fixtures or something.

EDIT: It is not a contractual stipulation, but all clubs involved have agreed not to use the break as an opportunity for money-making tours abroad.
 
Last edited:

Yid-ol

Just-outside Edinburgh
Jan 16, 2006
31,097
19,275
Would this just not mean more midweek games to catch up and/or later finish for the league? Maybe lower leagues need it but don't think it will help.
 

Gb160

Well done boys. Good process
Jun 20, 2012
23,646
93,313
Be interesting if the clubs start dragging their squads to play money spinning friendlies like most big European clubs do...it would make a farce out of the whole process.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
Most players in the WC semi-finals by league:

Premier League - 40
La Liga - 12
Ligue 1 - 11
Bundesliga - 9
Serie A - 8

B-but how's that possible? Wasn't the Premier League's lack of a winter break tiring players out and holding England back?
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Most players in the WC semi-finals by league:

Premier League - 40
La Liga - 12
Ligue 1 - 11
Bundesliga - 9
Serie A - 8

B-but how's that possible? Wasn't the Premier League's lack of a winter break tiring players out and holding England back?

More an excuse for the cl. Also england haven't beaten any really good teams yet.
 
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