Should The Premier League Introduce A Winter Break?

It has long been debated should the Premier League introduce a winter break?  Arsense Wenger is not in favour of it, while Louis Van Gaal claims it is evil.  Jurgen Klopp is finding it mind boggling how the English FA are expecting their players to put their bodies on the line by playing so many games over a short period of time.

As football fans we feel little sympathy in any player moaning about having to play on Boxing day or on New Year's day when most of them are earning millions from the beautiful game.  Many fans including myself love the festive fixtures and the Boxing day or St Stephen's day fixture is the game I first look too when the fixtures are released each June, and I'm sure most football fans do likewise.  Most often it is the football fixtures that plans and social gatherings with mates are arranged around over the Christmas period.

Pro's:

It is hard on squads to fulfill these League fixtures over the festive period and the start of the FA Cup for the bigger sides in January.  Clubs could play at least nine times in a month taking into account possible FA Cup replays.  Clubs usually play every  three to four days over the festive period and players are out on the training pitch while we tuck into our dinner on Christmas day.  It is also true that most injuries are recorded by Premier League clubs over the November, December and January period.  There is a lot to be said for having a winter break and giving squads the chance to jet of to the sun and perhaps for teams in the bottom half fighting relegation it may help them in terms of team bonding and it relieves them of the pressures of being at the bottom if only for a week or two.

In the 1999/2000 season Manchester United missed the festive period as they were away in Brazil playing in the World Club Championships as Europe's representative having won the Champions League in that memorable win over Bayern Munich.  If ever there was a case for a winter break in England this was it.  While they had games to play over there it was in a sense another pre season in the sun and on their return they steam rolled their way to the title once again.  They were refreshed on their return while the other sides were counting the cost of another winter period.  While this trip to Brazil was not the sole reason United won the league that season, it has to be acknowledged as a major part of it.

Some England fans also blame the lack of a winter break on England's failure to do well at major tournaments, citing Spain, Germany and Italy as countries who have done well in recent tournaments and who also have a winter break in their respective leagues.  While this may be the case it also has to be said that those teams also possess far superior squads than England, more so in the case of Spain and World Champions Germany.

England along with Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Israel are the only European countries that carry on playing through the winter.  Other countries stop for a short period while the rest fit their league calender to start or end before the winter period sets in.  Winter breaks can range from anything from two weeks to three months depending on the country itself and the winter conditions it is likely to face.  Spain take two weeks, Italy three and Germany take a month.  Given that Germany take a month it is easy to see how Jurgen Klopp is finding it tough as it is is first experience of playing football in this period having never done so as a player or coach in Germany.

Louis Van Gaal and Sam Allardyce are two more managers who have called for a winter break. Van Gaal claims it is evil on both his players and staff. Aside from the football side of things he too wants to spend time with his Wife, Children and Grandkids over the festive period just like anyone else would, but the FA winter schedule does not accommodate this.  While Sam Allardrce highlights the benefits of bringing his squads to destinations such as Dubai in the past if they get a period in their calender over the International break or on a FA Cup weekend should they not be involved.  He claims 'The stats tell you that my teams have improved their physical output in the last period of the season just by having five days’ break'.  There are currently 26 players out injured with hamstring injuries, not to mention other injuries in the league at the moment.

Teams competing in the Champions League and also have a winter break do better in the Champions League as the last number of years suggest.  Spain and Germany not only dominate the International stage but also the European stage.  It has also been claimed that Messi and Ronaldo can continue to play at their high standards with the break of aid to them while it is holding players like Eden Hazard and Wayne Rooney back from progressing to that level.  The recent FIFA team of the year featured no players from the Premier League.

Con's:

While the stats prove it might be beneficial to introduce a break, many players and managers oppose this.  Arsene Wenger is one such manager who likes things as they are. He said recently ‘I would cry if you changed that because it’s part of English tradition and English football'.  He of course is correct it is part of English tradition that you watch the football on Boxing day.  Some fans going to games dress up as Christmas characters and there is a sense of festive spirit around the grounds with both sets of fans until the kick off at least.

The start of January also sees the proper start of the FA Cup with the introduction of the bigger sides. It would be a shame to lose both these traditions in English football.  If the break were to be introduce something would have to give.  Teams still have to play the same amount of matches meaning more mid week games which means the possibility of reduced attendances at grounds across England resulting in a fall in income.

One possibility of  introducing a winter break in England is to drop the League Cup from the schedule altogether.  This however would not go down well with fans or players.  At the end of the day it is a cup and an honour to win for your club and your fans. It is also a route into the Europa League which can bring further revenue into clubs and allows clubs to attract high calibre players with the prospect of European Football.

There is also the possibility of reducing the number of teams in the Premier League to accommodate the break.  This again is a non runner with the likes of Sky and BT involved in pumping money into and out of the game, I can't see them in favour of this. Another idea is to scrap FA Cup replays, these like the GAA with their replays are lucrative to the FA and obviously they would be reluctant to scrap them altogether.  Again the TV companies would also not be in favour of this also for financial reasons.  The English FA claim there is no realistic way in the current set up that allows a cap for a two week break in the schedule with would appeal to all sides. As a result it will be a while before a solution is found. Pitches also are better than they have ever been in the winter months and you are unlikely to see a muddy pitch at Premier League level anymore.

So managers like Van Gaal and Klopp will have to grin and bare it and continue on with the schedule.  The players are paid more than enough to get on with it. Injuries can happen at any stage of a season.  As for us fans we can continue to enjoy the festive period each year as the Boxing day fixtures are as essential to most of us as the turkey and sprouts and long may it continue.