Winter Break yay or neigh?

Harry Palmr

Every year this comes up for mention by someone or other and predictably its fallen to Jurgen Klopp this time.

Everyone else pretty much has one of varying lengths - 10 days to a month. Should the Premier League put its feet up for say two weeks after the 3rd round of the FA Cup? The league typically ends with the second Sunday of May so would pushing it back to the last Sunday be such a big deal?

Maybe to help ditching FA Cup replays and moving the League Cup forward so it ends in December could be done if needed.

Kerrigooney

And spend Stephens day talking to the family? No thanks,you crazy fool

Guy:Incognito

As long as its not done over the christmas then I'd be less against the idea. Still rather not have a break though.

5starpool

Feck it, they are paid enough to do without it.

Mickeroo

If it was in January or something then grand, couldn't be doing without the matches between Christmas and new year.

bad2dabone

Mickeroo wrote: »

If it was in January or something then grand, couldn't be doing without the matches between Christmas and new year.

January's bleak enough without football though. No break says I, lunch is for wimps!

Bounty Hunter

fans wouldn't ever want this. The players/clubs maybe

ush

Half of them would go on the piss.

BMJD

It's ridiculous that those poor players are hauled in for training on Xmas day, they should suffer like the rest of us men.

Dirty Dingus McGee

How are they going to fit all the fixtures in.

The only country that has a proper winter break is Germany but they play 4 less matches per year so can take a few weeks off.

I believe there should never be a winter break in England because if there was a winter break England wouldn't have an excuse for every failure they have at a major tournament.

jaykay74

Not a break, maybe just one round less of games. Have a Stephens and new years round but not one more squeezed in

FatherTed

Get rid of the league cup(at least for Prem teams) and use those mid week dates in the Autumn for a few extra Prem games. Then have a two week break after New Years Day games.

cj maxx

Dont mind a winter break . As long as its well after xmas.
I know they earn big money etc but what premier league players have had outstang tournaments .
Injuries and/ or fatigue usually supper that

BoJack Horseman

I see it as pointless.

Skip a match week or two & every team skips to the US or Asia for a friendly & all those air miles don't account for much R&R.

England's climate is too temperate to justify a pause as there is no snow period.

theoneeyedman

FatherTed wrote: »

Get rid of the league cup(at least for Prem teams) and use those mid week dates in the Autumn for a few extra Prem games. Then have a two week break after New Years Day games.

Feck them, what do we care? We only consume epl on TV anyway so these days are when we love watching the games, and the epl/sky etc love that we pay to watch them.
If there was a break, the clubs would only fly our to Asia or somewhere for more games anyway, so let them sh1te I say.

citytillidie

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

How are they going to fit all the fixtures in.

The only country that has a proper winter break is Germany but they play 4 less matches per year so can take a few weeks off.

I believe there should never be a winter break in England because if there was a winter break England wouldn't have an excuse for every failure they have at a major tournament.

Don't the Germans play some indoor competitions during their winter break.

All that would happen would be friendly games in some place

Laois_Man

I wouldn't introduce a break. Nor would I abandon the league cup (most of the PL only ever have two chances of winning anything) Nor would I get rid of FA Cup replays (they've already done away with second replays). I would reduce the Christmas schedule. Maybe only bring PL teams into the FA cup from the fourth round. For away with 2 legs for the league cup semi final - one game at a neural venue is enough. The format of the Europa League needs looking at and it would be no harm to look at restructuring the CL either. But they won't.

machiavellianme

It's more games I'd want over the winter, not fewer. Nothing else on the telly this time of year. The opposite could bessaid for games in August when I can be out and about instead of at matches or trying to fit watching them on tv into the day.

nice_guy80

Definitely less games jammed into Xmas.

Paz-CCFC

5starpool wrote: »

Feck it, they are paid enough to do without it.

At EPL level, maybe, but what about players below the Fourth Division? They'd be earning a normal wage, many would be part-time. A bit tough asking them to play so many games during a period like this. Loads of postponements, as well, because the clubs don't have the resources to keep the pitches up to scratch in bad weather. In the Northern Premier League, most clubs have four games in hand and some even have seven!

On the other hand, players, especially those whom have other jobs, might prefer extra matches on public holidays rather than ordinary midweek days, when they'd have to take time off. And clubs might prefer to have a packed few weeks to get games out of the way, rather than have a longer season where they pay players for longer.

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

fans wouldn't ever want this. The players/clubs maybe

What about match-going fans? Can't be easy to pay into so many matches in a short space of time, especially at a time when so much money is spent on other things. Though, as above, they might prefer this when the matches are on public holidays, rather than a Tuesday/Wednesday later down the line requiring them to take a day, maybe two, off work.

Charlie19

I don't see why the supporter would want a break, but definitely understand it from player/coach pov.

TheDoc

As a fan I'd be gutted to see it going, so much football around the period is brilliant.

But from every other point of view, it's an absolutely mental idea playing through Christmas, mental.

Richard Hillman

Fans are not obliged to attend games. If they are taking days off work to attend their umpteenth game of the season then they should be evaluating their lives.

It is also usually 2 home, 2 away games. Home, away, home, away or vice-versa.

Christmas is the time of year when TV Subscribers kind of get their money's worth. And even then the schedules are still a bit basic. Like today we had three 5.30 kick offs. No 12.45 and no 8pm? Why??? We could have had a repeat of Stephens Day.

mada999

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

As long as its not done over the christmas then I'd be less against the idea. Still rather not have a break though.

totally agree, some other week would be good i suppose or get rid of the league cup ?

LuckyLloyd

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Christmas is the time of year when TV Subscribers kind of get their money's worth. And even then the schedules are still a bit basic. Like today we had three 5.30 kick offs. No 12.45 and no 8pm? Why??? We could have had a repeat of Stephens Day.

I know - absolutely ridiculous. They leave so much off the table with Prem TV coverage it is laughable.

Paz-CCFC

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Fans are not obliged to attend games. If they are taking days off work to attend their umpteenth game of the season then they should be evaluating their lives.

No 12.45 and no 8pm? Why??? We could have had a repeat of Stephens Day.

I'd say that someone who sits down for 9 or 10 hours straight to watch TV shows has much more cause to re-evaluate their lives rather than someone who likes to go on road trips, but each to their own.

ERG89

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Every year this comes up for mention by someone or other and predictably its fallen to Jurgen Klopp this time.

Everyone else pretty much has one of varying lengths - 10 days to a month. Should the Premier League put its feet up for say two weeks after the 3rd round of the FA Cup? The league typically ends with the second Sunday of May so would pushing it back to the last Sunday be such a big deal?

Maybe to help ditching FA Cup replays and moving the League Cup forward so it ends in December could be done if needed.

Don't teams rest most of their starting players anyway during the 3rd/4th rounds of a cup competition as meaningless as any other contemporaries.
In Spain and Italy they still play 38 games too. Spanish teams are even back playing tomorrow as well.

mikeym

Historically there was never a winter break in the English League so why change now to suit the likes of Klopp and Van Gaal.

Premier League footballers are vastly overpaid anyway.

Mars Bar

The two games in three days is very unfair on the players and I think they could do with changing that. I like Stephen's Day football and would be happier to see that stay.

citytillidie

ERG89 wrote: »

Don't teams rest most of their starting players anyway during the 3rd/4th rounds of a cup competition as meaningless as any other contemporaries.
In Spain and Italy they still play 38 games too. Spanish teams are even back playing tomorrow as well.

Spain and Italy only have 1 cup that is played midweek so does not take up a weekend league fixure

CSF

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Fans are not obliged to attend games. If they are taking days off work to attend their umpteenth game of the season then they should be evaluating their lives.

Why? What's wrong with going to a game week (usually less over the course of a calendar year), doing something you enjoy with your friends?