Winter Break is Coming...

ForeverAddickted

... Thankfully only for the Premier League at the moment

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43812904

FA Cup Fifth Round will be midweek

Going to be interesting to see if this does have a positive impact on the England Team and what the Premier League clubs do during that break

Personally think it'll make the League less competitive, Leicester won that year because they had momentum and without checking, potentially benefited from other teams having key players out injured... The break being in place would ruin that momentum and would allow the bigger sides to get rested players back

cafc999

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

kentaddick

Still think it should begin after fa cup 3rd round is played and the end of the break be the fa cup 4th round. Gives more of a mental break from the PL.

ValleyGary

So once again it’s the worlds greatest cup competition that suffers.

ForeverAddickted

ValleyGary said:

So once again it’s the worlds greatest cup competition that suffers.

I think this is the start of the FA Cup going the same way as the League Cup (from the 3rd Round anyway)

Probably wont be long till its completely a midweek competition from that stage

i_b_b_o_r_g

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Charlton probably end up with offer to play FC Olympic of Mosul

Leeds_Addick

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

That’s exactly what will happen.

ForeverAddickted

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Teams should be docked points if they do that... Makes a mockery of it

C_Jensens_Love_Child

IT's a depressing time of year as it is, now less football on the tele. Might mean I will have to talk to the Mrs......which means I might have to get a Mrs. IF the glass is half full, it would almost certainly mean a few more football league games on tele in that period so not to bad.

Talal

ValleyGary said:

So once again it’s the worlds greatest cup competition that suffers.

Checkatrade Trophy is unaffected I believe.

AllHailTheHen

ForeverAddickted said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Teams should be docked points if they do that... Makes a mockery of it

Yep dock points and big fines. But the PL wouldn't dream of that as these teams are selling their product to the massive overseas markets

paulbaconsarnie

I look forward to the premiership teams fielding their strongest sides in the FA cup and also for them to not moan about having to play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday at the end of the season.

Chippycafc

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

That's exactly what will happen...German clubs have a winter break....and you often see their results against teams way off in South Africa and Japan....how long before when the season restarts will players get injured as they have not stretched their muscles for a few weeks...

Perhaps we should all ask our bosses for time off so we can come back refreshed... i know what mine would say...have a nice long one.

Swisdom

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

That's what will make a mockery of it. Everyone is too tired to play but the sponsors will make sure they wring every penny out of their investment

Pelling1993

The lack of a winter break as an excuse as to why England do shit at tournaments is a loads of old bollocks, we just aren't very good!

Chris_from_Sidcup

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Bayern do it every year, they always play a friendly in Qatar.

Can imagine most clubs will go to warm weather training camps. Man city for example, will almost certainly go to Abu Dhabi. But even if sides do play a walk in the park friendly during the 2 week period, it's not quite the same as playing 3-4 league games during that time is it?

HarryLime

Absolutely fantastic, an ideal opportunity for highly paid premiership stars to steal taxis somewhere warm.

randy andy

Pelling1993 said:

The lack of a winter break as an excuse as to why England do shit at tournaments is a loads of old bollocks, we just aren't very good!

Yeah, lack of winter break really hamstrung Wales in the last Euros, oh wait...

ForeverAddickted

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Bayern do it every year, they always play a friendly in Qatar.

Can imagine most clubs will go to warm weather training camps. Man city for example, will almost certainly go to Abu Dhabi. But even if sides do play a walk in the park friendly during the 2 week period, it's not quite the same as playing 3-4 league games during that time is it?

Yet the excuse is that players are getting tired and need a rest... If I'm tired from running one evening I don't complain that I'm tired and need a rest the next day only to go back out running again

ForeverAddickted

Pelling1993 said:

The lack of a winter break as an excuse as to why England do shit at tournaments is a loads of old bollocks, we just aren't very good!

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2014/06/05/4861228/which-league-and-clubs-have-the-most-players-at-the-2014

Premier League had the most players at the whole of the World Cup in 2014, by some distance...

Only six teams finished lower than us at that tournament, makes you wonder how the 25 teams that finished above us coped

killerandflash

If nothing else it will be good for the EFL, a chance for clubs to get a few more spectators in

Callumcafc

killerandflash said:

If nothing else it will be good for the EFL, a chance for clubs to get a few more spectators in

They've even thought of that and staggered the break so it'll be two weekends of no 3pm kick offs (probably) but all your regular TV fixtures will still be on your Sky box.

iaitch

C_Jensens_Love_Child said:

IT's a depressing time of year as it is, now less football on the tele. Might mean I will have to talk to the Mrs......which means I might have to get a Mrs. IF the glass is half full, it would almost certainly mean a few more football league games on tele in that period so not to bad.

You mean there will be more Leeds games on the telly.

Hornchurch

This should almost guarantee two weeks of unusually good weather while they are on their break followed by weeks of snow and cancelled fixtures leading to more fixture congestion, later on in the year

Chris_from_Sidcup

ForeverAddickted said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Bayern do it every year, they always play a friendly in Qatar.

Can imagine most clubs will go to warm weather training camps. Man city for example, will almost certainly go to Abu Dhabi. But even if sides do play a walk in the park friendly during the 2 week period, it's not quite the same as playing 3-4 league games during that time is it?

Yet the excuse is that players are getting tired and need a rest... If I'm tired from running one evening I don't complain that I'm tired and need a rest the next day only to go back out running again

A winter 'break' doesn't mean players will stop training. It's not as if every premier league will pack his bags and jet off for 2 weeks in Vegas or Dubai.
It just means they'll have 2 weeks off from high intensity premier league games. Even if sides do play a friendly during that period, it's a low key match with unlimited subs where no one is bothered. So the players are still being rested.

SDAddick

Leeds_Addick said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

That’s exactly what will happen.

But that's what happens in Germany and Italy already (actually I think Italy is down to a pretty short break at this point). Two weeks off doesn't have to be two weeks sat around on the couch, or two weeks in Ibiza on the lash. It's about players recovering from injury. It's about having a mini-preseason. It's about being able to work on fitness without the wear and tear of constant matches every 3-4 days for some teams. Hopefully, for smaller teams, and eventually EFL clubs, it's about resting their players so their smaller squads are more competitive down the stretch.

For all we complain that the Premier League doesn't care about the national team, and they don't, this is something that could directly help the national team. English players always look shattered and lost at international tournaments, and there is an increasing perception in other countries that foreign players who play in the Premier League are the same. Hopefully this helps with pre-tournament injuries as well, which often seem to pop up around February/March (Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Kane).

T_C_E

i_b_b_o_r_g said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

Charlton probably end up with offer to play FC Olympic of Mosul on Hackney marshes

killerandflash

Won't this mean that the 5th round of the cup (midweek) will be around the time the Champions League resumes?

SantaClaus

SDAddick said:

Leeds_Addick said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

That’s exactly what will happen.

But that's what happens in Germany and Italy already (actually I think Italy is down to a pretty short break at this point). Two weeks off doesn't have to be two weeks sat around on the couch, or two weeks in Ibiza on the lash. It's about players recovering from injury. It's about having a mini-preseason. It's about being able to work on fitness without the wear and tear of constant matches every 3-4 days for some teams. Hopefully, for smaller teams, and eventually EFL clubs, it's about resting their players so their smaller squads are more competitive down the stretch.

For all we complain that the Premier League doesn't care about the national team, and they don't, this is something that could directly help the national team. English players always look shattered and lost at international tournaments, and there is an increasing perception in other countries that foreign players who play in the Premier League are the same. Hopefully this helps with pre-tournament injuries as well, which often seem to pop up around February/March (Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Kane).

They tend to be shattered and lost because they're not technically good enough to retain possession and end up running around like headless chickens in 30° temperatures trying to get hold of the ball.

SDAddick

SantaClaus said:

SDAddick said:

Leeds_Addick said:

cafc999 said:

Will be intetesting to see how many teams fly out to the far east during the winter break for money spinning friendly matches

That’s exactly what will happen.

But that's what happens in Germany and Italy already (actually I think Italy is down to a pretty short break at this point). Two weeks off doesn't have to be two weeks sat around on the couch, or two weeks in Ibiza on the lash. It's about players recovering from injury. It's about having a mini-preseason. It's about being able to work on fitness without the wear and tear of constant matches every 3-4 days for some teams. Hopefully, for smaller teams, and eventually EFL clubs, it's about resting their players so their smaller squads are more competitive down the stretch.

For all we complain that the Premier League doesn't care about the national team, and they don't, this is something that could directly help the national team. English players always look shattered and lost at international tournaments, and there is an increasing perception in other countries that foreign players who play in the Premier League are the same. Hopefully this helps with pre-tournament injuries as well, which often seem to pop up around February/March (Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Kane).

They tend to be shattered and lost because they're not technically good enough to retain possession and end up running around like headless chickens in 30° temperatures trying to get hold of the ball.

Yes, no argument here. I'd add tactically disciplined to that mix as well. But I do think that fatigue exacerbates that. Prepare yourselves for that fact that Harry Kane is going to look a fish out of water at an international tournament again this summer because international football doesn't have the space he gets in the Premier League. But I do think a performance like he had in 2016, in addition to not being well equipped to international football, is contributed to by being shattered after a long season.

Algarveaddick

A friendly may not be the same as a competitive match, but it's not rest - at all. Also a day travelling each way isn't exactly feet-up, even if you are a pampered premier league player.

We were told that the advent of the Premier League would help the national team too, remember? That worked out well, didn't it...

What difference it would make on injury recovery time to someone kicked up in the air first game back, and then having to cram more games in a shorter time because they have had a fortnight off, I don't understand.

Should there be any positive effect then yes, it will be England who benefit most, as virtually every English player plays in the Prem, the other 80 odd players are from around 15 to 20 other nations, so nowhere near the impact.