It’s Christmas! (Fixture list)

[Dante Lavelli]

Now I rarely/never want to side with the big clubs but is this tradition of slogging the players to death so they play, i dunno, four times over Christmas and NY really worth it?  Boxing Day is typically an extra fixture.  Is NY days also?

Is is a tradition worth maintaining?  Do crowds increase? Is it anyone’s highlight of the season?
   
Once you’re in the twilight zone between Christmas and NY I have no clue what day it is so surely a Saturday could be lost if needed.

[olaftab]

YES it's worth it. Slogging players to death WTF is that about? Remember football is about fans. I love these fixture and long may they continue.

[andyh]

Slogging players to death?
Bloody snowflakes.

[Dante Lavelli]

YES it's worth it. Slogging players to death WTF is that about? Remember football is about fans. I love these fixture and long may they continue.

Interesting Olaftab.  I’m curious to see whether your view is the majority in which case it is worth ring-fencing.
The chance of me being able to attend these games, due to family stuff etc, is slim so maybe that is why I am not overly fussed.

[Meanwood Villa]

Maybe the constant chipping away by managers over the years has got to me but playing two games in three days does seem a bit excessive these days. It doesn't happen any other time of year, Easter is now Friday/Monday as a rule. I know they used to play in successive days in the past but just because it used to happen doesn't mean it always should.

One thing I would say more generally, however, is fuck Tuchel, Klopp, Guardiola etc. when they start digging out the League Cup and banging on about five subs. You've amassed millions of pounds worth of talent, deal with it.

[AV82EC]

I think the debate about Christmas fixtures is a distraction from the wider issue about how many games top level pro footballers do play. If as suggested by Klopp and the like that League plus cup plus Euro plus International is too much than that is surely a wider issue for UEFA/FIFA? It shouldn’t be beyond the realms of fantasy for pro footballers to play twice in 48 hours but within the context of disrupted off seasons due to covid then maybe the fixture list should be looked at.

<sarcasm> So whilst the European qualified clubs maybe have some legitimate concerns re player burnout how about discussing that with FIFA/UEFA instead of moaning in a domestic setting because I’m sure both those organisations will seriously consider proposals for reform and increased player welfare. <\sarcasm>

[N'ZMAV]

all that would happen if there was a winter break, is the clubs would arrange tours of other countries and play friendlies - so the players wouldn't get the break at all.

[Drummond]

It's actually the one time of the year that's a bit of a leveller. First choice elevens don't generally play every game, and those players that do have a bit of a drop off in form.

Remove it and it strengthens them.

They want it removed because thy play so much in the chumps league and want a breather. Fuck them. Until it's us.

[algy]

No sympathy with the "too many games" argument. They have a squad of however many plus U23 players. Clybs can't have it both ways - you can't horde a load of players, but complain about too many matches because you want to play the same 11 players week in, week out.

[eamonn]

I do agree with Gerrard, Klopp etc. that the two-day turnaround from the 26th to the 28th of December is dumb - it goes against the understood/accepted 3 nights sleep minimum in between games that is observed during the rest of the season.

[p_ad]

Wait till they find out Wenger who was serial complainer about too many fixtures, wants a world cup every two years

[eamonn]

Does that mean he thinks the Euros should be scrapped or also played every other year?

For a wise man, I think he's misjudged this one.

[Nev]

I think someone pointed out on here that there were 3 scheduled fixtures in November and 7 in December due to the international break and therein lies much of the issue. I agree that 2 games in 3 days is unnecessary (when we went up in 1987/88 we played on NYD and the day after!) but the pathetic and frankly embarrassing bellyaching from the Managers doesn't really help, particularly those with huge squads and multiple players out on loan.

Never before have players been well looked after in terms of fitness, diet, state of the art training and welfare facilities so the cries of mistreatment are pretty offensive compared to other industries.

Brendan Rogers said "you can't expect players to play every day of the week". No one is you fuckin' plank, belt up.

[Gareth]

100% resistant to changing anything in the domestic schedule to pacify the clubs in Europe - they always want the domestic game to bend for them yet you never, ever hear them question all the pointless rounds of group games they trot around Europe playing. 

Personally I do think you could lose a round of games over Christmas and spread the fixtures out more for tv etc but would never do it at the request of Klopp etc

[p_ad]

[quote author=eamonn l
Does that mean he thinks the Euros should be scrapped or also played every other year?

For a wise man, I think he's misjudged this one.

 Having just read a bit more about it no a major international tournament every year, two international breaks per year and a 25 day rest period after every tournament.
 At first look it just looks like a power grab trying to put international football at the top of the football tree, and curtail eufa dominance