SIR Alex Ferguson has had a pop at the Football Association for refusing to back the idea of a winter shutdown in the Premiership.
Tiredness was blamed for wrecking so many of the big-name players' impacts on Euro 2004 in Portugal this summer. And Fergie is hoping that Soho Square will have a rethink over a mid-season break.
"We asked for a winter shutdown and didn't get it, but I think it was a vote the FA should have given us," the Manchester United manager said.
"They have to change their mind on that. They're stagnating in terms of progress.
Refresher
"The rest does everyone good and brings back the freshness to the camp.
"This December we've got nine games - that's a lot of football matches.
"You think it would be sensible to get over the New Year period, because there are good crowds then, and give the break for the rest of January. It just needs people with vision at the FA.
"I'm not surprised that players said they were tired at Euro 2004.
"Greece were fresh because their players don't play as much.
"And then the Czechs had Milan Baros who had not been playing that much at Liverpool.
"It's difficult to work out an optimum number of games for players, but we play too many."
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The FA lack ambition, if they really want England to succeed at International level, then they will bring in a winter-break. If any player benefited from having a break during mid-season, then its Cristiano Ronaldo. He was as fresh as a daisy at Euro 2004.
Though I love to watch England football, I think the season of the Premiership is too long. It should last no more than eight months. Thanks.
What a load of rubbish that man talks. If they take a winter break, then the season won't end in time for them to have a decent summer break!
The real culprit of too many games though is the reformating of the European competitions - which was introduced because of the greed of the big clubs. Go back to the old format of knock out competitions, with no seeding, and the Champions Cup only for Champions. If the first round draws the Spanish and English champions against each other, so be it. That way, the money will be spread about the smaller clubs, and they will have the motivation of entering a competition that they have a chance of winning.
BTW, most of the Portuguese players played a lot of games last season, and they did quite well in Euro 2004. On the other hand, the Germans went out of the European club competitions early, but they didn't look particularly fresh.