Ferguson calls for winter break
Ferguson thinks a break would benefit both club and country
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Wednesday, 24, Jan 2007 09:56
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has called for a winter break in English football to help players recover sufficiently from the amount of games they are asked to play.
Ferguson believes that a break would benefit the international sides as well as help keep players fresh when they return to their clubs.
The Red Devils have played six games in the last four weeks and Ferguson clearly feels his players would benefit from a rest midway through the season instead of the constant stream of games.
Most European countries adopt the break system and the Manchester United boss would welcome its introduction into English football.
He said: "There have been negotiations about a winter break in the Premiership and I think it should happen soon. Players are under pressure to play from August until May, non-stop.
"They have only weeks to rest before big tournaments, like last year in Germany. Believe me, if the World Cup was in May then England would win. The players are in top form at that time."
Ferguson has brought Henrik Larsson to Manchester United on loan to allow him to rotate his squad and minimise player burnout.
Despite their defeat to Arsenal on Sunday his side lead the Premiership by six points but Ferguson says that there are still a lot of important games to play and the fate of the title is not yet a forgone conclusion.
However, with their current advantage the United boss feels his team are the favourites for the first time in three years.