Managers: We'll trust players at Xmas
Christmas Day is usually quite different for professional footballers
Friday, 25, Dec 2009 12:01
By Alistair Potter.
Football managers across the country have said they are trusting their players to behave themselves as they give them Christmas Day with their families.
Despite many clubs facing key league clashes on Boxing Day, managers are increasingly keen to give their big stars a day off for the traditional holiday.
Most people tuck into a high fat diet of chocolate, turkey and gravy on the 25th.
But Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan said he is prepared to give his players some leeway because he hopes they all have good nutritional habits drummed into them already.
"You trust them, they're a professional bunch now and they know what they're doing," he said.
"You've just got to trust them."
Normally a full day's training would take place 24 hours before a match.
But Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish - who tomorrow faces leaders Chelsea in the Premier League - said he is always reluctant to force his players to leave their families over the holiday.
"It's more a roll call to check up on people - I've done it this way since I started my managerial career," the Scot said.
"I don't really see the point of dragging them in on Christmas Day."
Meanwhile Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, who will lead his side against Everton on December 26th, hopes the pressures of top-level football will encourage his stars to give up certain dietary staples today.
"They can't have any wine or Christmas pudding and the like but they can have a traditional Christmas lunch, to an extent," the Black Cats boss said.
"But they're going to be playing in front of 50,000 the next day so they can't be going stuffing themselves like me and you can!"
InTheNews.co.uk wishes you all a very merry Christmas!