Why Christmas brings no cheer to players and clubs in the Premier League

Even Jesus Christ can’t seem to get Premier League players and managers a break

The snow’s falling down, kids are enjoying their holidays, offices take an extended break and homes swell with festive cheer and celebration as Europe looks forward to Christmas and the impending New Year. Footballers too get a break, to put their feet up a bit and get some rest and relaxation while also getting time to spend with family and friends. After all, when the rest of the world’s celebrating, why shouldn’t they?

However, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria and the rest of the players in England’s top flight – are not sharing the same sentiments as they find themselves embroiled in the yearly rigmarole that is the ‘bonus’ fixture pile-up that the Premier League is associated with usually at this point in the season.

Unlike during their time in Spain in the last few years, the above quartet is not going to be enjoying a winter break this time around. A cluster of games are the presents that the league throws up to its teams, and their players and managers, who must curse their luck when they look at what their pals in the other leagues are up to.

It’s been a long-running debate on whether the Football Association (FA) should cease with this annual fixture congestion in keeping with what Spain, Germany, Italy and the rest of Europe’s top leagues do in order to aid English teams in the long run.

So far though, it hasn’t cut any slack with the powers to be as profit, viewership and cash, continue to ensure that players will be in their team strips four times in a span of 10 days between December 26 and January 5.

The rest of Europe

In contrast, the winter break is on after this weekend’s round of matches in the other leagues. The La Liga will resume on January 3rd, the Serie A on January 5th and the Ligue 1 on January 7th. That’s 14 days off for those teams at the minimum. The Bundesliga is even better, and reopens only on January 30th, resulting in a month of rest and recuperation for the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Of course, Germany has only 18 teams and as a result has 40 matches lesser in its calendar, due to which they can afford a whole month off. But the other three big leagues have the same number of teams as the Premier League and get 14 days off. Ironically, despite that, the La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Premier League all conclude on the weekend of May 23/24; Serie A closes a week later.

So, the situation in England is great for television, great for some sections of fans who do enjoy the added football during the holidays, but how about the players and what effect does it have in the longer run, say for teams in the UEFA Champions League?

English teams in the Champions League knockout rounds

One trend that has been observed on an almost annual basis is that teams from the other leagues seem to almost fare better in the Champions League than those from England. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund seem to be able to find another gear as the competition moves into March and April.

Last year Manchester City, the eventual champions, were eliminated in the first knockout round by Barcelona, Arsenal likewise by Bayern Munich. Chelsea got to the semi-finals before being beaten by Atletico Madrid.

Last year’s Chelsea are in fact a classic case; they were going well in the Premier League and looking likely for a title run until their resources got stretched with a deep run in Europe. Manchester City benefited from having a deeper squad as well as bowing out early, allowing them to fully concentrate on the league.

This explains how they became champions last year despite being top of the table for a mere 14 days. And Liverpool had no distractions from the get go, a challenge they could not cope with this year, not being able to get past the group stage even.

The top three teams in England over the past five seasons (based on how they finished that season)

Looking at how the top English teams (in reference to order of finish that season) have gone in Europe in the last five years, it doesn’t make for good reading.

Of the eventual champions, Manchester United went the furthest in 2010-11 finishing runners-up to Barcelona. No runner-up has gone beyond the quarter-finals and likewise for the third-best team. The top Spanish and German teams are however, constantly making the quarters and the semis in Europe’s premier club competition.

Last year, it was an all-Spanish affair in the final and the year before that, an all-German one. Each of the top three Spanish teams last year made the quarter-finals while two German teams did. Chelsea were England’s only representative.

You might say that those stats merely state the obvious, which is that the Premier League isn’t ‘the best in the world’ as those ‘pundits’ would have you believe and that the players in Spain and Germany are so much better than the ones in England. While that isn’t entirely a faulty line of debate, all players, including the very best ones, need their rest and time to recuperate and when viewed in that context a 14-day period of no competitive action is gold dust.

Chelsea may be amongst the best in Europe this term, but the lack of time off could hurt them when they take on Europe’s big boys.

World Cup exertions

Like those layers of cake that you get around Christmas when you step into feasts, certain footballers this year had to deal with the exertions of playing at the quadrennial showpiece before returning to their clubs.

It wasn’t for no reason that players such as Eden Hazard, Robin van Persie and Pablo Zabaleta took some time to get going this season. Also, players associated with the Brazil team, the World Cup hosts, seem to suffering from a serious dip in form after their underwhelming campaign that ended in a humiliating exit at the hands of eventual winners Germany.

Fernandinho is a prime example of a player whose form has dipped this year over last season, while Oscar and Willian looked to be carrying a hangover for some time as well.
What would really irk the players is that even during such years, there is no exception made by the FA.

Is there any respite?

The fact that the Premier League is an extremely profitable money-spinning offering now probably means that the end to this hectic schedule is nowhere in sight in the near future. When Premier Leagues can charge upto £600 for children to become mascots, you know that its money over anything else.

Also, the fact that as a product it is being lapped up by audiences outside of England who are in fact the main drivers of television revenue probably means that the Christmas festivities for the players will continue to remain on the pitch.

Louis van Gaal is the latest manager to criticize the Christmas scheduling

As Louis van Gaal said recently critiquing this, "I am not happy - but I cannot change it - because I don't think it is good for the players that they play within two days of a (previous) match - two matches in two days.”

"In December it shall be like that. We also have family. I have a wife and kids, and grandchildren, and I cannot see them this Christmas. But I want to work in the Premier League, so I have to adapt, and I shall adapt. But I don't think it is good. It is not good for the players, nor for the family."

Perhaps it’s about time ‘the best league in the world’ lent a caring ear to its primary stakeholders in order to further the interests of its clubs in the long run and not just its coffers.

Manchester United's capitulation against Leicester City shows up fragile confidence and Wayne Rooney’s captaincy

Manchester United’s Louis van Gaal and assistant Ryan Giggs look befudled as their team fell apart against Leicester City

It was a chastening defeat for Louis van Gaal and Manchester United at the King Power Stadium against Leicester City on Sunday. The rather swift reversal of fortunes that saw United go from being on the right end of a 3-1 score line to the wrong end of a 5-3 verdict in the space of about 20 minutes left van Gaal at a loss for words at the conclusion.

Flummoxed was the Dutchman for he could not quite believe what had just transpired and how a promising evening had turned into one so sour. In an honest admission, he slammed his players for the 60-minute showing that they put up without diving into criticism of some of the refereeing decisions that did indeed cost his side.

Leicester reinforced their reputation as the ‘never say die’ team of the Premier League after yet another stirring comeback that brought a party-like atmosphere to the stadium during the game while United showed that there is still much work to be done at the once dominant club.

Much of the talk as expected swirled around the porous nature of United’s defence and top-heaviness and not without reason too. But, in their rather calamitous capitulation, a few deeper problems were revealed.

United’s stars fail to ride through the tough times

In their first match last week against Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at home, their big-money line-up rode roughshod over Harry Redknapp’s visiting side. They were barely troubled for much of the match and in that luxury played with the freedom of a child with nothing in the world to worry about.

Following on from where they left off, the starry troupe sliced and diced its way to a quick 2-0 lead on Sunday before finding resistance forthcoming. Leicester reduced the arrears immediately following the restart, but it was still expected that United would have too much for the newly promoted side come the second half. And when United scored their third through Ander Herrera’s beautiful back-heel flick, the result looked a certainty.

Except that United hadn’t witnessed the last bit of resistance yet from the Foxes. They fought back again and caused their guests much unease just like after they’d conceded their first goal. A few seconds later, Leicester were back on level pegging and suddenly most of United’s outfield players resembled headless chickens. This really was the first big challenge for this new United side and they failed to show any taste for a fight, limping out in the end.

Ander Herrera and the midfield gave away possession needlessly too many times in the second half

Almost all of United’s new signings have cost big money, but not all of them are battle-hardened professionals with plenty of experience, especially Premier League experience. It’s a problem that Tottenham Hotspur continuously face with their numerous imports every season and something that Liverpool are encountering this season. Sometimes you have to get stuck in and grind out results; the current United lot, while all good individual players, failed to show that resolve.

Marcos Rojo got caught out numerous times while playing a misplaced forward pass instead of playing to the situation and Ander Herrera lost possession similarly quite a few times. Daley Blind tried to control proceedings but he was overburdened with the failings of the backline which left him with too many open spaces to cover.

Tyler Blackett is just learning the ropes with his call up to the first-team and it’s been a tough learning curve for him, but Chris Smalling even after considerable time at the club still does not know composure when dealing with a situation and added to the woes of his young colleague. Rafael has shown glimpses of his attacking brilliance and what he adds to the team going forward since his return. What he’s also shown is that his ability to shoot himself and his team in the foot is still very much intact.

United are not the first team to suddenly lose the plot nor will they be the last. However, not all teams cave in quite so spectacularly, sides have managed to stem the rot with strong leadership. And therein lies United’s other major problem this season.

Wayne Rooney fails to deliver as captain

Wayne Rooney was petulant and failed to lift his side

On Sunday, Rooney had the perfect opportunity to show that van Gaal was right to make him captain by attempting to salvage his ship from wreckage. His crew were losing the plot in the face of wave after wave of Leicester pressure and it was as fine a time as any to step up and take charge of the situation. And he failed.

Oh Rooney was not passive; he was anything but. He was in referee Mark Clattenberg’s face after he awarded the penalty that led to Leicester’s second goal. He was constantly barking away at Clattenberg thereafter every time a decision did not go his team’s way. He was so irate and literally had steam spewing out of his ears after Blackett’s sending off as he ganged up on the referee once again with his teammates.

And after conceding the lead, he had a go at each of his mates that were around him, admonishing them with some choice words, but not really in a way that one would rally the troops. In between those moments he tried to shoot from way outside the box with defenders in his way, saw his passing fall off spectacularly, and had a go at trying to get himself sent off by making some silly lunging tackles. To put it simply, he lost his head.

In the past, United have had strong captains in Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar to turn to for inspiration. They were all feisty characters, but they did not let the heat of the moment consume them, and more often than not managed to get the team regrouped, focused and led them out of tough situations.

Route to consistency

Since United’s disastrous previous season, much of the attention has centred on the rebuilding of the squad and getting quality players to don the famous red shirt once again. But since Alex Ferguson’s departure, it is the confidence and morale of the team that has taken a severe beating and needs repairing the most. Skill can be purchased in the market, but they need to be backed up by a strong core and definitive leadership.

United’s players have the skill, but they need to learn to have the gumption for a fight. Rooney needs to leave his impish ways behind, not just because he is a senior player on the team, but because he is the captain for crying out loud. And van Gaal has to find a way to bed in some mental fortitude along with all of the tactical and strategic nous that he has been drip-feeding his new team since the start of the season. Only then can the league expect to see a consistently good Manchester United. 

Astute planning and squad selection take Germany and Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals again

And then there were four.

Two European and two South American teams have made it into the final four of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Going into the final week of action, it is the hosts Brazil, their fierce rivals Argentina and European powerhouses Germany and the Netherlands who are still left standing with a chance to compete for the top prize.

For two of them in particular, the Germans and the Dutch, it is a repeat of what they managed to do at the last edition in South Africa. They have managed to make the semis at the World Cup finals for two successive editions now; quite an achievement.

As far as Germany are concerned, Die Mannschaft are the most consistent national team in football. Forget back-to-back semis, this is the fourth consecutive time that Germany have made it to the final four since the 2002 edition in Korea-Japan. The Germans don’t do upsets, they don’t do group stage eliminations, they don’t do hype. They just methodically go about conducting their business and get to the final week of competitions going down only to the eventual champion in most cases. Their presence in the latter stages is almost a given.

For the Dutch, after the disappointment of not qualifying in 2002 and the fractious exit in 2006 at the hands of Portugal, it marks a welcome return to a place where Dutch football believes it truly belongs – the journey from being merely a pretender to now being a contender.

In an earlier piece, I’d written about some of the mistakes that the other two semi-finalists from South Africa – Spain and Uruguay – were guilty of having made in their preparation for this year’s World Cup. Germany and the Netherlands are a good example of teams that have moved in the opposite direction and actually taken a progressive view to the tournament, thereby finding themselves rewarded with a semi-final spot yet again.

Spain and Uruguay were guilty of relying a little too heavily on the same squad that earned them success back in 2010. Trouble was, some of those players were no longer at their peak and had slowed down over the years. As a result, players in form and performing well at club level were overlooked in favour of the established names. Spain may have brought in new players into the squad, but the starting eleven bore few changes to the core from the 2010 World Cup. The defending champions also failed to address their defensive woes and were forced to pay a heavy price.

Uruguay too relied too heavily on the old guard and that in turn increased their dependence on Luis Suarez. They suffered from a severe lack of mobility in their play, and their defeat in the opener actually forced Coach Oscar Tabarez’s hand to give the newer guys a run.

Germany’s squad is more mature now

One might argue that Germany have much the same players, just like Spain. True, but there is one key difference; Germany’s core is now actually in their prime. From the time of the 2008 Euros and the 2010 World Cup, these players are more mature and more experienced and have all tasted plenty of success playing for their respective clubs. Captain Philip Lahm and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger are now the seasoned pros in the setup with a wealth of experience behind them.

Germany have made it to their fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final

And while the squad might look the same, Joachim Loew has made minor tweaks in personnel as well as tactics. The Germans don’t ever single out one man to be the key guy in the team; it is almost always a team effort. Four years ago, this was Mesut Ӧzil’s team, but it no longer is. Toni Kroos has taken over that mantle now and with Thomas Müller playing up front, there is more dynamism in this German side.

Germany’s defence isn’t the greatest either, not when you have Jerome Boateng and Per Mertesacker playing together, or Holger Badstuber. As shown from Mertesacker’s improved performances at Arsenal, he needs a partner who is quick on the ground. And Germany have plugged that gap with Mats Hummels now in the mix. Germany look a more solid team with any combination of Boateng or Mertesacker with Hummels.

For the Dutch, it’s out with the old and in with the new

There’s never been any doubt about the talent in the Dutch ranks, but there was always that sense of disappointment about how they could never get their act together to win a major tournament. It has been a tumultuous journey for the Dutchmen the last four years from the highs of reaching the final in South Africa in 2010 to the lows of losing all three matches and being eliminated in the group stages of Euro 2012.

Since then, with Louis Van Gaal back in his second stint as Netherlands manager, the Dutch have begun the climb out of those dark hallways. They were the first team to qualify for the World Cup from Europe, scoring prolifically and without losing a single game. They too have learnt from past endeavours and changed elements of the team that cost them dear at recent tournaments.

They culled the entire defensive line; not one member from the defensive unit that went to South Africa has travelled to Brazil, and only Ron Vlaar survives from the squad that was dumped out acrimoniously at the Euros. In their places are young defenders picked out from the Dutch Eredivisie, confident in their stride, emboldened by success enjoyed domestically.

It’s back-to-back semi-finals for the Oranje.

Only five veteran players have been retained by Van Gaal – Robin van Persie (now the captain), Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Nigel De Jong and Dirk Kuyt.

The attacking trio of van Persie, Robben and Sneijder combine to make one of the top offensive threats going forward. In fact, barring Sneijder, the other two members of that trio have actually gotten better since the last World Cup and have enjoyed much success playing for their clubs; Van Gaal has made absolutely the right call to retain them to provide this otherwise young team with some veteran leadership. And while Sneijder’s stock may not have improved like the others, he is still one of the best midfielders in the world in delivering killer passes and from dead ball situations.

Dirk Kuyt is an absolute professional, and hence is a great footballer to have in the squad. To add, his versatility (he can play wing-back, full-back, midfield, winger, forward) gives the Dutch team options. De Jong provides the steel in midfield and is still a great asset to have for his ability to break up play and retrieve the football from the opposition.

And the young players chosen in the squad, extensively from the Eredivisie, have provided some much needed freshness and have come into the tournament on the backs of extremely successful seasons. Van Gaal has picked exclusively from the top two sides in the Dutch league last season – Ajax and Feyenoord – and PSV who finished fourth.

Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, defenders Daley Blind and Joel Veltman were all part of Ajax’s title winning team. Defenders Bruno Martins Indi, Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat and Terence Kongolo and midifielder Jordy Clasie formed a part of Feyenoord’s fine team that finished second. And forward Memphis Depay and midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum were chosen from PSV. The reliance on players from the local Dutch league who have played with and against their teammates has brought in that familiarity and has helped the team work better as a team.

And the importance of confidence cannot be overstated; Van Gaal has picked winners in his squad. With winning comes mental toughness and fortitude and these young Dutch youngsters displayed that in spades in tight games against Chile, Mexico and Costa Rica in the lead up to the semi-finals.

South American obstacles in the way

Germany and the Netherlands now have South American opposition standing in their way, two favourites nonetheless, in Brazil and Argentina respectively. It is not only a clash of continents, but also a clash of styles. Traditionally even the best of South American teams have come undone when they’ve gone up against strong European teams who outsmart them tactically and rely on their organization and strong game plan to counter the flair of the South Americans.

Just ask Argentina who were thumped by Germany in 2010 and edged out in 2006 before that. Ask Brazil who were outwitted in 2010 by the Dutch and in 2006 by France. The two teams will have a point to prove over the next two days.

However, the Germans and the Dutch are well equipped to cope with them as always. The familiarity of the local conditions and home support will be one huge advantage for the South Americans, but you can bet on the two European teams to provide more than just a stern challenge. If Brazil and Argentina are to have that dream final on Sunday at the Maracana they will have to overcome their stiffest tests of the tournament so far, for they are going up against two of the most well drilled sides in this year’s tournament.

All the preparations for crazy parties on the beaches in anticipation of a Brazil-Argentina clash should be put on hold for there is a very real possibility that the meeting of arch-rivals in the final could just be between two European neighbours instead of two South American ones.