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England manager Roy Hodgson in plea for TV scheduling help

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments200

Roy Hodgson

England boss Roy Hodgson wants television companies to stop asking Premier League's top teams to play on the Sunday before an international.

Because affected players need time to recover, Hodgson thinks such scheduling limits his amount of preparation time.

Hodgson also called for a winter break, saying it would give the English season a more "logical" schedule.

"It would be lovely to think that one day we could all get together and say 'England is important'," he said.

Four of England's eight remaining World Cup qualifiers are scheduled to be played on Friday evenings.

Hodgson's training time with his players is already in short supply and he feels it is limited further when his main players are involved in Sunday's fixtures.

He cited the example of Manchester United's recent televised 16:00 BST clash at Southampton, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, as unhelpful scheduling.

Speaking in a question-and-answer session, broadcast on the Football Association's website, he added: "It would be nice if, when we're playing on Friday, the top teams played on Saturday and not Sunday.

"Then on Monday we could do a bit of work and on Tuesday do some serious work.

"But every time, the top clubs have played on Sunday and some at five o'clock on Sunday. If they're from Manchester and they've played in Southampton, they get back late at night then have to come down again."

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  • Comment posted by U14980039, at 15:03 20 Sep 2012

    Ronaldo played 61 games last season (66 goals)
    Messi played in 60 games last season (72 goals)

    Lampard played in 53 games last season (17 goals)
    Rooney played in 49 games last season (38 goals)
    Defoe played in 40 games last season (17 goals)

    & yet it's the English players who need a rest???

  • Comment posted by BHA, at 13:57 20 Sep 2012

    It'll never happen, as we all know SKY run football in this country.

  • Comment posted by ebensdad, at 13:52 20 Sep 2012

    Roy is spot on but common sense doesn't seem to go down too well in the football business.

  • Comment posted by oobujoobu1971, at 18:34 20 Sep 2012

    The powers that be have decided (though they would never admit it publicly) that the Premier League is far more important to them than the national team.

    So good luck Roy, but I don't expect you to have any joy with your requests.

  • Comment posted by U14966550, at 16:26 20 Sep 2012

    Comment number 129. Eduard_Streltsov_Knows_All
    "In Spain we laugh at your rising Fuel Prices, and countless recessions. We Laugh at your government not having a clue, we laugh at you voting in the Torries and then believing the Lib Dem lies. We laugh at your drastically deteriorating economy."

    Don't try to tarnish all Spanish with the same brush - I'm sure not all are as twisted as you are.

  • Comment posted by Jeremy Orbell, at 14:36 20 Sep 2012

    I enjoy the Christmas / New Year matches and I'd like them retained if at all possible.

    Could two short breaks be scheduled either side of the Festive Football period? This would mean the last game day before Boxing Day being the 16th and then no games from FA Cup 3rd Round weekend until the replays 10 days later. Some teams won't even have those so that would take their break up to two weeks.

  • Comment posted by peasfrog, at 14:24 20 Sep 2012

    @34 Can't believe you said that. Is it because England aren't doing very well at the moment? I'm Scottish and we're mince but watching my country means so much more than watching a lot of high paid mercenaries for Celtic in the CL. You'd prefer seeing a world XI team win than countrymen pulling on the 3 lions with pride. Maybe that's why you don't win anything?

  • Comment posted by Dave, at 14:37 20 Sep 2012

    5. cienfuegos
    Get real Roy and erase that selfish attitude

    ===

    What? How is it selfish to want the national team to do well without risking injury to players who don't get enough recovery time?

    Our National side is playing second fiddle to the Prem, and yet we as a nation still expect to win the World Cup every 4 years.

    Roy speaks the truth. Perhaps his experience so far has opened his eyes.

  • Comment posted by John, at 19:10 20 Sep 2012

    Good Luck. A bunch of foreign owned businesses really don't care too much about the England team

  • Comment posted by Sasuke_nffc, at 18:30 20 Sep 2012

    Can see the point of the scheduling request, but the winter break thing is rubbish. The games still have to be played and if there was a break, then there'd only be complaints down the line in world cup/euros years that games have been crammed into the months leading up to the tournaments and that the players have been too tired. This would be especially true for clubs in european competition.

  • Comment posted by SuperSonic4, at 18:12 20 Sep 2012

    Two Problems:
    1) The media whipping up jingoism to sell papers. England are an average side at best yet every tournament the media implies England have a divine right to win and it's the manager's fault if England don't win.
    2) Too many foreigners in the top end of the league

    For 1 the media will do anything to avoid blaming itself and most fans are stupid enough to believe it.

  • Comment posted by U15036030, at 18:09 20 Sep 2012

    Look at every other England team rugby cricket teams and how much time we get them together . Football is a few days yet its the country's no1 sport.

  • Comment posted by mopeysky, at 17:26 20 Sep 2012

    Personally, I'm in favour of a winter break. Why shouldn't footballers be allowed Christmas the same as every one else?
    Plus it's been shown by giving players a break they are less likely to pick up injuries and we all want to see our best players playing. As to the Sunday game business, if they're playing on a Friday I don't see it as an issue, if they're playing midweek, then I understand it.

  • Comment posted by U15307266, at 15:57 20 Sep 2012

    @114 we laugh at your economy and we will laugh harder when you have to beg the eu to bail you out.

    back on topic the whole of spanish football is built on debt even more than the debt clubs in the uk hold. spanish football is riding the crest of a wave at the moment but it will come crashing down sooner or later.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/football/2012/04/201241819570284358.html

  • Comment posted by SwissColony, at 14:36 20 Sep 2012

    @45 owenm

    Totally understand and fully agree with that point. I'd suggest a winter break either directly before Chrimbo when a lot of people are busier thus meaning the players are refreshed going into the four games in ten days (or whatever it is).

    Alternatively, have the break after New Years to prepare for the 2nd half of the season and the knockout stages of the CL.

  • Comment posted by woodthorpe119, at 13:55 20 Sep 2012

    Yet again we need to make excuses for ourselves: we need a winter break... no fixtures on Sunday.
    Roy just needs to get on with picking the team and playing the games. We should have beat Ukraine, that's his fault, not Southampton v United being on a Sunday.

    In Spain and Italy the lions share of their games are played on a Sunday. Now remind me who won the last two world cups...

  • Comment posted by John_from_Hendons hypocritic oath, at 12:34 21 Sep 2012

    Regarding England and TV, first essential step is getting coverage back to the BBC away from those incompetant amateurs and irritating ad breaks on ITV!

  • Comment posted by U15430075, at 10:50 21 Sep 2012

    Two things - it's the same for all nations such as the spanish play the majoriy of games on a sunday, like this would make any difference to a technically inept england team!

    Secondly - maybe be an excuse as to why his captain can't last 90mins anymore, thats age im afraid games every three days at gerrards age are difficult!

  • Comment posted by U15432001, at 06:31 21 Sep 2012

    Winter break means an extended season. Pointless.

  • Comment posted by phil, at 01:45 21 Sep 2012

    To everybody it's about money,money,money no one gives a flying fig unless there is money to be made. Whether it's England,Scotland et al no club manager cares it's about hard cash football is a business to be bought and sold at whim and anyone who is deluded enough to think it belongs to fans needs to get real,buy the shirt,scarf and toys for the kids and one year later do the same again muppets

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