MX23RW : Friday, January 24 10:06:58| >> :120:40966:40966:

Sam Allardyce: 'Lack of winter break could shorten careers'

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce believes that the lack of a winter break in the English game will cause injuries that could shorten the careers of some players.

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is adamant that the hectic fixture schedule over the festive period causes career-limiting injuries.

Premier League sides will face a period of four games in eight days between Christmas and New Year, while they have also played three games over the past week.

Allardyce feels that the lack of a winter break, which exists in most other major European leagues, will take its toll on the players and could have dire consequences for their long-term futures in the game.

He told reporters: "My opinion has never changed and it never will. You keep flogging your players and keep asking them to maintain the levels they maintain, then you are asking for injuries.

"And injuries have a great cost to every investment you make in football. Every injury takes its toll on the player. But if they consistently start getting injuries then the player will pay a price down the line. It will shorten his career.

"Until everybody gets their head together and really sorts it out, we are always going to be faced with the fact that at this time of year we are asking them to deliver four games in eight days."

West Ham play Swansea City in the Premier League at Upton Park on Sunday.

ID:192251: cacheID:192251:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2201:
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Former footballer Teddy Sheringham in action during the Pro-Am ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on May 21, 2014
Read Next:
Sheringham hails "fantastic" Allardyce
>
Read more about Sam Allardyce Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool21155150203050
2Arsenal22128243212244
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest22135433221144
4Chelsea22117444271740
5Manchester CityMan City22115644291538
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle22115638261238
7Bournemouth22107536261037
8Aston Villa2210663334-136
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2281043530534
10Fulham228953430433
11Brentford2284104039128
12Crystal Palace226972528-327
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2275102732-526
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2275102743-1626
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs22731245351024
16Everton214891828-1020
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2244143251-1916
18Ipswich TownIpswich2237122043-2316
19Leicester CityLeicester2235142348-2514
20Southampton2213181550-356


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!