“I know this is an issue that managers like myself have been speaking about for years, but if the FA want to help the national team they must start doing something about it.
"I just can't see how an England team will ever win the World Cup given the kind of Premiership season they have to get through.
"Others nations do it and they benefit from it greatly. Look at Germany. The side they sent to the World Cup was arguably the poorest they have ever had, but they reached the final. I think a big factor was that their players were refreshed.
"I know people will say the Brazilians play more football than anybody given their international schedule, but most of them play in Italy, Spain, France or Germany and don't have to cope with the sheer physical strain that is unique to England.
"I don't agree with scrapping the Christmas programme because that is a vital tradition of the English game. But by the time we reach the New Year players are absolutely exhausted. It would be ideal then if they could have a three-week break.
"The season could then run until the end of May and I think that would benefit the England team when they are playing matches in June, like they did this year and as they are scheduled to do next summer.
"It would mean moving the FA Cup back until perhaps the beginning of February, but I have never seen the sense anyway of starting your major cup competition at the start of January when a defeat in the third round could end a club's season and bring a loss of revenue in terms of attendances."
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