So, winter break?

[Silvio Dante]

By accident as opposed to design, we end a winter break on Saturday. And I have to be honest, I’ve enjoyed it. Not just because of the World Cup but because…

- It’s given opportunity to watch smaller local teams (I’ve seen Yate 3 times)

- It’s been a decent opportunity to step away from the grind and worry of city

- On a team basis, it’s been an opportunity to ease off injuries and reset

Having never been a huge fan, I’d take a 2-3 week winter break in future years. It just seems right both from a player and a fan basis. 
 

Anyone else feel this way?

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, Silvio Dante said:

By accident as opposed to design, we end a winter break on Saturday. And I have to be honest, I’ve enjoyed it. Not just because of the World Cup but because…

- It’s given opportunity to watch smaller local teams (I’ve seen Yate 3 times)

- It’s been a decent opportunity to step away from the grind and worry of city

- On a team basis, it’s been an opportunity to ease off injuries and reset

Having never been a huge fan, I’d take a 2-3 week winter break in future years. It just seems right both from a player and a fan basis. 
 

Anyone else feel this way?

Yes, been in favour for a good while, certainly at top levels, where you don’t tend to get weather postponements.  The arguments in the past is that you take a 2 week break in January and it snows it Feb.  

[ralphindevon]

I’ve enjoyed some parts but must admit by last Saturday I was missing watching City big time, it made me realise how important the whole match day is for me.

It looked like the players enjoyed it, except poor old Ayman Benarous who’s season is now over.

Edited December 7, 2022 by ralphindevon

[MarcusX]

7 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

By accident as opposed to design, we end a winter break on Saturday. And I have to be honest, I’ve enjoyed it. Not just because of the World Cup but because…

- It’s given opportunity to watch smaller local teams (I’ve seen Yate 3 times)

- It’s been a decent opportunity to step away from the grind and worry of city

- On a team basis, it’s been an opportunity to ease off injuries and reset

Having never been a huge fan, I’d take a 2-3 week winter break in future years. It just seems right both from a player and a fan basis. 
 

Anyone else feel this way?

I wonder how some of the players feel about it

I know as a player always being excited for the season in the summer - then once its underway, if you havent started well or struggling for form it can feel a bit of a drag.

It's a good opportunity for a reset, get the bad start / run of form out of your mind and go again.

[Robbored]

6 minutes ago, ralphindevon said:

I’ve enjoyed some parts but must admit by last Saturday I was missing watching City big time, it made me realise how important the whole match day is for me.

Same here - the only thing that kept the withdrawals away was the WC and England doing pretty well.

A winter break is not something I’d want. 

[Bristol Oil Services]

If they must, but would be loathe to lose the Christmas programme, a big part of our football, and sporting, culture. Let them rest in early December, so we can then have them playing five games in nine days (or whatever it is) over the holiday season. 

It's all up in the air and up for grabs now though, now that the club season has been interrupted by a World Cup. 

[Simple Red]

I would worry about severe weather coming in after the break, enforcing another two or three week loss of fixtures. This would lead to another 4 to 6 games to be shoehorned into the end of the season.

[Roger Red Hat]

11 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

If they must, but would be loathe to lose the Christmas programme, a big part of our football, and sporting, culture. Let them rest in early December, so we can then have them playing five games in nine days (or whatever it is) over the holiday season. 

It's all up in the air and up for grabs now though, now that the club season has been interrupted by a World Cup. 

Break after Jan 1st fixtures.

[RedRock]

I need my football ‘fix’.

Sounds like we may have a World Cup every two years. Would be quite happy if that was played every time at this time of year. Maybe have the Women’s World Cup alternating years. If the World Cup frequency isn’t increased maybe have the Euros in this period.

Always found the late November/early December period a bit depressing with the short, cold days and not many opportunities to get involved in outdoor activities.  City rarely have done much to lift the spirits, so bring on these early Winter international tournaments. Everyone I’ve spoken to has enjoyed the timing and quality of this tournament despite the near hysterical doom and gloom merchants. 

[spudski]

I'd favour a break...however I think a break in January would be better. And the January transfer window brought back to December.

That way, players get a rest. Players from transfers get a chance to trainand knit with new team. Champions league starts in Feb.  Public always find January a tough month re money. 

 

[cidercity1987]

A favour a 12 month break to be honest

Too emotionally invested in it

The highs are good but statistically only 1 in 3 games leaving 2 out of 3 to be downers

[Silvio Dante]

19 minutes ago, spudski said:

I'd favour a break...however I think a break in January would be better. And the January transfer window brought back to December.

That way, players get a rest. Players from transfers get a chance to trainand knit with new team. Champions league starts in Feb.  Public always find January a tough month re money. 

 

I think that’s a good shout on many levels

[Super]

Haven't really missed City but that's probably because we've had the World Cup on. 

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, Roger Red Hat said:

Break after Jan 1st fixtures.

Of course. Ok, right. Flog 'em over the 12 days of mindless consumerism, then let them fly off to Dubai/Shanghai/Australasia for three weeks of their precious rest/lucrative friendlies.

[GrahamC]

3 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

By accident as opposed to design, we end a winter break on Saturday. And I have to be honest, I’ve enjoyed it. Not just because of the World Cup but because…

- It’s given opportunity to watch smaller local teams (I’ve seen Yate 3 times)

- It’s been a decent opportunity to step away from the grind and worry of city

- On a team basis, it’s been an opportunity to ease off injuries and reset

Having never been a huge fan, I’d take a 2-3 week winter break in future years. It just seems right both from a player and a fan basis. 
 

Anyone else feel this way?

Agree with all of that, bar the World Cup bit, which I haven’t watched.

Actually enjoyed the break, not missed it at all, though pleased that it’s back.

[Roger Red Hat]

1 hour ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Of course. Ok, right. Flog 'em over the 12 days of mindless consumerism, then let them fly off to Dubai/Shanghai/Australasia for three weeks of their precious rest/lucrative friendlies.

Either way you'll be 'flogging them over the 12 days'.

[Sleepy1968]

I've got my live fix by going to watch the women v Brum, and the U21s v Palace. Let's just say I enjoyed one game more than the other. I'm almost ready to get wound up by more of City's bad defensive play. But seriously we need a couple of good results to take the pressure off. England or City for a Saturday win? That's an easy one for me.

[pongo88]

Nobody can accurately predict the weather long term, particularly as climate change is causing some crazy fluctuations. As @Simple Red pointed out, you could have a break that was immediately followed by a period of bad weather leading to postponements. So it’s a “no” from me 

[Negan]

If there was no World Cup this would have been crap. Whether city win or lose its better than nothing. Wouldn’t want a winter break, tradition is a big thing. Keep it as it is. 

[Dredd]

100% in favour or a winter break, but early Jan. 

I also never want a winter World Cup again. 

[Port Said Red]

5 hours ago, MarcusX said:

I wonder how some of the players feel about it

I know as a player always being excited for the season in the summer - then once its underway, if you havent started well or struggling for form it can feel a bit of a drag.

It's a good opportunity for a reset, get the bad start / run of form out of your mind and go again.

Well it gave ours a chance to have a Xmas get together over the weekend. Good bit of team building up in London.  

[And Its Smith]

I’m not bothered either way really. I get to watch about 35 games per season whenever they are played and they all need to be played at some point. If it helps fatigue and standard of football then bring it on 

[The Bard]

If there is one thing that will possibly follow from this World Cup, it is likely to be a change in how the international windows work.  At the moment, we miss 1 weekend plus 2 midweeks in September, October and November during which players fly all over the globe then arrive back at their clubs jetlagged and barely able to play for their clubs.  The logical thing would be to have just 1 international break but over 3 weekends and 4 midweeks.  You would be able to play the same number of international games as now but there would obviously be less travel and more time to recuperate. Maybe do it in October.  They could then play the Carabao cup in those weeks. 

Overall it would really help the Championship which is ridiculously cramped atm.  

[MarcusX]

1 hour ago, The Bard said:

If there is one thing that will possibly follow from this World Cup, it is likely to be a change in how the international windows work.  At the moment, we miss 1 weekend plus 2 midweeks in September, October and November during which players fly all over the globe then arrive back at their clubs jetlagged and barely able to play for their clubs.  The logical thing would be to have just 1 international break but over 3 weekends and 4 midweeks.  You would be able to play the same number of international games as now but there would obviously be less travel and more time to recuperate. Maybe do it in October.  They could then play the Carabao cup in those weeks. 

Overall it would really help the Championship which is ridiculously cramped atm.  

I can't see that working for international teams. Limits the opportunities for managers to try out different players, drops in form/injury etc. There's 3-4 squads per year at the moment, now there would be only 1

[The Bard]

10 hours ago, MarcusX said:

I can't see that working for international teams. Limits the opportunities for managers to try out different players, drops in form/injury etc. There's 3-4 squads per year at the moment, now there would be only 1

100% disagree.  Think that it would mean there would be more rotation.  If England played 5 qualifiers over the period, the manager would have to rotate which would mean he would try out different players.  Remember this would be for qualifiers and they'd be able to call players up and let them go back to clubs as they saw fit.  

It's normal in other sports (Rugby Union) and allows coaches to establish identity and relationships.