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Hodgson reignites winter break debate

Roy Hodgson has urged the Premier League to rethink its fixture list ahead of international breaks © PA Photos

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England manager Roy Hodgson has hit out at the Premier League fixture list for making his job tougher and renewed calls to implement a winter break during the season.

The move to switch international fixtures to Friday nights from Saturday was welcomed by club managers, who see players return from international duty a day earlier.

But Hodgson believes the Premier League should follow suit, giving him more quality time with those called up for the national squad by scheduling games involving top sides on Saturdays prior to an international break.

"This is the Premier League and TV," Hodgson said during a question-and-answer session with Club Wembley members.

"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 5 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."

Hodgson also described the introduction of a winter break as "logical" for those who want to see England thrive at international tournaments, but said that would require a change in the media's perception of what matters most to the fans.

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

"You hear people trying to say it's only the Premier League that counts, and the Champions League, and people don't care about international football - something like 24 or 25 million watched our [European Championship quarter-final] game against Italy.

"If you want to see the English desire to see a national team do well, you only have to go to the Olympics. It's Great Britain but you had 20,000 turning up to watch a handball game - let alone beach volleyball, but that's a different matter."

Hodgson has endured the first criticisms of his reign after England's disappointing draw with Ukraine got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a stuttering start, having enjoyed some respite during Euro 2012 for his short time in the job prior to the tournament.

"I know I'll be vilified at some point but I hope when that vilification comes, somewhere down the line I'll get the redemption that a Bobby Robson had," Hodgson said.

"You know when you take the job, you're dead. All you can hope is that you can enjoy that time on your death bed and that when you're resurrected a few years later, people say 'You know, he wasn't that bad'."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.