West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has called for a winter break to be implemented in English football.
Many of Europe's top leagues utilise a short break during the winter months, which Allardyce believes helps the players recuperate and return in better condition.
The Hammers boss doesn't believe that the break has to be a long one but claims that a week or two off would help reduce injuries and aid players both physically and mentally.
"You do not need a long one, and at the end of the day you would not flog a racehorse like you would flog our players. There is a lot of research out there to suggest a winter break benefits football clubs in Europe from suffering less injuries. It shows it is of great benefit, but the fixture congestion with the Premier League and the other leagues find it very difficult to fit in," said Allardyce.
"They would say 'What benefit would two weeks make?' Well a hell of a lot if you could leave your players doing nothing for a week in terms of rest and recuperation, physically and mentally. That would get them re-energised physically and mentally and ready to move forward again.
"After we went away to Dubai for four days last year, we only lost one game after that, went all the way through to the playoffs and won the last six games on the trot. The physical output of the players increased to what they were achieving before they went away. It shows you that just a few days in fact can make a difference."
West Ham, who currently sit 11th in the Premier League table, will face struggling Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
