Monday, 24th November, 2014
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman believes the festive season fixture list favours the big teams with bigger squads.
Unlike some other countries, England doesn’t have a winter break. In fact the number of fixtures a club need to play only increases and complaints of fixtures congestion are not new.
Koeman, who previously managed Feyenoord in the Eredivise, which has a winter break, believes that the amount of fixtures during the festive period is a big advantage for the big teams.
The Southampton manager feels the quality of the squad that the bigger clubs have at their disposal helps them to adequately rest players during the busy period.
"Does it favour the big clubs? Yes. They can change players much easier than other teams in the Premier League", Koeman told ITV.
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"It is worst for the clubs who haven't got 24 players at the same level.”
Koeman himself is not a big fan of making too many changes in the playing eleven, which he will be forced to do in the next one or two months.
"You have to change your team and I don't like to change my team. I believe if the team is doing well you can change one or two positions but I don't believe in changing my team in six or seven positions."
Southampton will play four games in nine days over Christmas including league fixtures on Boxing Day and New Year's Day before the FA Cup third round on the first weekend in January.
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