Friday Cannon Fodder: overload

The football calendar has been absurd for a long time. Players do not get enough time off, and it shows. The quality of play declines, especially for summer tournaments like the World Cup (although we don’t have that problem this time around), and more importantly, fatigue leads to more injuries. The problem is magnified in England where instead of a winter break, the Premier League intentionally crams a bunch of matches into the festive period.

Now, we’ve got talk of a World Cup every two years. Come 2024-25, the Champions League might be moving to a table format instead of a group phase to increase the number of matches played — because the more matches they set up, the more money they make. I’m sure some other governing body will come up with some brilliant idea to increase the number of match inventory, player health be darned.

Sorry for the rant, but I’m tired of it. I love watching football. This season with fewer Arsenal matches hasn’t been nearly as fun. And yet the prospect of more games generally, is incredibly unappealing. I like my players fit and healthy, not exhausted and breaking down. QQ.