The First 90 Minutes.com

Merry Christmas everyone! A glass of champagne? We all know December is the month to be jolly, when clubs up and down the country are decked with boughs of Holly and estranged managers kiss underneath the mistletoe, but December is the boogie month for football… and that’s not including the chance bookings that saw 5 clubs (including Bristol City) having their Christmas party at the same club (the drinking type).

For a start, as people up and down the country celebrate their Christmas with food and merriment, footballers have to bear in mind the Boxing Day fixture. Of course Boxing Day football is an integral part of our Christmas (cue Roast Turkey, Queen’s Speech and many viewings of the Railway Children), but we are unique in having this fixture, not least among the European leagues.

For sure the idea that everything shuts down over Christmas is countered over time. We see more shops opening, some on Boxing Day, and we expect buses to run. But we are still sufficiently rooted in the thinking that the Christmas-New Year period should be a holiday, in spite of it not being enforced legally. I can safely say that the majority of offices shut down or run a skeletal service anyway, and footballers do work for the money - in most cases.

But the lack of a winter break is also said to cause fatigue. It sounds obvious that, if players are to play continuously, they will build up fatigue and mal-perform at the latter part of the season, but Ridley advocated in the Guardian five years ago that it is to blame for England’s early exit in the 2002 World Cup. Some may say that the Premier League leaders dominated last year’s Champions League, but their use of English player is sparing to say the least.Moving much further on from that, we are to note that Red is the world’s footballing colour this coming year as Manchester United beat… eh… Liga de Quito in Yokohama (Japan) in the Club World Cup. Did anyone watch the mighty journey that the Devils took to reach the holy grail of football?

We talked about fatigue and Manchester United will certainly be suffering from that, as well as fixture congestion. Granted they have won a trophy, but it would not be outrageous to suggest that this is a trophy less worthy than the European Super Cup, one that United failed to win against Zenit. Interestingly Benitez’s Liverpool was inspired to a ten-match winning streak after succumbing to defeat at the hands of São Paulo, so perhaps it will be a ten-match losing streak for Feguson and his men…

In any case the Premier League has been an exciting one this calendar year, almost topsy turvy. Highlights include: Chelsea and Manchester City, who sacked Grant and Ericsson only for their team to fare worse in the league under Scolari and Hughes; a sheik taking over City; Liverpool’s mysterious transfer strategy that saw the arrival of Keane and other unknown quantities; United doing a double while Arsenal falter; and many managerial departures – some had barely enough time to learn the language.

What we have to look forward to is Liverpool topping the league over Christmas and New Year. What is certain is that, despite having tougher fixtures, it is important psychologically for the Reds to go into the New Year leading. Hughes should remains in the job, and so should Scolari, and both will look to make their mark in the transfer market, especially City. Expect plenty of drama down the table as Blackburn and Manchester City rise, probably in the detriment of Zola’s West Ham, so battered by the credit crunch that they can no longer print XL shirts (that’s XL the sponsor). Fundamentally, the 39th match proposal will not go through and Ferguson will manage until the end of the season, and on yonder and yonder.

It leaves for me to wish you a happy yuletide. Make sure your TV is set to the footie this Friday though… and maybe even Strictly on Christmas Day.