Hodgson calls for winter hiatus

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has demanded a winter break because of the fixture congestion during the Christmas period.

Hodgson’s side travel to Blackpool on Sunday vying for revenge after a humiliating home defeat to the Premier League new boys in October. But the game could be in doubt after Blackpool’s fixture against Tottenham at Bloomfield Road was postponed last weekend because of the freezing cold weather.

And Hodgson believes a winter break, like the one used in most other European countries, would prevent these problems.”People will be tired of my opinion about winter breaks but I don’t understand why they insist that people play all of their football month after month,” Hodgson said.”I have worked in countries where they are not only an obvious necessity, but they are welcomed. For me, it would make sense to divide the calendar up.”

“Football could become a game that could last all year round.””Five games in 15 days is a season-changing period for every club in the Premier League.”Hodgson described the postponement of last week’s fixture against Fulham as ‘irritating’ but it has allowed midfielder Steven Gerrard and defender Daniel Agger extra recovery time from their respective injuries and both join the squad for Sunday’s game.

Despite these returns, Hodgson admitted he would like to add to his squad during January’s transfer window.

Yet he conceded: “I fear the type of player we think is necessary to improve won’t be available in January, even if money was available.””We are anxious that the players we bring in are the right ones for the long term future.””It’s important they’re better than the players we’ve got, because I believe these players will do better in 2011.”

On their Boxing Day opponents, Hodgson added: “I’ve been very impressed with them. It makes it more obvious to me that the reason they won at Anfield was in no way fluky.” “Blackpool are a good team capable of winning away at other top teams. They are capable of beating us.”

Hodgson also said that he was unfazed by the presence of predecessor Rafael Benitez in Merseyside.

Benitez, who is currently on holiday in north-west England, was rumoured to have been sacked by current club Inter Milan on Tuesday, although the Serie A giants have denied the reports.

And with Liverpool’s stuttering Premier League campaign leading to doubts about Hodgson’s own managerial future, the 63-year-old was inevitably asked about whether he felt added pressure given Benitez’s return.

He replied: “None at all, no.”

“You’d have to ask the owners about that (Benitez’s potential return to Anfield). It would be suprising,” he added.