Is Arsene Wenger on the verge of revolutionising the Premier League?

Arsene Wenger has revealed his plan for the Premier League to be played over the summer months and is set to hold talks with FIFA over the proposal.

The former Arsenal manager has suggested that a radical overhaul is required to revamp the calendar of domestic football in England and believes that to do so fixtures need to be played from March to November.

As part of his role as the head of global football developments at FIFA, Wenger is expected to present proposals that can improve the long-term structure of football, with his latest one targeting the ever-growing issue surrounding the unattainable fixture lists.

Undoubtedly, the delayed start due to the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t helped the situation, however this isn’t the first time key figures within the game have spoken out on the problem.

It also wouldn’t be the first time that the Frenchman has been the driving force behind innovative changes within  English football, as seen from his time with Arsenal, he’s been influential in evolving the game and bringing his own ideas to fruition. If it wasn’t for Wenger the Premier League may not be as we know it, as his introduction of top training methods, dietary, nutrition and focus on youth guided us into the modern era of football, all while paving the way for foreign managers.

Wenger told beIN sports that his time as manager of Nagoya Grampus in Japan helped him arrive at the idea: “It’s my dream you know, it’s not a dream I share with many people at the moment but I just think I have the advantage of having worked in Japan. We played from March until November and it was perfect. You would not have anymore ‘he won the Championship in season 2018-19.’ No, the championship was won in 2018 or 2019 and in 2020.”

In order for the change to happen, he also believes that competitions such as the UEFA Nations League should make way to simplify the fixture list and give more time to fit in the prestigious accolades. As a result, the World Cup and European Championships would be played every two years, instead of every four, partly due to the gap in between not giving players enough opportunity to win the tournament multiple times.

With meetings pencilled in with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and all the major stakeholders in the game later this month, it looks increasingly likely that English football will evolve once more, however what will it mean for the game we all love?

Part of the reasoning behind the idea is that the players, especially this season, have been unable to cope with the demands of playing such a large volume of games with little rest in between. As a result, muscular injuries are estimated to be up around 15% compared to last campaign, only compounding the belief that something needs to be done to combat it.

74 players suffered anything from a niggle to a serious injury over the festive period in 2020, as most teams played four fixtures between 21st December and 2nd January, meaning around six Premier League players were injured every 24 hours.

Despite games in the new plan being played across a similar number of months as they are currently, the manner in which they are arranged would allow players a months break in the winter, much like they already do in Germany. By doing this, it would not only give injured players time to recover, but it allows teams to plan around it by completing warm weather training camps as well as ensuring they have recharged their batteries ahead of the restart.

Another benefit to be considered is the mental recuperation it would provide for not only the players, but managers and staff as well. From planning tactics, training sessions and recovery programmes to pulling on the shirt and remaining focused for 90 minutes the toll it takes on everyone involved over the course of the season shouldn’t be underestimated. However, with a well deserved break scheduled at the end of each year, it could lead to a higher level of performance at major international tournaments and put Premier League players at an advantage heading into them.

Although it appears that there are many positives to the potential changes, for supporter’s there are definitely some downsides to it, especially if you are a season ticket holder. Currently, the fixture list is planned so domestic football finishes over the summer which is when fans are most likely to be abroad, having their own time away from the game. This would mean that supporters who have paid large amounts of money for their season tickets could miss fixtures due to the clash, as the plan pays little consideration to the most fundamental part of football, the fans.

Another possible hurdle to overcome would be that every other major league in Europe would have to follow suit and revamp their calendars to mirror it. If they weren’t willing to do so, it would cause havoc for summer transfer windows due to some teams being midway through their campaigns, when others had already finished.

As we have seen with the January window, deals are difficult to make as a result of this problem, with clubs reluctant to let their star players leave at a pivotal part of year. Therefore, without everyone making the same decision transfers between different leagues would be very problematic, and potentially put the Premier League at a disadvantage when competing in European competitions.

So with talks for the proposal in the pipeline will Wenger prove to be ahead of the curve and revolutionise English football once more?

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