Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld Discusses England’s Loss

Tottenham and Belgian center-back Toby Alderweireld may have pinpointed the reason behind England’s quick exit at the hands of Iceland in the knockout stage.

Speaking to the media following England’s shocking upset loss after carrying a mixture of young and experienced players, ones who can become the Three Lions’ current golden generation for the next decade, Toby Alderweireld believes there is one good reason why Roy Hodgson’s side failed miserably in the European Championship.

And that’s a lack of a winter break in the Premier League. Ten months of competitive football will make even the most fittest of footballers feel tired during major international tournaments without a proper rest.

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For as much as Tottenham players have prided themselves on being very fit after spending the last two years with Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching/training staff, no one can deny that non-stop football is taxing on the body.

Harry Kane can say that he wasn’t tired a couple of days prior to yesterday’s match-up against Iceland in the round of 16, but it wasn’t just the Spurs striker who had tired legs. It was practically everyone on the squad.

Even Jack Wilshere who hadn’t played that much football wasn’t exactly what you called fit to play, after just returning from injury back in April.

The entire England squad showed up exhausted and were easily embarrassed on a night in which the smallest nation currently left in the final eight teams continue to make headlines with each passing day.

While Hodgson’s curious choices in his starting XI and going with a 4-3-3 formation benefited absolutely no one — which it clearly showed when they looked outmatched — the 68-year-old’s managerial tactics are just one of the problems going on with this federation.

The idea of a winter break has been floated around many times in years past and following England’s worst loss in their entire national team history, Toby Alderweireld’s words ring true that it’s about time a break is installed.

Or at least when it comes to major tournaments like the World Cup and Euros.

"“Who am I, of course, to judge them, but the Premier League must urgently think about a rest period in a European Championship or World Cup year,” Alderweireld told a news conference (via Reuters).“We are working day by day for a year.”“When the other leagues take a winter break, we just gear up. That creeps into your clothes and translates into the elimination of England.”"

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After making 49 appearances in all competitions last season, Alderweireld has nearly approached an entire year of playing football since joining Tottenham on July 8th of last year.

Now, granted, Mauricio Pochettino didn’t exactly start pre-season right away but they had to have some light training sessions and/or scrimmages going on to get themselves prepared for their visit to the United States on July 29th when Tottenham took on the MLS All-Stars.

Because other national teams have players split across the top five European leagues, you could make the argument that they’re only carrying a handful of dead legs from players who have played in the Premier League this past season.

Therefore, more or less, a majority of the players — if not all of them — on England’s current 23-man squad have played competitive football for nearly 12 straight months because of the Premiership on top of a pre-season tour.

Which is quite insane and a brutal schedule to maintain for years on end.

Footballers typically don’t have a normal off-season like other professional sports around the world do. Players are tasked with not only trying to stay healthy but they also must stay at peak conditions for 365 days a year. That’s a lot to ask for even if they’re earning a big paycheck or not from their respective clubs.

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Until the Premier League decides to follow their other European league brethren and implement a winter break that could see England’s four professional leagues take a month break (at the least), then more misery will follow the Three Lions when it comes to important tournament fixtures.

England can qualify, they can advance past the group stage, but once it gets into the knockout rounds that’s when this team falls apart. England’s Football Association should seriously consider their options and make the best decision for the national team as opposed to earning money over the holidays because fans will show up to support their local teams regardless of what day it is.