Bruce demands an end to ‘ludicrous’ festive fixtures

Steve Bruce believes Premier League managers should collectively lobby the authorities over the “ludicrous, impossible, nonsense” festive scheduling, after urging the game’s stakeholders to stop ignoring their complaints.

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have been among the most strident critics of the Christmas fixture programme, with the Liverpool and Manchester City managers’ complaints shared by many of their counterparts.

Bruce’s Newcastle United are among five clubs being asked to play twice in less than 48 hours, with just 45 hours and 30 minutes between their game at Manchester United on Boxing Day, which they lost 4-1, and this afternoon’s meeting with Everton at St James’ Park.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have the shortest recovery time, with Leicester, Bournemouth and Manchester City also faced with particularly onerous schedules. Bruce has suggested it might be time the managers took a stand. “We moan about it often enough,” the Newcastle manager said. “We see what sort of state they [the players] are in – what they have to carry, what they have to play with and how they have to recover.

“When I hear the masters, Klopp and Guardiola – and they all enjoy being here and being part of the Premier League – we don’t take any notice of them. We are asking the players to do far, far too much.

“I was a centre-half. It didn’t matter to me. I could play every day. Fatigue was never a problem as a centre-back. But the ones who have to run. The lads who are playing and doing 12.5 to 13 kilometres today in midfield. It is ridiculous.”

Bruce believes the responsibility lies not just with the broadcasters, who invest billions in television money, but the game’s authorities to rethink the fixture programme.

The Premier League has introduced a historic first winter break for February 2020, but Bruce argues that is too late.