Michael Keane makes festive fixture verdict after Everton postponements
Everton defender Michael Keane says he relishes the congested festive schedule that has come under criticism from some Premier League managers.
The Toffees’ end of year fixtures have been postponed though with COVID-19 running rife in many top divisions squads.
While Keane enjoyed a relaxing Christmas day, he admitted that he enjoys the festive football bonanza and the chaos it brings.
“Personally, I like the busy schedule at Christmas. It’s obviously a tradition here in England and so it’s good to play games every three days,” Keane said, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.
“I know some managers and players have different opinions, but I enjoy it. The experience we’ve just had means the games are going to come later on down the line.
A Heavy Workload
The Christmas and New Years fixtures have been a major phase of the English footballing calendar for decades.
Bumper crowds provide a ramped up atmosphere and everyone has a smile on their face with festive spirit, at least prior to kick-off.
Boxing Day defeat can often crush any Christmas glee fans or players have and results in this run of games can sometimes be the catalyst for climbing up the table or falling back down.
Everton haven’t played since 16 December but will be back in action on Sunday at home to Brighton.
Postponements over the last week may have been a blessing in disguise though with form difficult to come by so far this season.
Lying 15th in the table, Rafael Benitez’s side have won just once since September and this time away from playing games could have given the Spaniard much needed training ground time with his squad.
The Blues could do without the stress of a relegation battle and new signing Vitaliy Mykolenko could provide the lift required for Everton to avoid the fight.
In other Everton news, Mike Parry has slammed the Everton board, calling them “shambolic”.