Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has accused the Football Association and the Premier League of failing to learn from the past in their steadfast refusal to adopt a winter break.
Eriksson, now manager of Leicester, led England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments during his time at the helm of the national side between 2001 and 2006, but feels the demands of the English league programme are hampering hopes of real success.
"It's more difficult for England than other countries to do well in a big tournament," Eriksson told The Daily Telegraph.
"You have to have a break. You need to give every Premier League player seven days away to fly to wherever they want. They can have sunshine, relax and then one week of preparation and then start again.
"Owen Hargreaves was the fittest [in tests prior to the 2002 World Cup] because he had the long winter break [with Bayern Munich].
"UEFA did medical research into injuries in the big leagues in Europe from March 1 to the end of the season. England were higher with injuries than anyone else [by four to one].
"You don't learn, because the Premier League want games to be played all the time. So people can watch it everywhere."
The Swede added: "The expectations on England are too high. Before the big tournaments start, the expectation with England builds up and up and up, and you are more or less world champions before you have kicked a ball.
"I don't know whether it is to do with '66, but you build the players up too much."
Source: PA
