Steve Bruce has called on the Premier League to change the format of the season to not only benefit clubs but to help the FA Cup become a better competition.
He told the Black Cats’ official website www.safc.com: ‘We have to try to arrest something.
‘I have had the privilege of going all the way in the FA Cup, and getting to the latter stages is a fantastic thing for any club.
‘My thoughts on it are that the competition needs a radical revamp.
‘For example, the third round is usually the first Saturday after New Year when everyone is spent up from Christmas, and it becomes a problem for people after they have shelled out the money for their season tickets.
‘Maybe we could try to restructure things. I’ve seen Sir Alex’s quotes on a mid-season break – if we’re going to be successful as a nation, that has to come into play.
‘We are the only nation who doesn’t do it. Certainly that would mean a lesser summer, but [a mid-season break] would be common sense and I agree with Sir Alex.
‘You could start off your fixtures again with two FA Cup ties when people haven’t seen football for a while. We could kick off again with back-to-back FA Cup ties.’
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