Qatar's winter debacle might prove a tonic for the Premier League

As FIFA's Qatar World Cup Final gets set for Christmas week, perhaps our shock horror reaction at the disruption, set in winter stone for 150 years, may thaw after all?

How many times have England fans lamented our biannual failure because Rooney & Co were too pooped from the rigours of a 60-game season?

How much of a chorus has there been for a winter break after Boxing Day to give players the vital rest required?

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Every other year, that’s how much! But the chorus can’t be ignored forever.

So this enforced abruption could prove the blueprint for future Premier League seasons if our disparate interest groups can unify.

And as English clubs wither in the Champions League, perhaps a winter break might aid performance.

Richard Scudamore and his member Premier League clubs usually display a lack of will to embrace change in the face of external influences – but FIFA edicts are too big even for them to resist.

Maybe now, they’ll act on the relative benefits to keep the winter break into season 2022/23.

Don't hold your breath, mind - it might freeze!