Keith Curle delivers his view on 2022 World Cup break as Hartlepool United's season continues

While the nation prepares for England’s first World Cup game in Qatar against Iran, it’s business as usual for Hartlepool United as their league campaign continues at Barrow this weekend. But the question is: should there have been a break at all levels during the World Cup?

While teams in League One and Two are unlikely to be impacted by the loss of international players competing at the World Cup, should they have been afforded a break as well given the heavy schedule they have been subjected to in the opening months of the campaign?

The World Cup is synonymous with the summer break in football, but for players in League One and Two their focus must remain on the day-to-day job and that is something Keith Curle does not mind with the Hartlepool interim manager suggesting he will still enjoy the tournament as, and when, he can.

“No, not really,” Curle told The Mail when asked if there should have been a break.

“The Premier League, and some of the Championship clubs, will be affected by losing some of their better players to the World Cup. I don’t think there’s many players from League One and League Two going to the World Cup.

“It’s strange, and where it is as well, that can open up a whole new dialogue of conversation.

“Luckily I’m a football manager and not a politician or a stakeholder in the organisation that runs football. There’s reasons why it’s been accepted and going ahead but as a sportsman that’s in football I’m going to enjoy it as and when I can.”

With Hartlepool’s season to carry on, it also means Curle’s injury concerns will carry on, too. But while the schedule could have been more evenly distributed for clubs at this level, Curle is not using the World Cup as an excuse for that, instead he is asking the question about his players’ fitness more internally.

“Could we as a football club be a little bit fitter or a little bit more robust? I think we answer that internally first of all rather than look for excuses,” he told The Mail.

“There’s too many people now when they get posed a question they automatically go into victim mode. I’m slightly different whereby if players are getting injured I'm asking: Are we fit enough? Are we robust enough? Are we doing enough of the work that's needed?

"I know what League Two is about. It can be relentless and physically you need to be up to that challenge. If you’re physically up to that challenge that helps your mental approach to games.

He added: “I’m used to playing Saturday-Tuesday. I can remember the times when you only used to have one sub and now we’ve got five subs and players say they’ve played 60 minutes. Well, get used to rolling out 90 minutes.

“That one sub could play anywhere and everywhere. It was great development for players playing out of position, it’s part of your education. It’s football. And there’s nothing wrong with learning, developing and gaining new skills.”