Managers brace for a season of two halves with prayer on their lips

The English Premier League kicked off last night, facing a brand new challenge — the minor matter of having to stop in mid-season for six weeks to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

This will involve a six-week break for the league from Nov 13-Dec 26. It effectively means we are in for a season of two halves.

Most of the teams will have players in the World Cup and many managers will be praying their prize performers escape injury during their Qatar experience.

The lengthy break could have a major impact on the league, with some teams losing momentum while others that have not done so well will be happy to have time to reset, which could mean sacking their managers.

Despite the disruptive schedule, the teams likely to be challenging for the title are the usual suspects led by defending champions Manchester City and Liverpool, the two clubs looking a class…