The fixture lists were announced yesterday, showing United to have away Premiership fixtures following all of their key Champions League games.
The managers of all clubs playing in Europe often have a thing or two to say about the timing of league games in relation to the games they have to play on the continent.
This season, it appears as though United come off worse than their rivals, meaning that our chances of retaining the league title for the third year are hindered. Chelsea and Liverpool both have four home games following their games in Europe, whilst Arsenal, who are slightly better off than us, have just one.
United have no home games, meaning they will travel away in the league following all six of the Champions League group stages matches, bringing about much frustration from the United camp.
Is it really necessary for the FA to allow our rivals to have such favourable fixtures?
“Every other country seems to do everything to help their teams in Europe when it comes to domestic fixtures,” said United legend, Paddy Crerand. ”But not here – and it is a disgrace. United are representing this country abroad in the biggest club tournament in the world, yet the fixture list works against them. The draw can have you in some far-flung part of Eastern Europe, not getting home until 4am on Thursday morning. Then you have to prepare for an away trip in the Premier League. It’s all wrong.”
Crerand reflected on the season before last, where United travelled to Italy in the Champions League semi-finals to play AC Milan on the Wednesday night, only to have a midday kick off away to City on the Saturday. United were knocked out of Europe that night, with just one of our first choice four defenders available. Fortunately, following a dull and uninspiring derby day, United won 1-0 courtesy of a Ronaldo penalty, and were deemed Champions the following day when Chelsea failed to beat Arsenal.
Regardless, Crerand takes a look at the impact the FA’s behaviour in relation to those teams playing in Europe has. “Two seasons ago it really affected the club,” he said. “We lost away to Milan because of injuries and then were faced with a derby against Manchester City on the Saturday. It took a lot of juggling to get through that game and eventually win the title.”
The important point to note here is that every season the same complaints are voiced, yet nothing is done about it. The FA seem entirely unwilling to accomodate the difficulties their fixture list brings about, but the reason why remains unclear.
How difficult can it be to organise the fixture lists to allow the teams competing in Europe to be given a home game the weekend following? If that is too difficult, although I’m not sure why it would be, then all teams playing in Europe, whether that’s the Champions League or UEFA Cup, should be given fair and equal fixtures. Chelsea and Liverpool have an unfair advantage this season, playing just two away games following their CL matches, in contrast to United’s six and Arsenal’s five. Why?
An argument against evening out the fixtures is that apparently they are picked at random. Maybe someone from the FA would like to explain why we have had ‘Super Sunday’ two years in a row. Or why the London and Manchester derbies between United and City, as well as Arsenal and Chelsea, take place on the same weekend this season. They’ve got to be having a laugh if they think anyone believes those fixtures are picked at random. If the match days can be switched to accomodate Sky Television, why can’t they be changed for the benefit of the English clubs playing in Europe?
So whilst uniformed uniformed ABUs rant about the FA being in our back pocket, this is just yet another example of the FA making our lives needlessly difficult. And the following season, it will be Wenger/Rafa/whoever replaces Scolari, complaining about the same things. The levels of incompetency running throughout the FA never cease to amaze me.
Do you think fixtures for teams playing in Europe should be made equal? Or is it just ‘one of those things’?
I suppose that even UEFA helped Milan this season allowing them to play their last group game a week early but the SFA didn’t do anything for Rangers during their fixture pile up. As far as I know however if both managers agree (unless its in a midday or evening tv slot) then they can delay the fixture for a day. Plus the fixtures haven’t been changed for tv yet so some of those may be on a Sunday
I tell u what Scott, United Play against 20 teams in the league. the 20th being the FA. And yet somehow we usually come out on top. just like i hinted on my bog, www fortheloveofmanchesterunitedfc.blogspot.com, UNITED WILL OVERCOME THE INJUSTICE OF THE FIXTURE LIST TO YET AGAIN, COME OUT ON TOP.
we can use it to our advantage. if we get to crimbo in usual shape i,l fancy us even more than usual to wrap it up in the last few months of the season.
dont wanna tempt fate! but it,d be nice to end the scallies’ season in september rather than octember! ;o)
I think that’s the way to treat ManUtd by the FA. Maybe they are paying their dues for not appealling to the sentence passed to Fergie & Queroz…..no appeal they said…by they punished them with something else….away to liverpool, champions league and away to chelsea…
Get over it.
UTD (and the other English teams, too) play more domestic games than Spaniards or Itlaiians, whose seasons also include an Xmas break.
On the other hand, UTD (and the other English teams) get huge television revenues to that they can afford large, deep squads.
Is this glass half-full or half-empty ? Well, if UTD get through the fixture squeezes then it’s surely more than half-full.
there is will always be meddling with fixtures. in CL we were conviniently put up against bayern,real,roma over and over in respective seasons when we had rivaly. could it be fate?
i highly doubt, although the process of selection looks transparent with draws selected from a glass bowl, i dont buy it.
but we’ll pull through.fergie has enough time to either beef up his squad or prepare the current team for that tough patch.
we’v done it before,we’l do it again..UTD.
to be honest, i dont like the complaining. it is fishy i admit that ALL six are away, but ya know what, if it was a dipper fan making this complainit, i for one would tell him in no uncertain terms to quit crying like a girl. Isnt that the best that we can do? Just go out there and say, “fuck you FA, you can schedule 38 away games for all i care and we’ll still win the league you fucking bastards.”
DREW VADER…SPOT ON MATE..SPOT ON!!!
drew vader – damn right
we’ll never die, we’ll never die. dodgy fixture list, star player betrayal, carlos q maybe going, whatever!!!
we lost eric, roy, duncan, georgie etc, etc, throughout our history and still we keep the red flag flying high!!!!