Fixture list

[Craig_H]

DanKennett Dan Kennett
by JimBoardman
@JimBoardman @Andrew_Heaton All 6 United games following CL group games are HOME. all 6 for City AWAY. for full details see my timeline

[Mostar]

http://www.football365.co.za/story/0,22162,8698_6993769,00.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

KENNY QUESTIONS BIG KICK-OFF TIMING

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has questioned the wisdom of the starting the new season just three days after a round of international matches.

The Barclays Premier League campaign is scheduled to kick-off on Saturday August 13, less than 72 hours after many players will have competed in a host of friendlies.

On the previous Wednesday England play Holland at Wembley, Scotland host Denmark and the Republic of Ireland face Croatia.

There are numerous other friendlies also taking place on that date involving teams from Europe and the rest of the world.

Dalglish believes it would have made more sense to put back the start of the season by a day, although that would have impacted on television coverage.

"There's not a lot you can say about the fixture list really but I would ask why the season is starting on a Saturday when there are international friendlies the midweek before," the Scot told liverpoolfc.tv.

"Clubs are doing their best to bring in good players and that usually means they are international players.

"There is a free week after the first weekend so I don't understand why we can't start the season on a Sunday to prevent players having to travel back on a Wednesday night in time for a Saturday start.

"If you are going to have international games then have them but surely it makes sense to put the league games back a day if it's possible. To me it's common sense."

[powerpack]

DanKennett Dan Kennett
by JimBoardman
@JimBoardman @Andrew_Heaton All 6 United games following CL group games are HOME. all 6 for City AWAY. for full details see my timeline

Classive Guardian's the Fiver regarding the fixture Generater...

Although the manner in which the fixtures are compiled is completely random up to a point, certain factors must be entered into the equation before the Fixture Generator dictates who plays who where and when. To satisfy certain rules, information from assorted clubs and the Old Bill is collated and input by elderly women operating what looks like a 1950s telephone exchange, in order to ensure that local rivals such as Everton and Liverpool never play at home on the same day, clubs don't end up having to play more than two consecutive matches away from home and Manchester United never, ever have to play anyone that might beat them the weekend after a Big Cup match.

[Craig_H]

.

[Shaggy]

DanKennett Dan Kennett
by JimBoardman
@JimBoardman @Andrew_Heaton All 6 United games following CL group games are HOME. all 6 for City AWAY. for full details see my timeline

[Fredo]

DanKennett Dan Kennett
by JimBoardman
@JimBoardman @Andrew_Heaton All 6 United games following CL group games are HOME. all 6 for City AWAY. for full details see my timeline

Haha, that's incredible! Well, it's predictable really. FFS.

[Shaggy]

DanKennett Dan Kennett
1/6 Analysis of #LFC rivals for top 4 following Champions League group dates coming up. Surprise, surprise it massively favours one club

DanKennett Dan Kennett
2/6 #MCFC: all 6 PL fixtures following CL group games are AWAY - including #MUFC #LFC and #CFC. Others are Fulham, Blackburn and QPR

DanKennett Dan Kennett
3/6 #CFC: 4 away (including #MUFC) and 2 at home (including #MCFC). Others are Bolton A, QPR A, Blackburn A, Wolves H

DanKennett Dan Kennett
4/6 #AFC (assuming they qualify): 4 home and 2 away. Blackburn A, Spurs A, Stoke H, WBA, H, Fulham H, Everton H

DanKennett Dan Kennett
5/6 #MUFC: All 6 PL fixtures following CL group games are HOME - including #CFC and #MCFC. Others Norwich, Sunderland, Newcastle and Wolves

DanKennett Dan Kennett
6/6 Can #MCFC really sustain a title challenge with that atrocious fixture list? If they needed a reason to carry on spending, this is it.

[Craig_H]

TBH though, the group games should be a walk in the park anyway.

The time when PL fixtures around CL fixtures really has an impact, will be the knockout rounds.

[Exiled_red]

DanKennett Dan Kennett
by JimBoardman
@JimBoardman @Andrew_Heaton All 6 United games following CL group games are HOME. all 6 for City AWAY. for full details see my timeline

[Fernandinho]

Anyone notice the international fixtures list? Half our team are going to be playing each other! Dirk will be playing vs all the England boys. If Adam signs he will be playing against Agger and possible Poulsen :vommit:

[Neil Young]

TBH though, the group games should be a walk in the park anyway.

The time when PL fixtures around CL fixtures really has an impact, will be the knockout rounds.

I can see the pressure and intensity is different but the travelling makes a difference whoever you're playing, unless you leave all your best players behind. It's a completely different timetable, there's the tiredness and hassle, and simply less time to prepare everyone tactically and physically for the following league game.

[Mostar]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8583373/Premier-League-2011-12-Kenny-Dalglish-bemoans-lack-of-delay-as-Harry-Redknapp-faces-toughest-start.html

Premier League 2011-12: Kenny Dalglish bemoans lack of delay as Harry Redknapp faces toughest start

Kenny Dalglish issued a scathing critique of the decision to begin the 2011-12 Premier League season just three days after a round of international fixtures, but the Liverpool manager is likely to be rather happier than his counterparts at Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham with his side’s opening run of games.

Harry Redknapp, indeed, suggested Spurs have one of the most exacting early-season sequences he has ever experienced, with games against Everton, United, Manchester City, Liverpool and a north London derby with Arsenal in their opening seven fixtures. “That is one of the toughest starts I have had in all my years as a manager,” he said.

Redknapp will not be alone in bemoaning the cruelty of the Atos Origin computer software which compiles the fixtures. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will open the defence of their 19th league championship away at West Bromwich Albion - the first time they have not started the season at Old Trafford since 2005 - before facing Spurs and then meeting Arsenal on Aug 27. The champions host Chelsea, who finished second last season, three weeks later.

Arsenal, too, must endure a difficult opening spell, with Wenger’s side away at Newcastle, at home to Liverpool and travelling to Old Trafford all before the end of August. Chelsea, meanwhile, have a relatively gentle start, facing just one member of last season’s top six, United, before the end of October.

City will be confident of starting the campaign well before Roberto Mancini’s side make the short journey to Old Trafford on Oct 22, with newly-promoted Swansea their first opponents. The Italian will be rather less pleased that his side have been scheduled six away games after each group fixture in their inaugural Champions League campaign. United, by contrast, will be at home after every round of games in Europe.

Liverpool begin Kenny Dalglish’s first full season in charge for more than 20 years at home to Sunderland - a swift encounter with familiar faces for the £16 million midfielder Jordan Henderson - before travelling to the Emirates Stadium. Steve Bruce’s side will then host Newcastle on Aug 20.

“It is a tough first two games,” said Steven Gerrard. “It is a massive test early on. It is nice to have a home game first. Hopefully we will have a few new signings in and we can start the season with three points which would give us the confidence to then go and get a good result at Arsenal. That is a difficult place to go and we haven’t won there for a while. It’s important to hit the ground running if you want to compete for the title. You can’t afford any slip-ups early on.” His manager, though, was rather more concerned that many of his side may still be feeling the after-effects of the previous Wednesday’s international fixtures when Steve Bruce’s side visit. “I would ask why the season is starting on a Saturday when there are international friendlies the midweek before,” he said. “If you are going to have international games then have them. But surely it makes sense to put the league games back a day if it’s possible? To me it’s common sense.”

Dalglish’s side will find October rather more troubling, with a trip to Old Trafford following a Merseyside derby with Everton on the first weekend of October, when Arsenal also face Spurs. Those fixtures are repeated on Feb 25, while the weekend of Feb 4, when Chelsea host United and Liverpool face Spurs, is among the most appetising.

It is Chelsea who have the most demanding run-in - travelling to both the Emirates and Anfield before finishing at home to Blackburn - though it is the second Manchester derby of the season, at Eastlands on the weekend of Apr 28, which has the air of a title decider.

Wigan will face Norwich, Swansea and Queen’s Park Rangers, the three sides newly promoted from the Championship, in their opening three fixtures, and it is the Welsh side who have the most difficult task of the league’s fresh blood. Trips to Eastlands, the Emirates and Stamford Bridge await before September is out. “It just brings home the fact that we are in the Premier League,” said chairman Huw Jenkins. “We are really looking forward to it. The main thing is that we are competitive throughout the season.”

Neil Warnock, the QPR manager, insisted the identity of his opponents was not as important as the fact that his side - who will open against Bolton and end with a trip to Manchester City - are in the league “where we all want to be”. “It is just fabulous to be involved,” he added.

Norwich chief executive David McNally described the club as “thrilled” with their schedule, although few sides will end the season with quite such a daunting fixture list: four of last year’s top six in the Carrow Road team’s final seven games.

[Cleo]

When will we get a confirmed schedule - after Sky has had its say - for the first part of the season?

[Cleo]

When will we get a confirmed schedule - after Sky has had its say - for the first part of the season?

Come on - wake up!!
Can anyone help me?!

[Craig_H]

Someone said it would take about 2 weeks from when the fixtures were released, for Sky to confirm their schedule for August-December. So that would be July 1st.