2023/24 Season Fixtures

[jd1981]

Since returning to the PL our final day fixtures have been Liverpool(a) Chelsea (a) Man Utd (h) Liverpool (a) Arsenal (a) Liverpool (a)
5 straight seasons being away on the opening day to.

 

[Jack Regan]

The clubs have a say in how the fixtures are put together I believe, so we're obviously perfectly happy for this to keep happening?

 

[jd1981]

First home games are tough BHA, Liverpool, Man City, Villa, Newcastle, Spurs. First genuinely easier fixture at home is v Burnley in early December.

 

[Mel Evo]

A quick scan without any great thought - the basis for a truly insightful bit of analysis: it does seem like we have a run of tough fixtures spread out evenly before a batch of easier ones concentrated before Christmas. Guess I’d rather it was the other way round for the probability of a bit of false hope followed by a bump than a stressful position followed by battle to get to mid table. Personally don’t mind being away on the first round of fixtures as I’m likely to be on hols… but overall a quick glance seems to show we’ll play every other team in our division twice before next June, so more or less what I hoped for.

 

[Kenny]

The clubs have a say in how the fixtures are put together I believe, so we're obviously perfectly happy for this to keep happening?

The only say the clubs will have are stuff like

Is there any reason you can't be at home first (work on stadium for example)
Do you prefer home or away on Boxing Day (odd one to ask really)

Even if you say "prefer away as the pitch might not be finished" they can plonk you at home and the same on Boxing Day.

 

[Jack Regan]

The only say the clubs will have are stuff like

Is there any reason you can't be at home first (work on stadium for example)
Do you prefer home or away on Boxing Day (odd one to ask really)

Even if you say "prefer away as the pitch might not be finished" they can plonk you at home and the same on Boxing Day.

Obviously confused this with the NFL where they do get a day.

Found this interesting from an article on fixtures;

"The man responsible for the task is Glenn Thompson. Thompson has collated over 60,000 games since 1992." So we need to hunt him down and ask us why he keeps screwing us

 

[jd1981]

Away fixtures look far more favourable to start with Everton, Palace, Luton, Bournemouth, Sheff Utd, Fulham.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Away fixtures look far more favourable to start with Everton, Palace, Luton, Bournemouth, Sheff Utd, Fulham.

By favourable are you thinking a goal difference better than minus 20?!

 

[jd1981]

Have a feeling a lot of our home games early on will be moved for tv and Europe

 

[jlo]

I actually prefer a tougher start, more likely to catch teams not yet in their stride. Obvious dangers but if we're hovering around 11th come October, decent platform to build on.

 

[b3h]

We've gotta play em all twice is my input

Was hoping to be more optimistic this season and not worrying about runs of fixtures or the relegation run in thread. Time will tell!

Edit: kinda like under Nuno. I don't miss him, honest.

 

[jd1981]

Yeah you can spin it a lot of ways is better playing promoted sides earlier or later? Will we get the BHA that smashed us 6-0 or the drunk version v Everton and Newcastle.

 

[SSB]

Have a feeling a lot of our home games early on will be moved for tv and Europe

Very true. Someone with more time on their hands than me could probably work out which fixtures will be after Tues/Weds/Thurs Europe games and likely to move.

 

[SSB]

Fucking hate away days on boxing day, had enough of the in laws by then, and generally can't get a ticket!

Fulham away on Boxing Day a few years ago was a pain in the arse.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Very true. Someone with more time on their hands than me could probably work out which fixtures will be after Tues/Weds/Thurs Europe games and likely to move.

Villa at home and West Ham away will move as they'll both play on Thursday.

Brighton at home won't as it's before the group stage starts. Liverpool at home doesn't clash with a European week either but always a chance that gets picked for TV.

Others depend on who progresses after Christmas and how Champions League games fall.

 

[Kenny]

Villa at home and West Ham away will move as they'll both play on Thursday.

To be honest the PL should keep the Villa game on a Saturday as the European comp they are in is worthless, so they should just send their kids to play in those games and leave the 1st teamers for the big games

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Whilst you play every team twice the order can make a huge difference as Patrick Vierra found out at Palace. Leading up to his sacking they had a run of about a dozen games in which they’d have started as underdogs. Clearly Palace should have got something from those games but it undoubtedly played a significant part in his departure.

 

[jd1981]

If you play all the big guns early on it can damage confidence. The biggest problem was the PL xmas scheduling in the past giving certain sides a clear advantage in fixtures. Biggest joke was making us play Man City on 27th at 8pm then going to Liverpool on 29th for 1630 kick off this after they’d had an extra day off.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If you play all the big guns early on it can damage confidence. The biggest problem was the PL xmas scheduling in the past giving certain sides a clear advantage in fixtures. Biggest joke was making us play Man City on 27th at 8pm then going to Liverpool on 29th for 1630 kick off this after they’d had an extra day off.

And then we got double robbed by decisions at Anfield...I refuse to believe the ref saying he didn't blow for handball on their goal (he did) then we had one of those Season One VAR offsides where they were seemingly desperate to disallow goals.

 

[jd1981]

And then we got double robbed by decisions at Anfield...I refuse to believe the ref saying he didn't blow for handball on their goal (he did) then we had one of those Season One VAR offsides where they were seemingly desperate to disallow goals.

If conspiracy theorists wanted ammunition to their argument the whole circumstances around this fixture were the perfect recipe.
Having 5 days off as opposed to 7 like your opponents not to much of a problem. Playing on a Sunday after Thursday in Europe two different competitions and organisations not really avoidable.
Same organisation organising the same competition that allows one side 69 hours rest and it’s opponent’s 42 hours rest is avoidable and an unbalanced playing field.