PL fixtures released + the Euros delight and bore in equal measure

Morning all.

Let’s start with the Premier League fixtures which were released yesterday, and it’s fair to say that we’ve got a tricky start. We open with Wolves at home, which is relatively kind, but immediately afterwards we’re away at Aston Villa, followed by Brighton at home, then after the first Interlull of the season it’s the North London derby at the Toilet Duck, and then Man City away.

On the Arsecast Extra on Monday, we were asked to choose our first three away games, and I actually went for the first two. Go to Villa and get some revenge, and get the neighbours out of the way. I did then go for Ipswich in the next game rather than Man City, but as a famous meat-based loaf once sang, two out of three ain’t bad. It looks a bit daunting, especially as there’s a Champions League tie between the derby and City, but every game is a challenge and you have to play them some time or another.

If it goes well, it’ll be a very encouraging way to start a season, and because it’s so early, there’s time to make up for it if it’s not quite as positive. The run-in looks a bit more kind than last season, so it’s up to us to make sure we’re still competitive at that point. Another thing to point out is that we’re away from home on the final day, and the penultimate round of fixtures is going to be held on Sunday May 18th, because the FA Cup final is scheduled for Saturday May 17th. We’re due to play Newcastle that weekend, quite what happens if either/both are in the final, I don’t know, but I guess the game would be pushed to the following midweek.

And if you think fixtures can’t get any more complicated, here’s a piece in the Independent about how shifting the dates of AFCON 2025 – to accommodate FIFA’s risible and completely unnecessary expanded Club World Cup – will cause more chaos down the line. It really does feel as if some kind of effective players union is needed, because there actually is a thing as too much football,…

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Author : arseblog

Publish date : 2024-06-19 05:45:59

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