Morning all, time for another pointless round of saying what we would like to happen in events completely outside of our, or the club's, control. The Premier League fixtures are due to be announced tomorrow. What are we hoping for? First game of the season Last game of the season Any other requests We won't get to be at home for both the first and last games, and despite the advantage of finishing at home if we're in a tight race for something I'd prefer to start at the Cottage. I would hope we could avoid the newly promoted sides until October or November, when the gloss is starting to come off their adrenelin-fuelled start and also to avoid the big boys for the first handful of games. Similarly, at the end of the season I'd like someone who is probably going to be safe but with a habit of faltering at that time of year. So: First game: Blackburn at home. Or Villa if they appoint McLeish and their fans are likely to be unsure and turning in on themselves. Last game: Sunderland or Blackburn. I'd also like an away game in the Northwest between Christmas and New Year, as I shall be Christmassing with the in-laws and would be able to get to it. There, that should guarentee that we start with Norwich or Swansea, followed by Manchester United; finish with Liverpool, Manchester City and - of course - Arsenal on the final day, and spend Christmas playing Chelsea, QPR and Spurs. Who are you hoping to see us paired with at key moments of the season?
I'd fancy to start away. Jol first league away win anywhere. Boxing Day home or away against QPR - fills me with Joy. Just not Spurs please. Home game to finish the season...just in case as u say.
I'd like to start with an easy one, one of the relegated clubs at home, QPR would be heavenly. Start as you mean to go on
I think you mean promoted teams, Bandy. I don't know what the fixtures computer is going to throw up, but I can guarentee it won't be West Ham, Birmingham or Blackpool. And a start against the promoted teams would be bad news. As we've found out to our cost in recent years, playing the new boys too early means they are bright-eyed and eager-to-please and often get some good early results. I recall us stumbling against Hull and Blackpool in their respective debut seasons because we got each of them in their first home game. October or November is a much better time to play the newbies, as reality is often starting to seep into their form. Or maybe I'm just over-analysing and getting obsessive again.
Absolutely - always avoid promoted teams, especially if the match is at their ground as they nearly always start like a train. Start at home to Everton - we always beat them, or Bolton. Finish away to one of the relegated teams who have nothing left to play for - so maybe Norwich or QPR would be good. Or Man Utd if they have won the championship by a mile and the game is a home one for us. Boxing Day - a home match against Chelsea.
Start at home to Manchester Utd - they're alwaqys slow staters and we seem to be doing well against them at home. Last game away to the raggeds at Loftus Road ............and relegate them
My brother-in-law (and, for that matter, most of Mrs Captain's family) is a Norwich fan. Last time we were in the Premier League they had to win their last game to stay up. It was against us and we won 6-0. I'd prefer not to have Norwich last game again, just in case fate conspired to give them the opportunity to get revenge on us. I used my gloating rights sparingly, but I'm not sure that all of Mrs Captain's relatives would be so restrained. Incidentally, her uncle (her Mum's brother, if you're interested) is a Norwich fan who married a Fulham fan. Spooky. And I've just realised that my original request for a final game against someone likely to be safe but with a habit of faltering looks like a perfect description of Arsenal!
Well, Chelsea always get a home game and the police have decreed that neither Fulham nor QPR can also be at home. So it's got be away to .................. (Uncle Woy's team).
Be careful what you wish for - it's Villa at home first. I'll settle for that, in fact I think I asked for it.
And, if rumours were to be believed, could have been MH. It's an interesting experiment Villa are conducting with McNeil. I think he's a decent man and a good manager but will that be enough to overcome the built in hatred problems between Villa & Brum? I heard a 5 Live presenter describe some Villa fans as 'first class moaners' and they do have a reputation of being the Newcastle of the midlands.
Ok . . . looking at those fixtures, here's a prediction. We'll make a strong start to the season off the back of the Europa League qualifiers. The first ten fixtures - with the possible exception of Man City at home - are all winnable. So I'll stick my neck out and say we'll be in the top six by the end of October. Then it's Spurs, Arsenal (twice), Liverpool, Man Utd, and Chelsea as six of the next ten opponents, so by the new year we'll have dropped back to mid-table. After that, it all depends how far we go in Europe whether we kick on back up the table in the second half of the season, or drift around in 12th place between then and May.
(from FFC.com) August 2011 Sat 13 Aston Villa H Sat 20 Wolverhampton Wanderers A Sat 27 Newcastle United A September 2011 Sat 10 Blackburn Rovers H Sat 17 Manchester City H Sat 24 West Bromwich Albion A October 2011 Sat 1 Queens Park Rangers H Sat 15 Stoke City A Sat 22 Everton H Sat 29 Wigan Athletic A November 2011 Sat 5 Tottenham Hotspur H Sat 19 Sunderland A Sat 26 Arsenal A December 2011 Sat 3 Liverpool H Sat 10 Swansea City A Sat 17 Bolton Wanderers H Wed 21 Manchester United H Mon 26 Chelsea A Sat 31 Norwich City A January 2012 Mon 2 Arsenal H Sat 14 Blackburn Rovers A Sat 21 Newcastle United H February 2012 Wed 1 West Bromwich Albion H Sat 4 Manchester City A Sat 11 Stoke City H Sat 25 Queens Park Rangers A March 2012 Sat 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers H Sat 10 Aston Villa A Sat 17 Swansea City H Sat 24 Manchester United A Sat 31 Norwich City H April 2012 Sat 7 Bolton Wanderers A Mon 9 Chelsea H Sat 14 Liverpool A Sat 21 Wigan Athletic H Sat 28 Everton A May 2012 Sat 5 Sunderland H Sun 13 Tottenham Hotspur A
To be honest the fixture list is fairly pointless right now, until we know if we have any Europa dates! Far more Saturdays on there than will actually be seen...
Having had some time to reflect on this, I'm quite happy with the fixtures. The one thing I wouldn't have chosen was to finish at Spurs. The rest of the run-in isn't the easiest it could have been, but apart from that we've got most of what I asked for. We don't play the three newcomers until Oct/Dec/Dec, with the rematches in Feb/March/March. As Fulhamish points out, the first ten matches are as comfortable as anyone could have asked for. We will be starting the campaign battle-hardened from the Europa games (assuming we don't crash out to Finnish part-timers in a couple of weeks), so should be well placed to hit the ground running. The important thing is going to be making sure that we get points on the board in that early run of games, and ensuring that we don't have any Euro hangovers causing us to drop unecessary points.
Starting with Villa is a very good start, whether it be home or away. The fans have immediately turned on McLeish so attendances for them may be a problem, as may be generating vocal support, apart from the McLeish out chants that is Knowing him he will go after the Brum players who took him down to the Championship ala Foster, Ferguson etc
