[marty davidson]

ALEX FERGUSON is furious with the Premier League after being handed a stinker of a fixture schedule.

The Manchester United boss was critical of the list last season with away games planned after some key Champions League trips.

But now he has away games after all SIX of the club's Champions League first group matches, while nearest rivals Chelsea and Liverpool have four at home.

Arsene Wenger will be almost as unhappy as Fergie as his Arsenal side have five away dates.

Reds legend Paddy Crerand branded the Premier league a disgrace last night and accused them of denying United help in defending their Champions League crown.

He rapped: “Every other country seems to do everything to help their teams in Europe when it comes to domestic fixtures.

''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.â€

United's first Champions League game will come between visits to Chelsea and Liverpool. Ferguson will be desperate now for the Euro draw to be kind with a home clash.

Trips to Blackburn, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham follow their next five group games.

United's profile as league champions could see some of these matches brought forward to 12.45pm kick-offs on the Saturday for television.

So they could be faced with the prospect of travelling back from an away European trip in the early hours of Thursday, only to have to set off for a domestic away trip the following lunchtime.

Crerand, a European Cup winner with United in 1968, still travels with the team in the Champions League as a respected media pundit.

He added: “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.â€

Last season United had to play away games in the Premier League after four midweek away trips in the Champions League.

They came following the group game with AS Roma and the second round, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

After visiting Lyon in February, they were fortunate to go to a struggling Newcastle and beat them 5-1.

But after a tough trip to Roma in the quarters, they went to Middlesbrough and only drew.

Their semi-final trip to the Nou Camp on April 23 was followed by a crunch showdown at Stamford Bridge at 12.45pm the following Saturday. United lost 2-1.

Crerand said: “Alex Ferguson got criticised after that game at Chelsea for not playing his strongest side.

“But he had to juggle the team, because the trip to Stamford Bridge came in between what were two big semi-final games against Barcelona.â€

Crerand believes teams like United have to become totally reliant on their players staying fit if they are to compete on domestic and European fronts with the fixtures the way they are.

He declared: “Two seasons ago it really affected the club.

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“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.â€

United are already facing fixture congestion due to their success in winning the Champions League.

Their match against Fulham on August 30 will have to be switched, as they will be playing Zenit St Petersburg the day before in Monaco in the European Super Cup.

The meeting with Wigan on December 20 must be postponed as United will be in Tokyo to play in the World Club Championship.

Arsenal finish their league campaign by facing Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Portsmouth during their last six games.

Fan Benjie Guy from Islington said: “It's about as bad a run-in as we could have got. Fixtures involving the top clubs should be spread out over the season.â€

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1299626.ece

 

[ManUtd19]

It is a disgrace. Only an incompetent fool could have drawn such a pathetic bunch of fixture lists. Just what has the FA actually got right the last few years?

 

[carlyluvsunited]

Stop moaning Fergie and get on with it !!

They return from European games in the early hours of Thursday,
go to bed, some training in the afternoon and early evening, a
good nights sleep and off the next day for the Premier League
game.

Easy life !!!

Especially if you're earning £70,000 + per week !!!

 

[asaf cohen]

sucks to be Arsenal, thye have Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Portsmouth in their last six games.

 

[Guest]

sucks to be Arsenal, thye have Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Portsmouth in their last six games.

What gave it away? Was it this line from the article?

Arsenal finish their league campaign by facing Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Portsmouth during their last six games.

 

[Adam]

without wanting to sound too naive in the world of rigging, fixing and corruption, aren't the fixtures made randomly.
naturally it's suspicious that we are so very disadvantaged but maybe it's just our bad luck.
either way, if the FA want to change it, we would go to the other end of the spectrum and be looked upon as a team favoured by the FA.

there's nothing more we can do, except perhaps change tack slightly to have an even bigger squad, with a few more players who can come in to cope with an even more jam-packed season.

in my view, its only the away ties in europe which are of particular concern. our players are more than capable of playing a midweek game then a weekend match away from home, and it's only when long flights come into the equation that we are facing a bit of trouble.

we can only hope for fixtures in france, spain, portugal or italy instead of russia, ukraine and austria!

 

[68LUHG9908]

course the fixtures arnt random

jesus wept

all these grand slam super sundays ?

are they random ?

 

[reddwarf]

Stop moaning Fergie and get on with it !!

Tbf, none of those quotes are from Fergie.

All but one, which is from a fan, are from Paddy Crerand.

RedAdam - the fixtures are not random because...

there are rules that must be adhered to e.g. United & City/Liverpool & Everton/Arsenal & Spurs etc can not play at home on the same weekend

if you look at the fixtures you'll see that teams never play more than 2 or 3 matches in a row at home

although exact sequences are not found you get runs of similar matches e.g. at the start of the season we are scheduled to play Newcastle, Pompey, Fulham, Liverpool and in Feb/March we play Pompey, Newcastle, Liverpool, Fulham.

 

[marty davidson]

no other mangers are complaing about the games

 

[Adam]

ah ok, i see your point. hadnt really considered that.
in which case, i take it back and say
"(naughty) THE FA"

 

[Zense_United]

ofcourse, we got to defend our title to equalise the loserpool, and our fixture is quite tight , because we got supercup , fifa world club cup. alot man!

 

[Andreas_svan]

Stop moaning Fergie and get on with it !!

They return from European games in the early hours of Thursday,
go to bed, some training in the afternoon and early evening, a
good nights sleep and off the next day for the Premier League
game.

Easy life !!!

Especially if you're earning £70,000 + per week !!!

you always read my minds carly..

and still, these guys want more

 

[Guest]

Stop moaning Fergie and get on with it !!

They return from European games in the early hours of Thursday,
go to bed, some training in the afternoon and early evening, a
good nights sleep and off the next day for the Premier League
game.

Easy life !!!

Especially if you're earning £70,000 + per week !!!

It's not about whether the players can play three
games in a week or earn upwards of 70 grand. It's
about us having a tougher schedule than our rivals.

You missed the point entirely here Carly

 

[carlyluvsunited]

Nonsense.

We got our fixtures.

Now they should get their heads down ...

Get ready to do battle again ...

And not let this bloody nonsense get in the way !!!

The FA wont change the fixtures because Fergie or Wenger are moaning again !

 

[Guest]

The manager and the players will work hard,
just as they do every season.
No harm in having a little moan is there?

 

[reddwarf]

No harm in having a little moan is there?

It's what Brits do best!

We're not the best at many things Carly so let us have this one

 

[cjl_safcfan]

clubs get into the champions league for being good, they should be able to cope with it.
and who says liverpool and arsenal will be in the champions league group stage.

i say stop moaning and get on with it... you've a big enough squad to cope

 

[BALROG]

We have a very strong squad ,we should compete well.Our mid field has good numbers and the defense was awesome this last time. We will find a way to stay in all the competitions, but I feel that the forwards and wingers must start quick this year scoring unlike last year. We need more numbers coming from our mid feild players. We need to have many scoring threats this year. we will retain some silverware!

 

[Nemanjaaa]

I'm annoyed at how early we play Liverpool and Chelsea AWAY in consecutive weeks.

Also, i saw this on gossip column about how we have an away fixture after every CL group game ... that's just stupid.

 

[cjl_safcfan]

you cant compailn about a computer generated fixture list, its coincidence, and it often goes home, away, home away..