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Fixture Pile Up

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
I have just seen the fixture list for next one month and it doesn't look good.

Thanks to Europa league & League cup, starting with Partisan Belgrade, we will be playing 8 games in 24 days. After 20th Dec, we have 6 day break & then have the Christmas-New year pile up.

Few concerns :

I) Going by latest ITK, we fielded 2 academy players in bench against Hull, because Poch had a trust issue with few players. If that's true, bench strength is going to be a big concern, especially given, we don't even know our best XI

II) Poch does not have prior experience (being in Europe) in dealing with such fixture pile up, nor does his coaching staffs

III) There are no easy games -
a) Newcastle cup game will be looked upon as revenge game by most, given the way we lost.
b) Back to back Everton home, Chelsea away and Swansea away - as tough as it can be;
c) Besiktas away - decides group topper

One thing going for us though, is our improving injury situation. There are no real long term injuries. Walker & Nabil are back in first team training - that should really help out the squad.

This next one month is uncharted territories for Poch as a manager and would tell us a lot about Poch long term. This one month could make or break the season.

Fingers crossed. COYS

Fixture list for next 24 days :

upload_2014-11-26_16-5-13.png
 
Last edited:

Ruddles26

New Member
May 23, 2011
21
34
I have just seen the fixture list for next one month and it doesn't look good.

This is first time since 2009-10, we have progressed to fifth round of League cup.

Thanks to Europa league & League cup, starting with Partisan Belgrade, we will be playing 8 games in 24 days. After 20th Dec, we have 6 day break & then have the Christmas-New year pile up.

Few concerns :

I) Going by latest ITK, we fielded 2 academy players in bench against Hull, because Poch had a trust issue with few players. If that's true, bench strength is going to be a big concern, especially given, we don't even know our best XI

II) Poch does not have prior experience (being in Europe) in dealing with such fixture pile up, nor does his coaching staffs

III) There are no easy games -
a) Newcastle cup game will be looked upon as revenge game by most, given the way we lost.
b) Back to back Everton home, Chelsea away and Swansea away - as tough as it can be;
c) Besiktas away - decides group topper

One thing going for us though, is our improving injury situation. There are no real long term injuries. Walker & Nabil are back in first team training - that should really help out the squad.

This next one month is uncharted territories for Poch as a manager and would tell us a lot about Poch long term. This one month could make or break the season.

Fingers crossed. COYS

Fixture list for next 24 days :

View attachment 16457
 

Ruddles26

New Member
May 23, 2011
21
34
Was exactly the same number of games in the same period last year, during which time we sacked AVB and brought in Timbo.
Results were up and down wins against Fulham and Southampton, draw with Man Utd loss to Spammers in league Cup, easy wins in Europa League, and of course the shocker against Liverpool.
Expect similar mixed results this time round, hopefully Chelsea won't be our Liverpool moment.
 

onthetwo

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2006
4,583
3,407
The Chelsea team always looks the same to me and they seem to play 3 times a week so its do-able!
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
37,353
87,819
Christmas period is mental for everyone. Upshot is I've got 4 trips to the lane in the next month lined up.
 

marion52

Well-Known Member
Dec 10, 2006
1,580
2,200
Almost the same for the other teams in Europe?
To be successful you have to compete in all competitions.
 

WestBelfast Spurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2011
2,597
3,183
think its better they don't have time to dwell on the results a winning start against PB on Thursday night and we could go on a winning roll

glass half full
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
At most we have one more fixture than other PL clubs that are in Europe - the Capital One game against Newcastle.
Other than that we have nothing any different to:
a) any other club competing in Europe
b) any other season
 

wlhatwhl

Well-Known Member
Jan 6, 2012
325
721
It's been the same over the past number of years. After only 3 or 4 PL games for the first 4 months of the season, there's an extra game in December plus the Christmas/New Year games and we have fixtures in both EL and Cup. This year FA Cup 3rd round game is to be on weekend of 3rd January, two days after playing Chelsea on New Year's Day.

12 games between now and 3rd/4th January.
 

carpediem991

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2011
8,836
20,308
If we win tomorrow we should send the reserves to istanbul.

Other than that i am always excited by that Period. Filling me loads of football days.
 

Borks

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2014
1,524
3,300
There's some tough games for sure but these are the periods of fixtures that fans and players should love.
 

Blackcanary

Dame sans merci
Jul 15, 2012
5,621
12,168
If we win tomorrow we should send the reserves to istanbul.

Other than that i am always excited by that Period. Filling me loads of football days.

Agreed. I hate the idea of a winter break here as we'd miss out on this really breathless, fun period where you can watch football pretty much every day, watch perplexed players way out of position due to epic injury crises (not ours, obviously) and just generally enjoy how 'attritional' it is.

Plus there is nothing more fun than watching a player get tackled into a bank of snow. Except if it's someone chundering at the side of the pitch during a boxing day game after over-indulging the day before.
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,105
47,061
On current form, the toughest games will be Palace and Burnley at home.

We should send the youth out against Chelsea and save the first team for these games.
 

evoid

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2005
322
576
I love the Christmas fixture list, in the next month I'm going to the Palace, Newcastle, United and Chelsea home games, as well as trips to Istanbul and Leicester - it's going to be a heavy/expensive old month, I can't wait!
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
6,672
On current form, the toughest games will be Palace and Burnley at home.

We should send the youth out against Chelsea and save the first team for these games.

Don't want to wreck the confidence of the kids but maybe we could send out a team of 'expendables': Brad, Vlad, Kabs, Bongani, BA-E, Cap, Mousa, Aaron, Paulie, Ceballos, Ade...
 
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