The PL Champions fixtures in 2007/2008

This is the fourth year in a ROW where Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge have been one of our last games. Really odd, that.

 

Quite a tricky start, going to pompey and citeh in2nd n 3rd games, we must hit it from the start again last year. Happy that the run in gives us home matches against liverpool and arsenal. Our december and January looks very straightforward.

 

If the start is tricky, the end could be brutal. April features Arsenal at OT, trips to Chel$ki, Rovers and Boro... and as many as four Champions League matches (if United gets that far.)

A tentative UEFA schedule has quarterfinal legs being played 1-2 and 8-9 April, and semifinal legs 22-23 and 29-30 April.

I haven't seen any dates yet for the FA Cup (Except for the final being played Sat 17 May).

Looking at how tough April could be brings one word to mind: TORRES!

 

Looks like we will have to win it by April 26th again then or Chelsea will bore us into submission for 93 mins. They say that these fixture lists are run through a computer after FA Cup and CL matches have been inputted. Looks like a carbon copy of last years to me! Ok start, easy Xmas, dodgy Chelsea fixture at the end.

Maybe after the CL games and FA cup games are scheduled in the fixture list comes out with this default list making the scheduling a formality. This goes towards the argument that the PL should be reduced to 18 teams to allow for more sensible scheduling...

 

Must-watch fixtures, 2007:

Aug 18: Liverpool vs. Chelsea
...........Man City vs. Man United

Sep 1: Man United vs. Sunderland

Sep 15: Tottenham vs. Arsenal

Sep 22: Man United vs. Chelsea

Oct 20: Everton vs. Liverpool

Oct 27: Liverpool vs. Arsenal

Nov 3: Arsenal vs. Man United

Dec 15: Liverpool vs. Man United
...........Arsenal vs. Chelsea

Dec 22: Arsenal vs. Tottenham

 

Pump's toughness guide (pre summer):

August
Sat Aug 11 Reading (H) 4/10
Tue Aug 14 Portsmouth (A) 6/10
Sat Aug 18 Manchester City (A) 7/10
Sat Aug 25 Tottenham Hotspur (H) 4/10

September
Sat Sep 1 Sunderland (H) o0o0o0o0o0o0o 6/10
Sat Sep 15 Everton (A) 6/10
Sat Sep 22 Chelsea (H) 8/10
Sat Sep 29 Birmingham City (A) 5/10

October
Sat Oct 6 Wigan Athletic (H) 2/10
Sat Oct 20 Aston Villa (A) 4/10
Sat Oct 27 Middlesbrough (H) 3/10

November
Sat Nov 3 Arsenal (A) 9/10
Sat Nov 10 Blackburn Rovers (H) 4/10
Sat Nov 24 Bolton Wanderers (A) 7/10

December
Sat Dec 1 Fulham (H) 1/10
Sat Dec 8 Derby County (H) 1/10
Sat Dec 15 Liverpool (A) 7/10
Sat Dec 22 Everton (H) 4/10
Wed Dec 26 Sunderland (A) 8/10 They'll be up for this.
Sat Dec 29 West Ham United (A) 7/10

January
Tue Jan 1 Birmingham City (H) 1/10
Sat Jan 12 Newcastle (H) 3/10
Sat Jan 19 Reading (A) 6/10
Wed Jan 30 Portsmouth (H) 3/10

February
Sat Feb 2 Tottenham Hotspur (A) 6/10
Sat Feb 9 Manchester City (H) 3/10
Sat Feb 23 Newcastle (A) 7/10

March
Sat Mar 1 Fulham (A) 5/10
Sat Mar 8 Bolton Wanderers (H) 4/10
Sat Mar 15 Derby County (A) 3/10
Sat Mar 22 Liverpool (H) 4/10
Sat Mar 29 Aston Villa (H) 2/10

April
Sat Apr 5 Middlesbrough (A) 7/10
Sat Apr 12 Arsenal (H) 7/10
Sat Apr 19 Blackburn Rovers (A) 6/10
Sat Apr 26 Chelsea (A) 10/10

May
Sat May 3 West Ham (H) 5/10
Sun May 11 Wigan Athletic (A) 4/10

April is going to be an absolute beast.

 

Fergie's best bet would be to stick with the team that hammered Bolton at the reebok last season, for the start of this season. Thats a tough start.

 

January to March is clear sailing though. It'd be interesting to see a Chelsea fixture list.

 

Aren't all of them must-watch games?

 

He didn't just list United games.

 

All of our matches yes , but I threw in the biggest matches just for the sake of it... e.g. if somebody works Saturdays, those are the dates to pull a sickie, switch shifts, etc. As for the other ones, they are the must-watch non-United games.

Thinking hard about trying to get a ticket for Sep 1st, though...

 

That opening fixture looks pretty plum for "blooding" our new players actually.

 

Don't know how I didn't see this thread, gonna have to get my eyes checked.

So when we gonna plan the next meetup in the city?

 

A question to moderators though, are you allowed to display the fixture list ??
just wondering, BS might have paid the requisite amount though

 

Im really looking forward to the start of the season, can't wait and so many great games that are a must to watch. I just want us to buy one quality striker and see our team powen!

 

Is it August 11 yet?

 

Very difficult start to the season - Reading is by no means an easy team to play against on the road, also City and Everton away within the first 6 games, and an early test against Chelsea.
I'd be happy if we are in the top 3 within 3 points of the leaders after the first 7 games.

 

Here it is with the Champions League schedule overlaid (Dear teh bad mojo, note that I have asterisked the knockout rounds and am therefore not assuming anything, so please go away).

And man, that is a serious run-in. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in the space of 5 weeks is daunting on its own. But if United do very well in both the CL and FA Cup **crosses fingers, points rosary and garlic in direction of Anfield**, there could be as many as EIGHT matches against top European clubs in that amount of time. Crazy stuff...

August
Sat Aug 11 Reading (H)
Tue Aug 14 Portsmouth (A)
Sat Aug 18 Manchester City (A)
Sat Aug 25 Tottenham Hotspur (H)

September
Sat Sep 1 Sunderland (H)
Sat Sep 15 Everton (A)
T/W Sep 18/19 Champions League
Sat Sep 22 Chelsea (H)
Sat Sep 29 Birmingham City (A)

October
T/W Oct 2/3 Champions League
Sat Oct 6 Wigan Athletic (H)
Sat Oct 20 Aston Villa (A)
T/W Oct 23/24 Champions League
Sat Oct 27 Middlesbrough (H)

November
Sat Nov 3 Arsenal (A)
T/W Nov 6/7 Champions League
Sat Nov 10 Blackburn Rovers (H)
Sat Nov 24 Bolton Wanderers
T/W Nov 27/28 Champions League

December
Sat Dec 1 Fulham (H)
Sat Dec 8 Derby County (H)
T/W Dec 11/12 Champions League
Sat Dec 15 Liverpool (A)
Sat Dec 22 Everton (H)
Wed Dec 26 Sunderland (A)
Sat Dec 29 West Ham United (A)

January
Tue Jan 1 Birmingham City (H)
Sat Jan 12 Newcastle (H)
Sat Jan 19 Reading (A)
Wed Jan 30 Portsmouth (H)

February
Sat Feb 2 Tottenham Hotspur (A)
Sat Feb 9 Manchester City (H)
*T/W Feb 19/20 CL Round of 16
Sat Feb 23 Newcastle (A)

March
Sat Mar 1 Fulham (A)
*T/W Mar 4/5 CL Round of 16
Sat Mar 8 Bolton Wanderers (H)
Sat Mar 15 Derby County (A)
Sat Mar 22 Liverpool (H)
Sat Mar 29 Aston Villa (H)

April
*T/w Apr 1/2 CL Quarterfinals
Sat Apr 5 Middlesbrough (A)
*T/W Apr 8/9 CL Quarterfinals
Sat Apr 12 Arsenal (H)
Sat Apr 19 Blackburn Rovers (A)
*T/W Apr 22/23 CL Semifinals
Sat Apr 26 Chelsea (A)
*T/W Apr 29/30 CL Semifinals

May
Sat May 3 West Ham (H)
Sun May 11 Wigan Athletic (A)
*Wed May 21 CL Final

 

Seems like the past few years it has been all about getting off to a hot start--teams just haven't been coming from behind to win the league very much.

Reading could be a tough opener, though they could just as easily fall into a sophomore slump that you see from a lot of newly-promoted teams (like West Ham and Wigan last year). Portsmouth away is always tough... I think we've taken just three out of a possible twelve points there since they came back up. And of course City, well, we're their cup final.

 

Right now, I would be pretty confident of 3 points against Reading, even away from home, and against Citeh. Neither team has strengthened and infact, lost some of their best players. Coppell has said he is not going to strengthen much and City are in a mess with no manager.

 

I wonder which fixture NM is going to get screwed out of seeing next season.

 

He could shoot for missing West Ham at home in May for 2 years in a row.

 

Wigan away to end the season, that might just be the most passionless fixture in the history of English football, especially if Wigan have already been relegated at that point.

 

Tough start, even tougher finish.

Hopefully we will have enough depth (i.e. I hope we don't sell off too many players) to finish strong.