Change in the old order - nightmare for Gollum

[john@staustell]

Everyone remember the old days when we were guaranteed an away start at Arsenal or somewhere to set the season off with a 3-0 defeat? Whilst United were always home to some duff team?

Well yet again United's backers at the PL have failed them badly.

Whilst City get 3 apparently presentable fixtures against Newcastle H, Cardiff A and Hull H, the evil ones have an away bananaskin to Swansea, a potential nightmare against the once-special one and a horrid looking away fixture at the Dippers. To add insult to their injury they are soon at the Etihad as well.

Taggart has gone, his influence has gone, the Evil Empire will fall. Tick tock.

[bobby brows]

Looks like we've got a decent set of fixtures. at home to start. at home to finish. at home on boxing day and the saturday after it.

reasonable start and a reasonable run in.

almost time to go to war

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Everyone remember the old days when we were guaranteed an away start at Arsenal or somewhere to set the season off with a 3-0 defeat? Whilst United were always home to some duff team?

Well yet again United's backers at the PL have failed them badly.

Whilst City get 3 apparently presentable fixtures against Newcastle H, Cardiff A and Hull H, the evil ones have an away bananaskin to Swansea, a potential nightmare against the once-special one and a horrid looking away fixture at the Dippers. To add insult to their injury they are soon at the Etihad as well.

Taggart has gone, his influence has gone, the Evil Empire will fall. Tick tock.

What the hell are you talking about? Meeting two promoted teams that early is a fucking disaster. Promoted teams always, ALWAYS, overachieve early in the season. It's around october/november when reality sets in.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Everyone remember the old days when we were guaranteed an away start at Arsenal or somewhere to set the season off with a 3-0 defeat? Whilst United were always home to some duff team?

Well yet again United's backers at the PL have failed them badly.

Whilst City get 3 apparently presentable fixtures against Newcastle H, Cardiff A and Hull H, the evil ones have an away bananaskin to Swansea, a potential nightmare against the once-special one and a horrid looking away fixture at the Dippers. To add insult to their injury they are soon at the Etihad as well.

Taggart has gone, his influence has gone, the Evil Empire will fall. Tick tock.

What the hell are you talking about? Meeting two promoted teams that early is a fucking disaster. Promoted teams always, ALWAYS, overachieve early in the season. It's around october/november when reality sets in.

Yeah, like Swansea did when they came to our place in their first PL game.

[Bianchi on Ice]

Id choose our start over theirs every time. lets see how they get on without his influence. pass the popcorn.

[Original Dub]

Yeah, like Swansea did when they came to our place in their first PL game.

And southampton

[Original Dub]

Id choose our start over theirs every time. lets see how they get on without his influence. pass the popcorn.

This is the most excited I've been about a season... possibly ever.

[Blue Since 76]

Their start is brilliant - couldn't have wanted much better. Moyles sacked after the derby with them in the bottom three.

If Swansea get at least a point, they'll really be struggling and if the confidence in him goes...

Roll on August.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

What the hell are you talking about? Meeting two promoted teams that early is a fucking disaster. Promoted teams always, ALWAYS, overachieve early in the season. It's around october/november when reality sets in.

I'd say that the Cardiff fixture is wretched. Couldn't have had to go there at a worse time.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

What the hell are you talking about? Meeting two promoted teams that early is a fucking disaster. Promoted teams always, ALWAYS, overachieve early in the season. It's around october/november when reality sets in.

I'd say that the Cardiff fixture is wretched. Couldn't have had to go there at a worse time.

That's what I'm saying. Reasonable team playing their first ever Premier League game in front of crowd that will be going mental. I'd rather take the early trip to Anfield, the trip we have to take some time anyway, and meet Liverpool who has been poor at kicking off seasons for most of past decade. I would much rather go to Cardiff in say december when injuries are starting to mount up on thin squad of players and them having bit of losing streak behind them.

People seem to completely forget that we will play EXACTLY the same schedual as rags. We'll have to go to Stamford Bridge and Anfield just like them and they have the same "easy" home ties as we do.

Oh, and I'd much rather meet harder teams early on with no cup competitions in the way. Imagine getting Hull at home after Champion's League away trip to Barcelona rather than going to Anfield. But hey, tic toc and all that.

[john@staustell]

We may play exactly the same schedules in total but the way you start out can set the whole season. Maybe it could spread some doubt in the evil ones rather than giving them a leg-up and loads of confidence.

To be honest we should now be too good for the likes of Cardiff to pose the threat to us they once did when we were mid-table and worse. I think we'll piss all over them.

[london blue 2]

God theres no pleasing some people.

I'd rather start against a championship team who dont know what they're in for than an established premier league team followed by a league favorite and a former big boy.

[Green & Blue]

Tricky start for the rags.Would be great to see them drop a few points early to take them down a peg or two.The standard rag arrogance is well and truly back in full effect after last season and would love to see doubt set in early days.A bad start for Moyes and the pressure will be on big time.

[Slim]

Or they bank 9 points under a new manager and get 3 tricky fixtures out of the way.

And if you think the BaconChops influence is gone, you lot are truly only passing acquaintances with reality.

[avoidconfusion]

I cannot wait to see how the Rags will call for Moyes head when he doesn't win the first 5 games...

[Herb]

[quote="Niall Quinns Discopants"][quote="Piccsnumberoneblue"][quote="Niall Quinns Discopants"]

People seem to completely forget that we will play EXACTLY the same schedual as rags. We'll have to go to Stamford Bridge and Anfield just like them and they have the same "easy" home ties as we do.

I can appreciate your logic but only if I choose to forget the psychologic affects that hit players, teams and fans when they start a season badly.

Losing 2 or 3 games in a season isn't any big deal but dropping11 or 12 points from the first 5 games is a disaster that hit's a team and it's gloryhunting fans right in the plumbs, curtails sponsorship deals, brings a dip in merchandise sales, a slide in shareprices (for those clubs forced to trade them) and sharpens the media's knives.

IMO; Yes we all play the same games but but the seasons timeline isn't a level playing field. Whereabouts the difficulty resides in a teams season can make a notable difference to overall success.

[BobbyJ1956]

How many times a season does every team play every other team?

[bigblue]

How many times a season does every team play every other team?

depends on the cup draws and how far you get in all competitions

[Alex Sapphire]

How many times a season does every team play every other team?

depends on the cup draws and how far you get in all competitions

or whether you're in Scotland

[Ted Hughes]

From a brief break in work related proceedure, you are all as fucking daft as each other.