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Saints vs Man U (rearranged league fixture)


sifter

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Sounds like its going to be a Tuesday or Wednesday then? Am assuming given proximity to season end we have now run out of weekends without matches.

Yes, guaranteed to be midweek.

 

Also, considering UEFA don't tend to like the big leagues playing games at the same time as Champions League and/or Europa League games, that means there's very few midweeks available for the Arsenal and Man United games to be played.

 

If we assume that, based on the article on the OS about when it might be announced, they'll both be in April and/or May, the following schedule already applies:

 

APRIL

Sat 1st: Bournemouth (home)

Weds 5th: Crystal Palace (home)

Sat 8th: West Brom (away)

Tues 11th/Weds 12th/Thurs 13th: Champions League Quarter-Finals, 1st Leg; Europa League Quarter-Finals, 1st Leg

Sat 15th: Man City (home)

Tues 18th/Weds 19th/Thurs 20th: Champions League Quarter-Finals, 2nd Leg; Europa League Quarter-Finals, 2nd Leg

Sun 23rd: Chelsea (away) - could also be rearranged if Chelsea beat Man United in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend

Tues 25th/Weds 26th: available

Sat 29th: Hull (home)

 

MAY

Tues 2nd/Weds 3rd/Thurs 4th: Champions League Semi-Finals, 1st Leg; Europa League Semi-Finals, 1st Leg

Sat 6th: Liverpool (away)

Tues 9th/Weds 10th/Thurs 11th: Champions League Semi-Finals, 2nd Leg; Europa League Semi-Finals, 2nd Leg

Sat 13th: Middlesbrough (away)

Tues 16th/Weds 17th: available

Sun 21st: Stoke (home)

 

So we've only got two definitely available midweeks, and potentially three games to fit into them. Man United look well placed to progress deep into the Europa League knockout stages, while Arsenal should obviously be knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich this week. Games have taken place on CL nights before, but it's pretty rare and UEFA kicked up a fuss about it a few years ago. Obviously not in this country, but Celtic ended up playing at 5pm one night to fit in a game in similar circumstances to avoid a clash.

 

Personally, I think we could fit the Arsenal game in on Thursday 20th April (if Man United progress v Rostov and are then drawn at home first, they'd be a 5pm kickoff that night so there'd be no clash), as our next game is on the following Sunday (or not at all if Chelsea progress in the FA Cup), and then the Man United one either the following week or leave it until the final midweek of the season.

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I note we are due to play Chelsea on Sunday 23 April - this is also the weekend of the FA Cup semi-final.

 

Should Chelsea get through to the semi-final ... there might be another fixture that needs to be re-arranged ?

 

If Chelsea beat Utd, presumably we can play Utd on semi-final week-end

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Personally, I think we could fit the Arsenal game in on Thursday 20th April (if Man United progress v Rostov and are then drawn at home first, they'd be a 5pm kickoff that night so there'd be no clash), as our next game is on the following Sunday (or not at all if Chelsea progress in the FA Cup), and then the Man United one either the following week or leave it until the final midweek of the season.

 

Possible, but Arsenal have a fixture on the following Saturday (22 April v Sunderland) and I suspect they would kick up a fuss. Perhaps their game could be switched to the Sunday?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was having a look at when there are free games in midweek. Arsenal is tricky because they are scheduled to play on Monday nights for a couple of weeks in April

 

Also, because the games were picked for TV originally, Sky Sports will have a say in when to schedule them.

 

Also, worth bearing in mind that the agreement of not scheduling league games when there are Champions League matches on was cancelled.

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Messing around on Google & found a Utd forum that claims their 2 TBC games will be April 25/26 & May 16/17.One is us the other is City. I guess the police & Sky will have a say on which is which , but my guess is Sky won't want the City game in the last week of the season when chances are neither will have anything to play for.

 

 

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Edited by Lord Duckhunter
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Messing around on Google & found a Utd forum that claims their 2 TBC games will be April 25/26 & May 16/17.One is us the other is City. I guess the police & Sky will have a say on which is which , but my guess is Sky won't want the City game in the last week of the season when chances are neither will have anything to play for.

 

Those are the only midweek dates available for Man Utd between now and the end of the season so makes sense. Man Utd's run is mental and if they manage to get to the Europa final they will be playing EVERY weekend and midweek between now and 24th May. 17 matches

 

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Last week of the season would be perfect for us. Hopefully MUFC will be in Europa final and the top 4 places are settled. They'd have nothing to play for.

 

Might be a little like our Stuart Gray season where those two wins against Arse and United nudged us nicely up the table right at the end.

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The only free midweek Man United will definitely have available is the last week of the season, so with the final game already scheduled for the Sunday, it'll surely be played on Wednesday 17th May.

 

With the Chelsea game pushed to 25th April, the Arsenal game will need to be squeezed in during a European midweek. Suspect they'll wait until one of the semi-final weeks, hoping/assuming Leicester get knocked out by Atletico Madrid, so there's no English interest remaining in the competition so they don't get in trouble with UEFA for playing a game at the same time as European games.

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The Chelsea game has been confirmed now. Tuesday 25th April, still live on Sky.

 

The other matches will be confirmed on or around 7th April, which suggests that they'll be played in May

 

Was hoping we'd get to play Chelsea when they had the league wrapped up and they'd take their foot off the gas. There's a very good chance they'll win the league by beating us that night, Sky will be loving that.

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The only free midweek Man United will definitely have available is the last week of the season, so with the final game already scheduled for the Sunday, it'll surely be played on Wednesday 17th May.

 

With the Chelsea game pushed to 25th April, the Arsenal game will need to be squeezed in during a European midweek. Suspect they'll wait until one of the semi-final weeks, hoping/assuming Leicester get knocked out by Atletico Madrid, so there's no English interest remaining in the competition so they don't get in trouble with UEFA for playing a game at the same time as European games.

 

I think the agreement about not playing league games at the same time as European matches ended. Man City played Stoke at the same time as Barcelona v PSG a couple of weeks ago.

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I think the agreement about not playing league games at the same time as European matches ended. Man City played Stoke at the same time as Barcelona v PSG a couple of weeks ago.

 

According to this article the FA could in theory be fined for arranging games on European nights but it sounds like there is some flexibility, particularly when it's hard to avoid.

 

http://www.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2016-2017/premier-league-says-moving-game-to-champions-league-night-was-unavoidable_sto6084798/story.shtml

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's very poor, there are only 5 weeks until the end of the season. That's when the Man Utd game will be played, the Arsenal match will be earlier than that.

 

It's lucky that both our matches are at home, otherwise it would give people incredibly short notice to arrange things.

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According to this article the FA could in theory be fined for arranging games on European nights but it sounds like there is some flexibility, particularly when it's hard to avoid.

 

http://www.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2016-2017/premier-league-says-moving-game-to-champions-league-night-was-unavoidable_sto6084798/story.shtml

 

I think the agreement about not playing league games at the same time as European matches ended. Man City played Stoke at the same time as Barcelona v PSG a couple of weeks ago.

 

Confirmed on 31 March here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39458057

 

They seem to be waiting as long as possible for Man U and Arsenal to try and get into top 4 contention before deciding whether to televise one of the games. Also how Leicester do in their CL first leg in case they make the semi-final (on BT Sport) and it clashes with one of those matches, which will have an effect on the viewing figures.

Edited by The9
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It's very poor, there are only 5 weeks until the end of the season.

 

It's lucky that both our matches are at home, otherwise it would give people incredibly short notice to arrange things.

 

Unless you don't live near Southampton, in which case it's incredibly short notice. And bl00dy annoying.

 

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Indeed, some posters will be rubbing their hands and compiling the rants in their heads... ;)

Just hope we play a full-strength team on the 17th to deny ManU a CL place. And win with an offside goal. That would be karma after Wembley.

 

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Lots of squad rotation in the last couple of weeks then

 

I think this week shows Puel is over this policy and the results suggest drastic changes are not necessary or helpfull. Also players have got a couple of months off a few weeks later.

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We play Utd at the end of tough run for them. Hopefully Zlatan is knackered!

 

Arsenal v Utd (7 May)

Spurs vs Utd (14 May)

Saints vs Utd (17 May)

 

Hope Man Utd go through against Anderlecht, having a Europa league semi final on 4th and 11th will distract them as well plus the travelling will make it difficult for them in May, tiredness and injuries will add up. Our players should want to get one over them after the cup final defeat.

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