Manchester United Fixture Congestion

thelip · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 13:12

By Christmas Manchester United will already have 2 games to catch up (Fulham H & Wigan H) but when are these games going to be able to be played?

Clearly their involvement in the various cups will affect this but there are very few opportunities which present themselves.

There are 20 "midweeks" between New Year and the end of the season.

1 Carling Cup S/F
2 Possible FA Cup 3rd round replay
3 Carling Cup S/F
4 Premiership games
5 Playing Monday v Everton & possible FA Cup 4th round replay
6 International Friendlies
7
8 Champions League last 16
9 Premiership games
10 Champions League last 16
11 Possible FA Cup 6th round replay
12 Internationals
13 Internationals
14 Champions League Q/F
15 Champions League Q/F
16 Portsmouth H
17 Champions League S/F
18 Champions League S/F
19
20

Obviously success in either of the cup competitions brings its own problems. Getting to the final of the Carling Cup would mean finding a date for Portsmouth H and getting to the semi final of the FA Cup would mean re-arranging Wigan A.

Judio · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:03

Week 5 is Possible FA Cup Replay (Everton game would move back to weekend)

Week 6 is International Friendly week

Week 11 is FA Cup 6th Round replay.

Man U can count themselves luck that they are not in UEFA Cup :wink:

Boro had a nightmare a couple of years ago playing every 2 to
days.....

thelip · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:05

Thanks. Now updated.

blahblah · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:10

It is not just their Cup replays, but Wigan/Fulham etc.

The extra games seem a way off, and probaly both liable to rotation?

Judio · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:12

They will have to pencil in the 2 free dates for now

Wed 18 Feb
Wed 22 Apr

Or else they can lose on Weds night which would make things easier.

Has anyone noticed how the Manchester Police have let City and United BOTH play
on Weds night.

There was no other date free for Man U to play Blackburn

Judio · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:16

Hang on a Minute

FA Cup Round 5 Sat 14 February

Wed 25 Feb Champions League
Wed 04 Mar Premier League

FA Cup Round 6 Sat 07 March

Where will 5th Round Replays for the Big Four fit in

murf · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:18

Judio wrote:

Hang on a Minute

FA Cup Round 5 Sat 14 February

Wed 25 Feb Champions League
Wed 04 Mar Premier League

FA Cup Round 6 Sat 07 March

Where will 5th Round Replays for the Big Four fit in

7th of March I'd guess. :evil:

Are the 4th of March prem games missing from thelip's list (week 9??)??

thelip · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:25

There's no fixtures scheduled for 4th March that I can see.

anon6 · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:28

thelip wrote:

There's no fixtures scheduled for 4th March that I can see.

Theres a full set scheduled for Tues 3rd- Weds 4th March.

thelip · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:39

1086 wrote:

thelip wrote:

There's no fixtures scheduled for 4th March that I can see.

Theres a full set scheduled for Tues 3rd- Weds 4th March.

I had those fixtures in for the following Saturday. :oops:

Judio · **Posted:** 02 Dec 2008, 14:55

thelip wrote:

I had those fixtures in for the following Saturday. :oops:

Not unreasonable

When clubs are out of the Cup, they will all
move the midweek games to Sat March 7th

thelip · **Posted:** 05 Dec 2008, 18:31

viewtopic.php?f=104&t=43888&start=35

Fulham & Wigan games now rearranged.

1 Carling Cup S/F
2 Possible FA Cup 3rd round replay 14/2/08 Manchester United v Wigan
3 Carling Cup S/F
4 Premiership games
5 Playing Monday v Everton & possible FA Cup 4th round replay
6 International Friendlies
7 17/2/08 Manchester United v Fulham
8 Champions League last 16
9 Premiership games
10 Champions League last 16
11 Possible FA Cup 6th round replay
12 Internationals
13 Internationals
14 Champions League Q/F
15 Champions League Q/F
16
17 Champions League S/F
18 Champions League S/F
19
20

Darbyand · **Posted:** 07 Dec 2008, 11:38

Have the final league games and FA Cup Final been moved so far back to allow for the congestion in Feb and March or have United just got lucky (if they go far in the cups that is)?

As far as I can tell nothing can be played in the midweeks between the 10th and 24th so if 1 or 2 league games have to be moved here that would be a relatively normal end of season fixture list?

Judio · **Posted:** 07 Dec 2008, 12:31

You will find it hard to believe

The Football League have the Play offs Booked for the May Bank Holiday weekend

As a result the FA Cup Final could not be played on May 23rd

Premier League would not finish early as it started later after
the Euros

That is why the FA Cup is AFTER Champions League Final

Darbyand · **Posted:** 07 Dec 2008, 20:16

So the final set of Prem games clashes with one of the play-off finals (presumably League 1). You could not make it up.

Lucky for anyone with a potential fixture back-log.

Judio · **Posted:** 07 Dec 2008, 20:52

And even more stupid is that (based on the strong likelihood
of it happening again)

The Champions League Finalists will have to play their League game
on the Sunday afternoon before the Champions League Final
rather than play on a Friday night or Saturday to give them maximum rest

Bramernic · **Posted:** 07 Dec 2008, 21:11

And if a championship side not involved in the play-offs gets to the FA Cup final they will have to sit around keeping fit for almost four weeks! Madness!

Darbyand · **Posted:** 07 Dec 2008, 21:14

EDIT: some rubbish I posted

Darbyand · **Posted:** 27 Jan 2009, 12:56

I was struggling with the dates/weeks on this chart so have updated based on the Tues/Weds of each midweek. hope you don't mind Lip. :wink:

27/28th Jan Premiership games
3rd/4th Feb Free, playing Everton on Saturday now
10/11th International Friendlies
18th v Fulham
24/25th Champions League last 16
3rd/4th Mar Premiership games/5th round replay
10/11th Champions League last 16
17/18th Possible FA Cup 6th round replay
24/25th Internationals
31/1 Apr Internationals
7/8th Champions League Q/F
14/15th Champions League Q/F
21/22nd Free?
28/29th Champions League S/F
5/6th May Champions League S/F
12/13th Free
19/20th Free

EDIT - updated based on info regarding replays

thelip · **Posted:** 27 Jan 2009, 14:33

Darbyand wrote:

I was struggling with the dates/weeks on this chart so have updated based on the Tues/Weds of each midweek. hope you don't mind Lip. :wink:

No probs.

Darbyand · **Posted:** 13 Feb 2009, 15:20

18th v Fulham
24/25th Champions League last 16
4th Mar Newcastle
10/11th Champions League last 16
17/18th Possible FA Cup 6th round replay*
24/25th Internationals
31/1 Apr Internationals
7/8th Champions League Q/F
14/15th Champions League Q/F
21/22nd Free?
28/29th Champions League S/F
5/6th May Champions League S/F
12/13th Free
19/20th Free

*this might be a date for a 6th round first game if United or their opponents go through after a 5th round replay - those replays might be played on the 7th March depending on who's involved.

thelip · **Posted:** 13 Feb 2009, 15:24

Manchester United v Portsmouth still to be fitted in somewhere (postponed due to Carling Cup final).

Darbyand · **Posted:** 13 Feb 2009, 15:35

It still looks relatively comfortable compared to previous seasons even if they get to the semis of both cups - I won't forget them playing Thursday, Saturday, Monday, Wednesday in 1992.

The late cup final dates could be a godsend.

Darbyand · **Posted:** 17 Feb 2009, 09:54

The Times provides a handy graphic for how the rest of the season will pan out

Dot · **Joined:** Fri Jan 06 2006 **Posts:** 18372

Darbyand wrote:

The Times provides a handy graphic for how the rest of the season will pan out

Darbyand · **Posted:** 17 Feb 2009, 10:21

Dot · **Joined:** Fri Jan 06 2006 **Posts:** 18372

Quad................

thelip · **Posted:** 19 Feb 2009, 01:20

Darbyand wrote:

The Times provides a handy graphic for how the rest of the season will pan out

Step one successfully negotiated. 24 more to go. :wink:

Darbyand · **Posted:** 20 Feb 2009, 15:48

24/25th Champions League last 16
4th Mar Newcastle
10/11th Champions League last 16
17/18th Possible FA Cup 6th round replay
24/25th Internationals
31/1 Apr Internationals
7/8th Champions League Q/F
14/15th Champions League Q/F
21/22nd Portsmouth
28/29th Champions League S/F
5/6th May Champions League S/F
12/13th Free
19/20th Free

Pompey put in for 22 April

thelip · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2009, 20:38

thelip wrote:

Darbyand wrote:

The Times provides a handy graphic for how the rest of the season will pan out

Step one successfully negotiated. 24 more to go. :wink:

...and step 2...

Manchester United Fixture Congestion

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