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      Fixture Congestion

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      Xabi1309
      • Forum Kevin Keegan
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      Fixture Congestion
      Sep 14, 2007 10:14:13 am
      Picked this up from SSN and also Daily Mirror reporting that Rafa has prepared a dossier suggesting that LFC are being unfairly treated in relation to fixtures.

      Story as follows...

      Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has again vented his frustration at the fixture list in England. 
       
      Benitez is trying to prepare his squad for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Portsmouth on the back of the international break.
       
      But the Spaniard claims it is 'impossible' to formulate his plans properly due to the limited time he will spend with his players in the build-up to the game.
       
      "I am really disappointed with the fixtures that we have because it is more difficult here in England," Benitez told the League Mangers' Association's official website.
       
      "You play early kick-offs on the Saturday (after internationals) and it is impossible to prepare the team properly.
       
      "The players arrive back on Thursday evening and the only thing you can do with some of them is just to run a little bit and send them home.
       
      "Friday morning you will have a light training session and you will travel to Portsmouth in this case and you cannot prepare the team.
       
      "Normally the players that are going away are internationals because they are good players and you need these players for winning every game.
       
      "For me it's impossible to prepare the team properly, you can prepare small details, but to prepare the team physically and mentally for the game will be difficult." 

      ********************************************************************************
      So Does Rafa have a point?

      It seems every season one of the 'big four' managers has a moan about the Premier League fixtures being unfair.

      For me it is a case of 'swings and roundabouts' as next time we will recieve a more favourable kick-off time and it will be another club whinging over fixtures.

      Is Rafa making excuses for what will be a difficult fixture?

      If the worst happens tomorrow will Rafa try and take this matter further?

      If anything a sizeable chunk of our squad has had a rest so we should be chomping at the bit to take on Pompey.

      In any event lets hope we get the result tomorrow....Come On!!!!
      Court LFC
      • Forum Legend - Dalglish
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      • 8,496 posts | 182 
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #1: Sep 14, 2007 10:47:43 am
      I think Rafa does have a case to argue on this subject.  It is unfortunate that we play a lot of 12:45's, and it's not just stress for the players, it's traveling fans too.

      I don't think personally the Premier League are shoveling their sh*te on us on purpose.  But I do feel these internationals sometimes are too much, but they have to be played at some stage.

      Hopefully we can brush these games off our shoulders early in the season and get stuck in with the SATURDAY 3PM kick offs more usual.

      One other thing I have to argue.  I hate playing on a Sunday, the anxiety of watching other teams on a Saturday and knowing we're not playing on that day, it really does get on my tits.  All fixtures should be played on the Saturday.  It is the most exicting day for football IMO.

      I don't personally think we will go into the Portsmouth game thinking "Oh sh*t, we're in for it here" we are there to take the 3 points back to Merseyside, and reestablish ourselves at the top of the table.  Do not forget that we do have a game in hand.  Which could take us even futher to the top.

      I don't want to talk about "what if we got beat" or "well at least we got a point out of it" because that is not excuseable with the position we are in.  So come on you Red men, let's go down to Pompy and come back with a smile on our faces.
      EddieC
      • Forum Legend - Dalglish
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      • 5,557 posts | 233 
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #2: Sep 14, 2007 10:49:47 am
      These are the total 12.45 kickoffs each team had last season:

      Liverpool 10
      Man Utd 5
      Charlton 4
      Chelsea 4
      Everton 4
      Fulham 4
      Man City 4
      Tottenham 4
      West Ham 4
      Wigan 4
      Aston Villa 3
      Portsmouth 3
      Arsenal 2
      Bolton 2
      Newcastle 2
      Reading 2
      Sheff Utd 2
      Watford 1
      Blackburn 0
      Middlesbrough 0

      As you can see we had twice as many as anyone else last season. We discussed this briefly before when Rafa last complained about it, I personally think it does make a difference, football has become such a science these days that even alterations to players body clocks can make a difference, albeit a small one. Quite a few people didn't seem to think it mattered, but if the league just gave everyone the same amount of early kickoffs there could be no argument.
      « Last Edit: Sep 14, 2007 10:55:06 am by EddieC »
      bobbins
      • Forum Matt Busby
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      • 127 posts |
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #3: Sep 14, 2007 11:53:46 am
      If the above is true, then that truly is shocking, plus the 3 we've had this season already
      JD
      • LFC Reds Subscriber
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      • 39,529 posts | 6887 
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #4: Sep 14, 2007 12:23:18 pm
      Good post Eddie - never realised it was that high. 

      Totally unfair on the club and more importantly the travelling supporters.

      Liverpool have good grounds for a case - although as a member of the Premier League they should be discussing this with other clubs and refuse to play some of these dates.
      MsGerrard
      • Guest
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #5: Sep 14, 2007 12:27:08 pm
      This does seem extremely unfair, it makes you wonder if someone has it in for Liverpool. ???
      Jrwanderer
      • Forum Paul Walsh
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      • 115 posts |
      • Team Spirit of Champions
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #6: Sep 14, 2007 01:20:06 pm
      Rafa has a really good case here.

      I think that rafa is pissed off because, this is second time this season we've played @ 12:45 after an International break. >:(
       
      We are also scheduled to play 2 more 12:45 games before christmas, and yes you guessed it, after International breaks! ::)

      The leagues a f**kin joke!
      Oldred
      • Forum Legend - Benitez
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      • 1,230 posts | 87 
      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #7: Sep 14, 2007 01:38:53 pm
      This is a post I put in the Game string this morning which is now more relevent to this one.

      I also heard on the news this morning that Rafa was again complaining about having to play Pompey in the early kick off tomorrow after a week of internationals.

      I understand where he is coming from.  There is no time to train the team in preparation for the game and properly assess the knocks, strains and fitness of the returning players.  But I do wonder if there is also a little bit of psychology going on here.  Could it be that the message to Pompey is that they can relax as we will not be at our best?

      Just a thought.   
      JD
      • LFC Reds Subscriber
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      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #8: Sep 14, 2007 04:36:52 pm
      Now Fergie agrees with us  :o (from Press Association)

      Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez's complaints over the Premier League fixture scheduling and claimed clubs like his own are being punished for their success.

      Benitez is fuming at the number of Saturday lunchtime away games Liverpool find themselves involved in immediately after international breaks and Champions League weeks.

      Manchester United often find themselves in the same situation and head to Everton on Saturday for a noon start at Goodison Park.

      Although on this occasion the kick-off time has been determined by Merseyside Police rather than the TV companies, Ferguson does believe there is an issue to be addressed.

      And the Red Devils chief is laying the blame squarely at the Premier League's door.

      "Rafa is quite right to complain," said Ferguson.

      "If there is an unfairness against teams, it should be addressed but I don't know if the authorities would listen.

      "Over the last five years, we have had more lunchtime kick-offs than anyone and you would think that deserves some kind of attention.

      "The Premier League are to blame. I accept, given when the fixture lists come out, it is just unfortunate if you find yourself away from home after a European tie but Rafa is talking about the lunchtime kick-offs."

      Ferguson does accept pleasing every interested party is an impossible job for anyone.

      And, in accepting an enormous £1.7billion cheque from Sky and Setanta for the domestic TV rights, the United manager also acknowledges the Premier League has given up any realistic control over kick-off times.

      But he feels there are elements of unfairness about the way the Premier League handle certain situations, citing the differing examples of his own club and major title rivals Chelsea last year.

      "Chelsea had a Sunday game against Tottenham and the Premier League changed it at their behest because they had a European tie the following Tuesday," he said.

      "That decision gave Chelsea three days to prepare, which is fine, except Tottenham had played their own European game on the previous Thursday, which left them with one-and-a-half days to prepare.

      "There was no fairness there whatsoever.

      "Then, when we asked for a Saturday lunchtime fixture at Manchester City to be changed because we had a Champions League semi-final the previous Wednesday, the Premier League said no, even though City had not played at all. That was wonderful."

      Ferguson continued: "I do think the successful teams are punished.

      "The top teams are always going to be televised at a time that suits the public demand. Sky and Setanta are always going to pick the successful teams for the prime-time games, you can't blame them for that given the amount of money they have put it.

      "Money is important to every club now, so they do a deal. But once you shake hands with the devil, you have to accept they are in control."

      EddieC
      • Forum Legend - Dalglish
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      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #9: Sep 14, 2007 04:46:09 pm
      Bloody hell, Fergie's agreeing with Rafa on something, whatever next?
      redkenny
      • LFC Reds Subscriber
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      Re: Fixture Congestion
      Reply #10: Sep 14, 2007 04:57:01 pm
      Bloody hell, Fergie's agreeing with Rafa on something, whatever next?

      Looks like that punch in the b******s has had an affect!  :D

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