Chavski date announced

[andrew08]

No Man Utd are just complaining about the fixtures they have been scheduled. They wanted 6 easy games to start Moyes off with. PL is complaining that this one had to be moved and there were better dates available than the one which has been set.

I agree

[nick harper]

My take is that no club should have to start with two away games whoever they were against. We are the only club in this position and consequently have been put at a disadavantage in the same way Chelsea are being put at an adbvantage.

I wonder if they would have been so keen to switch if they were having to start with two away games rather than two at home.

[Nev]

My take is that no club should have to start with two away games whoever they were against. We are the only club in this position and consequently have been put at a disadavantage in the same way Chelsea are being put at an adbvantage.

I wonder if they would have been so keen to switch if they were having to start with two away games rather than two at home.

I don't think anybody connected with the Villa would disagree, including myself, I just think it sounds like whingeing when it's reported in the media. I appreciate that Lambert was asked the question but maybe he should've have stonewalled it and sounded a bit more defiant.

[Californian Villain]

Two away games to start is hardly ideal, but the fuss PL is making is childish and pathetic.

[Clampy]

Two away games to start is hardly ideal, but the fuss PL is making is childish and pathetic.

No it's not, he's making a valid point. It was changed for Chelsea's benefit.  If you want childish and pathetic, see David Moyes' comments from yesterday.

[Californian Villain]

Two away games to start is hardly ideal, but the fuss PL is making is childish and pathetic.

No it's not, he's making a valid point. It was changed for Chelsea's benefit.  If you want childish and pathetic, see David Moyes' comments from yesterday.

Oh yes it is....etc.

[Neil Hawkes]

So the comment you'd prefer to see is "why thank you, that's an absolutely wonderful compromise and I'm so glad you asked me for my completely useless opinion on rescheduling"

[adrenachrome]

I am fully behind PL on this one.
We have been given the full shaft without lube.

[eamonn]

Mourinho starts with two home games which everyone at Chelsea will assume to be bankers.

I have to put up with these tossers, living down the road from the ground. Missed the 8-0 last year with being home for Christmas, think I'll give West London a wide berth for this one too next Wed.

[Nev]

So the comment you'd prefer to see is "why thank you, that's an absolutely wonderful compromise and I'm so glad you asked me for my completely useless opinion on rescheduling"

Well he could've said:

"We aren't happy with the situation and we have made our thoughts known to the PL" then proceeded to talk about the games from a football point of view.

It keeps things positive and doesn't sound like we are in fear of playing the games.

[Billy Walker]

So the comment you'd prefer to see is "why thank you, that's an absolutely wonderful compromise and I'm so glad you asked me for my completely useless opinion on rescheduling"

Well he could've said:

"We aren't happy with the situation and we have made our thoughts known to the PL" then proceeded to talk about the games from a football point of view.

It keeps things positive and doesn't sound like we are in fear of playing the games.

From the interviews I have heard him give he does not seem in fear at all.  I'm surprised our start to the season has become nationwide news all of a sudden and can't help but feel the media are suddenly interested in this only because they are trying to create a tedious Moyes v Mourinho rivalry upon which to build their narrative for the season.

So far the plot reads: the Premier League have given Moyes a "tough" start and Mourinho an "easy" start...Expect football reporters to type pages and pages of page-filling guff on the back of the fall-out.

[Ad@m]

I'm right behind Lambert on this too - the Premier League's silly rules around rearranging games are inflexible and just plain wrong.  For us to face 3 games against top 6 opposition in 7 days at the start of the season when no-one's really match fit, only to then have 21 days without a game is ridiculous.  If nothing else it increases the risk of players getting injured but it also shafts us in particular because of the opposition and the fact two of those games are away from home.  It just shows a complete lack of common sense on the part of the Premier League again.

[paul_e]

I also don't see anything wrong with this.  As it reads We suggested a bunch of dates and which we'd prefer, Chelsea did the same and the premier league went with the one Chelsea picked.  If they've been given the option to suggest dates why is the 'first available' the reason being given.  If that was the rule why were other dates ever discussed?  The whole thing seems off in a way I can't quite put my finger on, I fully back PL for saying something.

[RussellC]

Of course it's not fair. To give anybody consecutive away games at 2 of last season's top 4 clubs to start the season is not a fair way of scheduling the fixtures. I can't imagine any other Premiership Manager not complaining about it in the same situation.

It's's also not fair on the supporters, but that's long been a given in the Premiership era.

[IFWaters]

I would rather get those 2 hard games out of the way in the first week and then onwards and upwards

As far as I'm concerned, anything better than 2 drubbings is a positive, even if we end up say - 4 goal difference after these 2 that would be ok and then we try to get something from Liverpool.