Arsene Wenger says that this season’s festive fixture list is a bit surprising, suggesting there was more wiggle room for the Premier League to schedule games.
Arsenal play on Monday, then there’s almost a full week before the next game against Crystal Palace on New Years’s day, before we travel to Bournemouth just two days later.
Speaking at his press conference earlier today, the manager said, “It’s a bit surprising this year. I don’t understand completely the logic of the organisation of the fixtures this season.
“Last week after playing in Europe we played two games, three games a week. This week we have eight days without a game.
“After, some teams play on the 26th [December] and 1st [January] – you have again a complete week [break], which over Christmas is unusual.
“Then you play on the 1st and the 3rd…you know, 48 hours later. I don’t know if it’s the television or the Premier League that has decided that but it’s completely unusual fixtures.
“It looks less congested than it was before.”
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Aren’t we all!
When you sign TV deals with eye watering values, then they dictate when you play your matches.
Our games on 1st and 3rd are both on Sky.
He who pays the piper and all that……
Here come the excuses.
I suppose a manager can’t express his thoughts/concerns without them being dismissed as “excuses” nowadays.
If you could read, you would understand that he thinks the fixture list is less difficult this year.
He’s only been coaching in the PL for the last 50 odd years (so it seems like), so he’s still getting used to things.
The twat.
Just go away
Maybe that’s how he’s able to notice that it’s different this year but don’t let reading the article get in the way of slagging off the manager.
He is literally saying that this year is different!
I bet Theo has cheered up! 😉
^ ^ ^ that’s quite deep by the way… 🙂
Very, very… observant.
Your comment is as stupid as your name.
My fickle-Arsenal-fanometer just gave a signal.
I’ve got one of them too. But I call it a twatometer.
It’s just been triggered.
It’s unusual in as much as normally they play between Boxing Day and New Years Day. That’s good because that’s when I’m off work. Why stick in the extra game after everyone has returned to work, which for me is abroad preventing me from attending the midweek game. Always used to look forward to a packed schedule over Christmas.
I agree, I swear every year bar this one the fixtures have been to play on the 26th,28th,1st,4th,7th.
Maybe the FA is hearing the idea of some sort of ‘winter break’?
Maybe with the Qatar WC making the FA have to stop the league half way through, this is their attempt to slow things down and get us use to it.
Though I wouldn’t put to much stock in that line of thought from those money grabbing shitboxes
The only reason we have this “break” is because Christmas and New Year fall on weekends. Otherwise, we would have a match on the weekend.
Well i’m off to make some cake and tomorrow I will eat it to.
Lucky for the managers and players new to this league.
Look at the difference in response though between Wenger and mourinho. Arsene says it’s a strange fixture list, mourinho claims it’s a great conspiracy against him