Anth Gair says…
Could’ve been a lot worse, this.
Ipswich away then Fulham at home to ease us in. Nothing there to have you hiding behind the sofa, and a real chance to bank a few early points before the big boys come calling. Start well and the whole thing feels a lot less scary.
The finish is where the computer’s had a laugh.
Manchester City at home on the final day is about as kind as a kick in the teeth, but look what comes just before it. Newcastle at the Stadium of Light on the first Saturday in May, a bank holiday
weekend, with that lot dragged into our house with the sun out and the place bouncing. City on the last day I can live with.
The Mags round for the bank holiday? Life is good.
Daniel Crosbie says…
The first thing you do when the fixture list drops is check the opening day, and the second thing you do is scroll straight to the Mags’ games — and both give us plenty to chew over this year.
The opening games are hard to read.
On one hand, Portman Road should be bouncing for Ipswich’s first game back in the Premier League, and our recent record against Fulham hardly makes the second game feel straightforward. On the other hand, Ipswich’s home record the last time they were in the top flight was awful (seven points and only one win), and both of our first two opponents are currently without managers. It could go either way.
The derby’s placement looks dangerous.
Chelsea (H), Aston Villa (A), Spurs (H), Liverpool (A), then a trip to St James’ is a rancid run, and there’s a real risk we arrive there with any early rhythm knocked out of us.
The hopeful reading is that Régis Le Bris often seems at his best against stronger sides when Sunderland’s backs are against the wall, while the derby usually suits us when Newcastle dismiss us as a non-threat.
Hopefully they do that again, treat it like a routine win, and bottle it once more.
John Wilson says…
The opening game last season was very exciting, but to my mind, the opening fixtures are often underwhelming — as is the case this season.
The computer doesn’t move fixtures around when it doesn’t need to, and I was very confident that we’d play a promoted team early doors, as is the case away to Ipswich Town on the opening day.
The biggest disappointment at first glance is that we’re not at home at all over the Christmas period, which is a huge bummer. Of course, with our fixtures in the Europa League, a lot of these dates will be rearranged as I imagine we’ll have a lot of Sunday games.
A late-season home game against the Visitors is interesting, as is a final-day home game against Manchester City. It’s easy to be excited or even disappointed when fixtures come out, but we still have to play everyone home and away. As Régis Le Bris would say, it’s all about consistency.
Malc Dugdale says…
I’m OK with the fixtures but with an away start at Ipswich and a tough sequence through to September (including both Arsenal and Manchester City), we could do with a strong start in Suffolk.
If we start well, the momentum from last season can hopefully be maintained and even improved.
October looks like a month where I’d like to see a good points haul, and my birthday weekend will see us face Spurs at home in late November, which I’m looking forward to as a bloke with many Tottenham fans in the wider family. I expect them to bounce back this season, so that’ll be a belter, I’m sure.
The December and January run has its ups and downs, including the Mags away and Manchester United away. Liverpool and Spurs will be tough in January as well, but with games against Hull and Coventry in the mix, points are there to be taken.
The remainder of the season looks like a decent balance. Manchester United, Brentford and Arsenal in March will be trying, and a long weekend for the Mags home game in early May will mean that’s another mint occasion to look forward to.
Finishing the season with a home game against Manchester City — who’ll be very keen to take back the league title for sure — will be tough. but if we progress on from seventh this last season and we need a win for champions league to come, I’d back our lads every time.
I just can’t wait for it all to start again.
It feels like ages since that Chelsea game but at least we have a World Cup to keep our football appetites whetted…and the Europa League draw to come, too.
Matthew Donne says…
I’m not a big one for stressing over the fixture list.
As we saw last season, we were stacked with tricky periods but the lads and Régis Le Bris found their way through — which included a large portion of the squad being away at AFCON.
Yes, we have the added pressures of Europe this season, but I trust the Lads to get the business done. That being said, being away to Ipswich is a nice opener, and Manchester City at home on the final day is a nice ‘freebie’, if you want to see it that way.
Max says…
Having a home game first would’ve been a good opportunity to lay a marker down, but I think playing a newly-promoted team while the market is still in full flow might give us the opportunity to catch them at a good time.
Excited to be back watching the Lads on boxing day, but November into the start of December looks tough, with added emphasis on our home form being top notch in that period to ensure we keep our points tally ticking!
I want to go to Fulham and win, as the performance at Craven Cottage last season was a frustrating one.
Paul Lee says…
I expected a promoted side away in the first game, so I’m pleased it’s Ipswich and not Coventry.
December is a big, big month and will undoubtedly determine the season, and the September/October international break means I can have one too.
Playing the Visitors away first is psychologically a good way round once you factor in European games. It shows what a jam-packed season we have ahead and the crucial need for signing and integrating a good number of new signings.
Ricky Clucas says…
Ideally I would’ve liked a home game first and a chance to set the tone early doors, like we did against West Ham. That said, a promoted side away is still a good opportunity to do that.
I didn’t feel the immediate rush to check when the Mags’ games were this season — beating them is all a bit par for the course now, isn’t it.
I found myself checking for Manchester United away as I feel the performance at Old Trafford was one of the more frustrating ones in the season. Would like to go there and play the game rather than the occasion.
Wadey says…
I feel a bit stitched up, to be honest.
Ipswich away first up is an absolute stinker. Manchester City at home in the last game of season is OK with me…title decider!
We also get to play the Mags at their place first, which as I said yesterday is excellent — once we’ve taken points off them there, it’s a free hit at home.
