Fixture congestion causing problems w/ scheduling the derby

[JamieMCFC]

Manchester United's FA Cup quarterfinal pairing with Wolverhampton Wanderers has complicated plans to re-schedule the Old Trafford derby against Manchester City for the first week of April, sources have told ESPN FC.

United had been due to host City in the 178th Manchester derby on March 16 but the fixture has now been postponed due to both clubs being involved in the FA Cup that weekend.

Discussions between the two Manchester clubs, the Premier League and local authorities had led to plans being centred on United and City meeting on either April 2 or 3.

But with United and Wolves due to meet in the Premier League at Molineux on April 6 -- the date of the first FA Cup semifinal -- that fixture must also now be re-scheduled with one of the two clubs guaranteed a place in the last four. With Wolves and United needing to find a new date in the calendar for their league game, the two clubs could schedule the fixture on April 2 or 3, potentially forcing the Manchester derby to be pushed back until late April.

No decision on a new date for United vs. City is expected to be confirmed until after the second leg of City's Champions League round-of-16 tie against Schalke on March 12, with dates in the weeks commencing April 8 and 15 available if both Manchester clubs fail to reach the quarterfinals. If United and City make it through to the FA Cup semifinals and are then drawn against each other, there may be little appetite on both sides to stage a such a crucial Premier League derby, for United's top four aspirations and City's title ambitions, in the midweek before the cup semis at Wembley.

With United needing to overturn a 2-0 Champions League first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes on March 6, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team are outsiders in their bid to progress to the quarterfinals.

But if City continue in the Champions League and reach the latter stages, at the same time as overcoming Swansea to book a place in the FA Cup semifinals, Pep Guardiola's team will face an increasingly congested fixture list.

City will have to rearrange their home game against Cardiff City on April 6 if they reach the FA Cup semifinals, with April 2 or 3 and April 23 the only dates currently available. The Premier League season ends on May 12, with no scope for outstanding league fixtures to be played after that date.

http://www.espn.com/soccer/manchester-u ... ed-sources

[Dubciteh]

Sky will make it second last game of the season and pray the title is on the line....

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Sky will make it second last game of the season and pray the title is on the line....

I've been saying it for weeks.
However, I do have a feeling it might be last chance saloon for our opponents by then.

[london blue 2]

Sky will make it second last game of the season and pray the title is on the line....

Second chance to win it vs them would be great

[budfox]

Just give us the points and have done with it.

[Beefymcfc]

Anybody would think it was planned!

Just think, Sky must've thought we'd both be battling for the PL, so that's fucked, but they always had the fallback of the Dippers.

Scheduling, eh, anybody can do this shit.

[Hazy2]

A rag I know has said if we needed 4 goals to win the league v them he would start a conga after the 4th FUCK THE VERMIN he said !

[nottsblue]

A rag I know has said if we needed 4 goals to win the league v them he would start a conga after the 4th FUCK THE VERMIN he said !

Be interesting to know what the likes of Camelgob, Chuckle, Scholes et all, would think in the scenario of a City win wins us the PL and a rag one means the dippers win it. They are always bleating on how the rivalry between them and the dippers is bigger than with us.

[john@staustell]

A rag I know has said if we needed 4 goals to win the league v them he would start a conga after the 4th FUCK THE VERMIN he said !

Be interesting to know what the likes of Camelgob, Chuckle, Scholes et all, would think in the scenario of a City win wins us the PL and a rag one means the dippers win it. They are always bleating on how the rivalry between them and the dippers is bigger than with us.

Never did work out why. I think they have been rivals for the League about twice

[nottsblue]

A rag I know has said if we needed 4 goals to win the league v them he would start a conga after the 4th FUCK THE VERMIN he said !

Be interesting to know what the likes of Camelgob, Chuckle, Scholes et all, would think in the scenario of a City win wins us the PL and a rag one means the dippers win it. They are always bleating on how the rivalry between them and the dippers is bigger than with us.

Never did work out why. I think they have been rivals for the League about twice

I know. Mentioned a while back that in the last 50 years theyve rivalled for the title probably 4/5 times at a push. Chelsea or Arsenal have been challenging more often

[FA cup winners 2006]

Just as the fixtures get congested, there is a 2 week international break coming up. Hopefully all our important players pull out and for once commit to city over a couple of international games