Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Liverpool entered January with an insanely jammed schedule, and now as the month draws to a close, they have one win in their last eight across all competitions. Maybe the return of Sadio Mane will save them? Of course, the Reds entered that period already weary from festive season fixture congestion.
Now Manchester United face some serious fixture congestion of their own. Of course, that’s partially due to the Red Devils being proverbial “victims of their own success.”
United have advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup, the round of 32 in Europa League, and the final of the EFL Cup. Prioritized above all those competitions is the Premier League, in which United are fighting for an all important spot in the top four.
United Manager Jose Mourinho blasted the schedule-makers for creating a “calendar” that’s “non-sense.” Yes, indeed it’s fixture congestion season once again. Klopp lamented the issues surrounding fixture congestion, but stated that it is not an excuse. Arsene Wenger spoke out against the schedule with vigorous zeal, as did Sam Allardyce.
Mourinho said: “We are going to have a very difficult season compared with other clubs. Liverpool will play 16 matches until the end of the season, Chelsea will play 16 plus some in the FA Cup and we are in this really crazy situation.”
“Southampton will have 15 days without football before the final. In those 15 days we are going to play two matches against Saint-Etienne and the next round of the FA Cup, so the calendar in the best country of world football is nonsense.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, Bold and the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication, appears regularly as a guest on CGTN America, WGN CLTV News and KOZN.
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