After tomorrow’s clash with Middlesbrough, Manchester United will be off for 11 days. They could certainly use the rest as the early Sunday fixture will be their third match (and in three different competitions too) this week. The first half of March has been action packed for United, with a loaded on schedule on short turnarounds.
It also comes on the heels of a fixture congested February. It’s prompted United Manager Jose Mourinho to lash out at the governing bodies who determine the schedule not once, but twice this week.
Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp feels his pain. Liverpool had a similarly overloaded January, but Jurgen Klopp specifically brought attention to the furor he had last April when Liverpool had to play at Swansea City at noon after arriving back from the first leg of their Europa League semi-final with Villarreal at 4 am.
While the teams may be arch-rivals, they have solidarity in dealing with end of the season schedule pile up
‘It is all about using the experience you have and when you think of experience I heard what Jose Mourinho said and what the pundits think about it,’ said Klopp.
‘Last season we had the same experience. It was really hard. We played Villarreal and then Swansea at 12. If you want to help you should not do that. I know it is contracted, but 12 or 4 pm? Don’t play then. “
‘Don’t make it more difficult than it should be. We thought the same. We thought it was really hard. That was an experience.’
As Mourinho pointed out, United got a very late start Thursday night, and they have the earliest slot on Sunday. Even moving the game to Sunday night would have helped, but Monday night would have been optimal.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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