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Premier League fixtures: Tough start for David Moyes at Man Utd

By Phil McNultyChief football writer

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments322

David Moyes watches a game at Old Trafford

Manchester United's new era was mapped out in front of manager David Moyes with the release of the Premier League fixtures for the 2013-14 season - and Sir Alex Ferguson's successor has not been handed an easy introduction.

After an opening-weekend visit to Swansea City, Moyes will welcome Jose Mourinho to Old Trafford as he starts his own regeneration of Chelsea after his return to the club.

Moyes will follow that up with a visit to Anfield and there are no happy memories for him there following 11 years without a win at Liverpool while in charge of Everton.

The Premier League champions soon face a Manchester derby, and another new manager at City in Manuel Pellegrini, with a visit to the Etihad currently scheduled for Saturday, 21 September. City visit Old Trafford on 1 March.

First impressions can last and if Moyes comes through that opening test with a healthy position then a platform will be set as United go in search of their 21st title led by the Scot who has never won a trophy.

He will hope to be in the position to change that, if he has not already in the Capital One Cup, when he makes his return to Goodison Park on 19 April.

The announcement of the fixture list has most supporters totting up imaginary points totals, examining what they will see as crucial phases of the season - especially for newcomers Cardiff City, Hull City and Crystal Palace.

Last season's Premier League only concluded on 19 May, but for those three clubs and their supporters this is the day they have been waiting for.

Steve Bruce's Hull, back in the Premier League following relegation in May 2010, have been handed the task of wrecking Mourinho's triumphant return to Stamford Bridge on the opening day while Selhurst Park will be a raucous place to be for the visit of London rivals Tottenham.

Bruce will either feel he has been handed a horrendous start or Hull are getting the tough ones out of the way early as they follow up a home game against Norwich City with a trip to Manchester City.

Cardiff and their manager Malky Mackay start with a trip to West Ham but the eyes of most of south Wales will have instantly fixed on those long-awaited Premier League derby dates with fiercest rivals Swansea City. The Swans visit Cardiff on 2 November while the return is on 8 February.

Big days lie ahead for the Premier League's other new managers, with Everton's Roberto Martinez starting with the long trip to Norwich City and Mark Hughes, back in the Premier League after a reputation-damaging spell at QPR, taking Stoke City to Liverpool.

At Anfield, manager Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to improve on last season's seventh place and he will have noted a hazardous Christmas programme which sees them travel to Manchester City on Boxing Day then Chelsea two days later.

This for another day. For all who say it is simply a matter of each team playing each other twice, the new fixture list offers hope and pessimism in equal measure up and down the Premier League and marks the start of the countdown to the new season.

Club-by-club fixtures for the new season:

Premier League:Arsenal,Aston Villa,Cardiff City,Chelsea,Crystal Palace,Everton,Fulham,Hull City,Liverpool,Manchester City,Manchester United,Newcastle United,Norwich City,Southampton,Stoke City,Sunderland,Swansea City,Tottenham Hotspur,West Bromwich Albion,West Ham United.

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322 comments

  • Comment posted by skellmufc, at 11:34 19 Jun 2013

    How in the name of sanity is Phil McNulty 'Chief Football Writer' at the BBC.
    Poor journalism. But at least he's consistent.

  • Comment posted by Richard, at 11:27 19 Jun 2013

    What is the point of this article? It's just stating the obvious: those games against the top four from last season will be difficult won't they!

  • Comment posted by bigli, at 11:33 19 Jun 2013

    The BBC do realise there are 91 other teams in the league don't they, not just Man Utd, or are we going to get another season of just Man Utd articles?

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 11:27 19 Jun 2013

    Too much is made of the fixtures.

    Anyway there would always be an angle to question Moyes. If Man Utd had 5 'easy' matches to start the campaign then i'm sure McNulty would write something like "easy start for Moyes but real tests lie ahead".

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 11:57 19 Jun 2013

    @9Scorn

    I expect McNulty had written this article well in advance.

    Mention that Moyes hasn't won a trophy - check.

    Plucky newly promoted clubs eagerly anticipating the fixtures - check.

    "The new fixture list offers hope and pessimism in equal measure up and down the Premier League" - eh?

  • Comment posted by U6055787, at 12:14 19 Jun 2013

    Our chief football writer exceeds himself again.

    Phil did you know that each team plays each other twice and the team that has the most points at the end wins the league? Thought I should enlighten you.

  • Comment posted by U15533558, at 12:11 19 Jun 2013

    Well, I suppose this is correct. But I would hardly call this analysis. I've followed football properly for a grand total of two years and I could tell you this.

    Besides, there are harder draws you could 'analyse': Norwich's last few games, for example.

  • Comment posted by U14882083, at 12:18 19 Jun 2013

    15. Jamurai
    . I've followed football properly for a grand total of two years and I could tell you this.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    So you're a City fan then ?

  • Comment posted by U11846789, at 13:16 19 Jun 2013

    Premier League fixtures: Tough start for David Moyes at Man Utd

    ----

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    What about the other 91 teams BBC?

    A lot of people are sick and tired of your ManU bias.

  • Comment posted by U15257067, at 12:53 19 Jun 2013

    No comment or article about them having a relatively easy run in from the mid-end of March then ?

  • Comment posted by valjester, at 12:13 19 Jun 2013

    I prefer Swindon Town to Manchester United. Any chance of a write-up of our chances this season, or does every article have to be about mann-yoo and the like?

  • Comment posted by bigli, at 11:55 19 Jun 2013

    #8

    Not paranoid at all twinkletoes, just fed up to the back teeth with the same sycophantic garbage being churned out week after week all at the expense of our license fee

  • Comment posted by Coolica1, at 11:29 19 Jun 2013

    Why does Manchester United's fixture list deserve a mention when every other team in the Premier League and the Football League got their fixture list too. Aston Villa have a harder start than Man United but no, it is the BBC so we have to focus on at least 1 Manchester club.

  • Comment posted by Heethster, at 13:26 19 Jun 2013

    The first 2-3 games are very low pressure and have little bearing on the season as teams are are still teething, so anything could happen. Many unexpected results occur in these games. It's probably better this than having 'easy' games that you are expected to win. My Liverpool (and the Arsenal for that matter) have - on paper - easy starts, bar one or two games. This is pressure.

  • Comment posted by greenandpurple, at 12:06 19 Jun 2013

    I don't know what offers more comedy value - yet another crisis at "We're a big club. No,we are. We REALLY are, honest!" Newcastle or the BBC continuing to pay McNulty to churn out yet more of his "I'm going to state the blindingly obvious that any football fan with even half a brain cell and an eye on the back pages would know" drivel.

  • Comment posted by Utd8799, at 16:49 19 Jun 2013

    BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!

    Man to replace the most successful British manager ever will have a tough start!! You heard it here first, at the mighty BBC.

    Daft bloody article. I'm just chuffed, like I'm guessing everyone else is, that you feel a step closer to the start of the new season when the fixtures come out. Hate the footy withdrawal in the summer!

  • Comment posted by U15765270, at 08:42 20 Jun 2013

    As a neutral I don't get why people are surprised Man Utd make headlines... they are the biggest and most successful club in England, You may not like them but that is a fact. We are all jealous of what they have achieved but spouting bile from your armchair, as most of you never go to games, is pretty sad.

  • Comment posted by Dave, at 19:42 19 Jun 2013

    194 - Mad Cow - "Neverton" and "Man poo"?

    Seriously?

    Please tell me you're either -
    1. Under 12; or
    2. Retarded.
    .

  • Comment posted by U15624587, at 14:51 19 Jun 2013

    I'll be more bothered about this list when transfer activity has been concluded, until then it's really arbitrary nonsense!

  • Comment posted by Gary, at 08:41 20 Jun 2013

    M Bowen @ 237 - but mediocre mid table clubs don't attract the same press interest. Think yourselves fortunate that some of the press are still prepared to listen to your historical arguments from when you were a league title winning side, remember it, it was almost quarter of a century ago...

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