Fixture Bias - Big 6 / FA

[Oh When the Wolves]

Sources: FA want new 'Big 6' plan ahead of WC

The FA request to Premier League for games between the "Big Six" not to be played on the weekend before the World Cup starts, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

There we have it.

We know we always get hard done by with the fixtures over the Christmas break and they are quite clearly fixed to favour the bigger sides.

This latest request is a joke though. Why should other clubs have to play the big 6 during the weekend prior to World Cup?

Why should any club get any favours from the FA? Stinks

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Sources: FA want new 'Big 6' plan ahead of WC

The FA request to Premier League for games between the "Big Six" not to be played on the weekend before the World Cup starts, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

There we have it.

We know we always get hard done by with the fixtures over the Christmas break and they are quite clearly fixed to favour the bigger sides.

This latest request is a joke though. Why should other clubs have to play the big 6 during the weekend prior to World Cup?

Why should any club get any favours from the FA? Stinks

It's simply disgraceful, if not unsurprising. A Project Reset, without this charade of clubs and The FA, quite frankly, would benefit the game and needs to be done by the 14 other clubs ASAP if we are to save football's future.

 

[old wittonian]

Tantamount to bringing the game into disrepute.

 

[woop woop barmy army]

Maybe not, but as a player would you rather play the top 6 or forest / Fulham / Leeds / Wolves / Villa / Newcastle where crowd will be lifted and no doubt tackles flying In.

They may live to regret the decision.

 

[Timberwolf]

Why don’t they quit the season a week earlier and make them back in the spring?
It also ignores the ‘other’ internationals in other sides. Big 6 rivalries aside, there are local derbies, relegation & European spots and bad blood games to be fought over.

 

[Pagey]

Just shows what a farce it is to hold the world cup there. Just a week after the final match to travel and acclimatise before the tournament begins. Going to be a quite a few turgid matches in the early rounds and the risk of injuries.

 

[Jefe]

The FA don't give a toss about the WC-bound international stars who represent the other 14 clubs, then?

 

[Eastyorksyeltz]

Interesting to see how and where the FA define this "Big Six"? Is it now an official status? I think we should be told exactly what other privileges it officially grants to them. We do know the reality of course, but It would be nice to see it in black and white, from the top.

 

[Wolves Heathen]

The Premier League consists of 20 Teams without fear or favour end of, If any team gets a favour of any kind then its not a level playing field.

 

[MKB]

Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs barely have any England internationals.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

What difference does it make either way? Who cares? City play Liverpool before the WC or City play Fulham? Irrelevant really but the Prem does give fans the chance to have a go at it.

 

[Sketchead]

What are people crying about? The Premier League fixtures are always fixed by the PL so there's a 'big' game before the international break.

We've got to play them all twice anyway, who cares?

The idea is presumably to try and help the England players that little bit more ahead of a tournament everybody will be dying for them to win... if it means the likes of Walker, Stones, Foden, Sterling, Grealish, Trent AA, James, Mount, Henderson, Kane, Maguire, Saka and whoever else I've missed can potentially have a bit of a rest before the tournament, then that's good.

 

[Hot Fuss]

The Premier League consists of 20 Teams without fear or favour end of, If any team gets a favour of any kind then its not a level playing field.

How is this a favour to the “big 6”?

If I’m reading it right it’s an idea to help the England team?

 

[lostwolf]

Interesting to see how and where the FA define this "Big Six"? Is it now an official status? I think we should be told exactly what other privileges it officially grants to them. We do know the reality of course, but It would be nice to see it in black and white, from the top.

That's a good point: is this now to be an official designation? When is it reviewed? What are the criteria and how do Arsenal fit them? If they're concerned, do it in an equitable way and pause the season for everyone.

 

[Wolf in Kenilworth]

If this is true it all but confirms what we have known forever.

The game is corrupt and the ‘big’ teams are favoured - on and off the pitch.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

How is this a favour to the “big 6”?

If I’m reading it right it’s an idea to help the England team?

Because it means they can have an easier game before the break - when players may not be as up for it .

Just like over Christmas you never see bsck to bsck top 6 games in the space of 3 days!

 

[Munich_Wolf]

I know it counts for nothing but I won't be watching a single game. Got to draw the line somewhere.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

The idea is utter nonsense. I just don’t see how stopping the big six playing each other is going to help England. If you used last nights team as an example, then half of the players don’t play for the big six anyway.

 

[Jefe]

How is this a favour to the “big 6”? If I’m reading it right it’s an idea to help the England team?

But half of the England matchday squad named against Germany don't even play for the Big 6. Meanwhile, Yanited, Spurs and Liverpool had one Englishman apiece, and Arsenal had two. It's only really Citeh with a strong English presence. It would be pretty credulous to think it's about helping England and not about granting the Big 6 teams an easier game right before their cosmopolitan superstars jet off for Qatar.

 

[Jonzy54]

The way I view it is we have to play everyone twice however the fixtures drop .What I don’t like is when they manufacture a small gap between the so called big 6 fixtures as they did when there was about 48 hours between our Liverpool and City fixtures a couple of years ago.

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

I can sort of see why,but it makes little sense
As has been said over half of England squad dont play for "the 6", 2 of the big 6 are no better than than the next few clubs in the pecking order,it will leave them with even more congested fixtures later on
Liverpool.Spurs,Man Utd all have only one player currently in the squad no more than we have lol,its totally stupid

 

[Bradmore Wolf]

I can sort of see why,but it makes little sense
As has been said over half of England squad dont play for "the 6", 2 of the big 6 are no better than than the next few clubs in the pecking order,it will leave them with even more congested fixtures later on
Liverpool.Spurs,Man Utd all have only one player currently in the squad no more than we have lol,its totally stupid

Its not saying they won't play, just that they won't play each other.

 

[Contrarian]

How about just postponing all the big 6 matches and giving them an automatic 3 points?

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

Got me thinking where we actually sit in the Sky pecking order? Here's what I think on how they carve it us in Sky Sports irrespective of actual league position.

• Big Six: Man U, Liverpool, Citeh, Arsenal, Chelsea and by the skin of their teeth Spurs
• Big Six In Their Heads: Everton, Viiiiila, West Ham, Newcastle
• Plucky Challengers: Leicester, Leeds, Wolves
• Run of the Mill: Saints, Palace, Brighton
• Relegation Fodder (includes maverick underdogs): Brentford, Fulham, Bournemouth, Forest

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

Got me thinking where we actually sit in the Sky pecking order? Here's what I think on how they carve it us in Sky Sports irrespective of actual league position.

• Big Six: Man U, Liverpool, Citeh, Arsenal, Chelsea and by the skin of their teeth Spurs
• Big Six In Their Heads: Everton, Viiiiila, West Ham, Newcastle
• Plucky Challengers: Leicester, Leeds, Wolves
• Run of the Mill: Saints, Palace, Brighton
• Relegation Fodder (includes maverick underdogs): Brentford, Fulham, Bournemouth, Forest

Id place Brighton way above Leeds tbf

 

[Oldgoldilox]

Man City's players (for example) are just as likely to get injured playing Leeds as they are Liverpool, probably more so. Daft request if true. And surely 8 days between the last premier league fixture and the first WC game against Iran is more than sufficient, even if we had Brazil first up it would be adequate.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Got me thinking where we actually sit in the Sky pecking order? Here's what I think on how they carve it us in Sky Sports irrespective of actual league position.

• Big Six: Man U, Liverpool, Citeh, Arsenal, Chelsea and by the skin of their teeth Spurs
• Big Six In Their Heads: Everton, Viiiiila, West Ham, Newcastle
• Plucky Challengers: Leicester, Leeds, Wolves
• Run of the Mill: Saints, Palace, Brighton
• Relegation Fodder (includes maverick underdogs): Brentford, Fulham, Bournemouth, Forest

I think as far as Sky are concerned, it’s the big six you listed, and all the rest.

Each year there is some sort of story around at least one club outside of the big six, whether it be us and our stellar first season, Brentford or Leeds and their go for it style when promted, or Stevie G’s Villa.

As we saw with Everton last season, anyone outside of the big six can flirt with relegation, although it’s likely one or two of the newly promoted will go down along with one or two of the rest.

I guess however we should remember that the so called big six haven’t always been the big six. FFP and PL finances appear to stabilised their membership in recent years, but prior to that, teams like Leeds, Newcastle, Blackburn, Forest and ourselves, have all been part of the elite.

 

[Wall heath Wanderer]

If only they had large squads of quality players to enable them to rotate their players and keep them fresher.