3 week break after Palace away

[Duffers]

Problem isn't us and Everton having short recovery time. It is that Newcastle have a week off and we play 3 days earlier. So Sam says.

Newcastle won’t matter if we don’t beat Everton. Win that one and they won’t feel half as tired.

Besides, it’s not like we’ve never played Saturday/Tuesday or Sunday/Wednesday.

[Big Daddy Cool]

Sam not happy, don't blame him. Stupid placement for a game and it will hinder us.

“If I don’t rest them Thursday I’ll have to rest them Sunday. That’s an absolute fact,” Allardyce admitted. “We ran Burnley into the ground with 10 men because we didn’t have a game in midweek and they did.

“That shows you the difference. It’s something we have had no help with. We are trying to save ourselves in the Premier League but we have just been hindered by this.

“If we don’t get the results I will get the blame for it. There is one thing for sure, there is no need for this game on Thursday. There was another space where it could have been fitted it - just after the international break. Why couldn’t it happen then?

“It is totally and utterly bizarre from our point of view. It feels like a double kick in the teeth. It feels like we don’t want you in the Premier League, we aren’t bothered about you.

“After Everton, what are we going to look like against Newcastle? What team are we going to pick? Will we be able to go with the same players? If we do that will we be doing them a disservice by putting them out again after the Thursday night game?

“These are all the things we have to calculate. We don’t want to be calculating them but we have to because we have been put in this predicament. For me, it has hindered our chances of getting more points.

“Hopefully, that won’t be the case and the lads can get through it and they can manage it, but there it is more than likely I will make more changes in the next two games than I would like to.”

[Duffers]

Pre-emotive excuse making - I don’t like it.

[Big Daddy Cool]

Pre-emotive excuse making - I don’t like it.

Probably trying to take the pressure off the players and will use it as motivation.

I do think it will effect us against Newcastle though, I'd have backed us to win otherwise. Could work in our favour against Everton who themselves only have a two day break before our game.

[Baggie_Nick]

Pre-emotive excuse making - I don’t like it.

Probably trying to take the pressure off the players and will use it as motivation.

I do think it will effect us against Newcastle though, I'd have backed us to win otherwise. Could work in our favour against Everton who themselves only have a two day break before our game.

We will be fine.

[Duffers]

Pre-emotive excuse making - I don’t like it.

Probably trying to take the pressure off the players and will use it as motivation.

I do think it will effect us against Newcastle though, I'd have backed us to win otherwise. Could work in our favour against Everton who themselves only have a two day break before our game.

Again though, it’s no different to playing at a weekend and again in midweek.

[Cuzer]

I think you saw the difference when we went to Burnley with a weeks prep and they played Wednesday night against Fulham, even with 10 we were comfortably the better side

I think we need to pick our best 11 v Everton and see how they shape up for the Newcastle game, we're not really in a position to pick and choose what games we play our strongest 11

Cuzer

[Fulham Fallout]

Trip to Barcelona it is then...

[ferencpuskas]

Just realised that Everton is Thursday and Newcastle on Sunday fucking stupid playing that close they have no choice to rotate the team

Everton play Monday night then again on Thursday. They’re probably saying the same thing.

The game has been re-arranged due to Everton's FA cup tie on 20th March.  I personally expected this to be after 20th March and much later in the season as almost every other re-arranged fixture has.   So why the Premier League have done this is baffling and seemingly without consultation with us.  

Everton have a much shorter recovery period than we do for the game so hopefully they'll have a few niggles, but then we have a short recovery period before Toon.   Can't see James Rodriquez starting Thursday if he starts tomorrow and Calvert-Lewin has recently returned after a lay-off so unlikely he'll start both.  

Team selection should reflect what happens with Everton v Saints tomorrow and Newcastle's injury crisis.   Robinson and Grant haven't had any minutes for  a while nor Diangana so those are the three who give us options.  Ajayi is available for Everton a game we can't really afford to lose.  

I'd play our strongest side available for Everton and go for it and worry about Newcastle on Friday.   If we win both we're right back in with a shout.

I agree with you Hoppy, always play your best side, the lads, thanks to a few clean sheets and a few points as well, will want to play, they'll be up for it! I know he's working his balls off, but I'd still like to see Diagne in the box a bit more

[BaggieTom89]

Pre-emotive excuse making - I don’t like it.

Probably trying to take the pressure off the players and will use it as motivation.

I do think it will effect us against Newcastle though, I'd have backed us to win otherwise. Could work in our favour against Everton who themselves only have a two day break before our game.

Again though, it’s no different to playing at a weekend and again in midweek.

It is though with the kick-off times. If you play Saturday 3pm and Tuesday 8pm you're looking at 75 hours recovery time. Thursday 6pm to Sunday midday is 64 hours. That's almost half a day difference! At elite level these small margins make a difference.

That being said we benefit on Thursday with Everton playing tonight. If that helps us win it then we go into Newcastle on the back of 2 wins and 4 unbeaten so who knows.