2020-2021 season

[Newcastleclaret93]

I don’t know if it has been posted anywhere else yet.

But is there any indication of when the season starts?
Heard a few people mention 12th September. That seems a very quick turnaround. Pre season must start in two weeks time.

[claretburns]

I believe the likely date will be 12th September for the Premier League, though there be a possible League Cup tie before that date as we'll be in the 2nd round. The Premier League have their meeting next week after the season finishes when it is widely understood that a date will be confirmed.

The BBC did an article a couple of days ago and with the Premier League, Serie A, the Scottish Premiership, European competitions and internationals then there will only be 7 days of no football between now and 12th September and 4 of them days are in the international week between 2nd and 8th September.

[Bosscat]

From the "Fragrant" Lancashire Blackburnegraph...

Lancashire TelegraphMENU
Sport5 hrs ago

The main issues as calendar for 2020/21 football season is finalised

By Steve Tinniswood @LTGrassRoots
The new season is expected to start on September 12.

The 2020-21 domestic football calendar, including a season start date, could be finalised on Friday.

Discussions between the Premier League, the FA and the EFL on this subject have continued this week.

The 20 top-flight clubs will gather for a shareholders’ meeting on Friday, where the calendar will be on the agenda for discussion.

The weekend of September 12 and 13 is understood to be a potential start date for the Premier League and the EFL, which falls after that month’s international break. When an announcement does come, it is likely it would be made jointly by the three organisations.


Discussions between them will centre on the scheduling of the cup competitions in a calendar which has been truncated by the late finish to the 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fitting in the autumn rounds of the Carabao Cup could be problematic, with the Champions League and Europa League group stages set to be played in every midweek slot from the week beginning October 19 until the week beginning December 7.

The only break will come in mid-November, with the period between November 11 and 19 set aside for international fixtures.

English clubs playing in Europe already receive a bye to the third round of the Carabao Cup, but further allowances may need to be made in order for these sides to compete on both fronts.

FA Cup replays will also have formed part of the discussion over the 2020-21 calendar. They were already scrapped from the fifth round onward in the current season, and it has been reported that Premier League clubs would like them removed for the third and fourth rounds in the coming season, and for the initial ties to be played in midweek next year rather than at the weekend.

Premier League clubs will also discuss any changes to how VAR is used next season when they convene via video conference call.

Clubs will also be updated on discussions between the league and the FA concerning the number of ‘homegrown’ players in each squad, which are expected to reach a conclusion this month.


Currently no more than 17 of the 25-man squad can be players who do not qualify as homegrown, and the Premier League is understood to be keen for the rule to stay as it is.

The FA has previously said it would like the minimum number of homegrown players per squad to increase from eight to 12. A points-based system for overseas signings, has also been discussed.

[TheFamilyCat]

I don’t know if it has been posted anywhere else yet.

But is there any indication of when the season starts?
Heard a few people mention 12th September. That seems a very quick turnaround. Pre season must start in two weeks time.

Seven weeks seems a reasonable amount of time to me. Couple of weeks off to recover from the "mini-season" then a pre-season that won't need to be anywhere near as intense as normal as they've only just finished playing.

[ClaretTony]

Definitely the plan is for 12th September with a plan to start reintroducing fans from some time in October.

[JohnDearyMe]

I know we are in unusual times but if the 3rd round FA Cup ties were to be played midweek as the article above suggests some Premier League teams are pushing for do you think they'd ever revert back to Saturdays in the future?

[FactualFrank]

So when do we expect next season's fixtures will be announced? Obviously after playoff finals.

[Newcastleclaret93]

It will be interesting to see if Dyche gets his wish of a few signings before the season starts.

[Chester Perry]

It will be interesting to see if Dyche gets his wish of a few signings before the season starts.

It would be surprising and pleasing to see any before October - though I suspect we may have at least one after the 12th of October when it is EFL purchases only

[tim_noone]

It will be interesting to see if Dyche gets his wish of a few signings before the season starts.

But hes leaving.... all the male/female tv football presenters have made it perfectly clear.

[Newcastleclaret93]

Let’s be honest Dyche is staying. He won’t be able to get a bigger club because of his style.

He was posterising to get a bigger transfer budget to potentially help improve his style of play. To then maybe get a bigger job down the line

[cricketfieldclarets]

Let’s be honest Dyche is staying. He won’t be able to get a bigger club because of his style.

He was posterising to get a bigger transfer budget to potentially help improve his style of play. To then maybe get a bigger job down the line

Villa. West Ham. Palace. All may come up. And imagine all would appeal.

[jurek]

All depends on Dyche staying.
If he goes then there will potentially be a massive upheaval for the club.
Not only would we need to get a new manager in but Dyche leaving may well
mean we lose some of our better players too.

With the 2020-2021 season starting mid-September that would leave us with
precious little time to get things sorted - whatever that may mean?

If he stays and manages to get 2 or 3 decent players in to strengthen the team/squad
then matters will be very interesting. Although it would still be a major
achievement if we could finish in the top ten.

If an offer comes and whoever it is is willing to pay the 10m compensation then Dyche
may well feel he's done as much as he can with us and decide to move and take on a new challenge
where he will probably have more money available.

I don't think we could blame him, could we?

[Cubanclaret]

Palace offered Hodgson an extra year pre-Covid.
Moyes is looking very cosy now at West Ham.
Villa staying up could be the worst thing that could happen for us if the Villa owners recognise that they’ve been very lucky to stay up (Watford’s gross negligence handing it to them on a plate. Worth noting that Smith signed a 4-year deal in November 2019. So sacking Smith and paying out Dyche’s compo would be a messy and very expensive do for them.

[addisclaret]

All depends on Dyche staying.
If he goes then there will potentially be a massive upheaval for the club.
Not only would we need to get a new manager in but Dyche leaving may well
mean we lose some of our better players too.

With the 2020-2021 season starting mid-September that would leave us with
precious little time to get things sorted - whatever that may mean?

If he stays and manages to get 2 or 3 decent players in to strengthen the team/squad
then matters will be very interesting. Although it would still be a major
achievement if we could finish in the top ten.

If an offer comes and whoever it is is willing to pay the 10m compensation then Dyche
may well feel he's done as much as he can with us and decide to move and take on a new challenge
where he will probably have more money available.

I don't think we could blame him, could we?

Is it just me or does anyone else pretend to be Kenneth Branagh and try to read jureks posts in the iambic pentameter?

[Rowls]

Is it just me or does anyone else pretend to be Kenneth Branagh and try to read jureks posts in the iambic pentameter?

I want to know how and why he forms his free verse. I asked once but got no reply.
The thing that really puzzles me is how he chooses when and where
To start a new line.

[addisclaret]

I want to know how and why he forms his free verse. I asked once but got no reply.
The thing that really puzzles me is how he chooses when and where
To start a new line.

It's a difficult one,
Indeed to understand but,
I enjoy his posts in general,
and find his pseudo-verse somehow edifying.

[Kreuzberg]

Read that Moyes earned himself a 2M bonus for keeping West Ham up, and their board intends to make transfer funds available to him this summer as well as let him start the season as manager.

[timshorts]

Is it just me or does anyone else pretend to be Kenneth Branagh and try to read jureks posts in the iambic pentameter?

I had a Stephen hawking character on an iron lung in mind.

[claretburns]

Breaking news, the season will start on the 12th September - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53530479

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Palace offered Hodgson an extra year pre-Covid.
Moyes is looking very cosy now at West Ham.
Villa staying up could be the worst thing that could happen for us if the Villa owners recognise that they’ve been very lucky to stay up (Watford’s gross negligence handing it to them on a plate. Worth noting that Smith signed a 4-year deal in November 2019. So sacking Smith and paying out Dyche’s compo would be a messy and very expensive do for them.

He'd also potentially have to handle Grealish leaving, the squad looks a bit of a mess and next season would be about staying up whilst an overhaul happens.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Villa. West Ham. Palace. All may come up. And imagine all would appeal.

Villa and West Ham are messy clubs.

Palace is the only stable club of those 3 but I Roy will be there for next season.

[claretburns]

Personally don't feel Villa will look at Dyche to even give him the choice of leaving, they have a look of a team who once they survive one season will think that is it and should be pushing for Europe, can see them going for a good sounding foreign name, so unless Dyche changes his name to Dycheio then I don't think Villa is an option.

[tim_noone]

Villa and West Ham are messy clubs.

Palace is the only stable club of those 3 but I Roy will be there for next season.

I didn't know you posted on here Woy?

[Hipper]

......iambic pentameter

Is that a make of car?

Or was that an Iambic Perambulator?