Moyes hits out at United’s tough EPL season start
Print Edition
New manager David Moyes has criticized the series of fixtures Manchester United has been handed at the start of the season, hinting it is a deliberate ploy by the English Premier League to give it a tough opening.
The champion travels to Swansea City tomorrow for its first match of the new campaign but among its next four games the champion hosts Chelsea and travels to Manchester City and Liverpool.
“I think it’s the hardest start for 20 years that Manchester United have had,” said Moyes who took over in the close season following Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
“I hope it’s not because Manchester United won the league quite comfortably last year that the fixtures have been made much more difficult,” Moyes told the BBC yesterday.
“I find it hard to believe that’s the way the balls came out of the bag, that’s for sure.”
The game with United is the only meeting title rival City has with a top-five opponent from last season in its opening five fixtures. Chelsea also faces only one other game against a top-five opponent in that spell, at United on August 26.
Moyes added that no decision had been made on whether unsettled striker Wayne Rooney, who has missed most of preseason but played over an hour for England in its 3-2 win over Scotland in a friendly on Wednesday, would take part in tomorrow’s match.
Both sides have had competitive action in recent weeks. United beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the Community Shield last Sunday while Swansea defeated Swedish club Malmo in a two-legged Europa League qualifier.
Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale, who is wanted by Real Madrid, will not play at promoted Crystal Palace on Sunday after suffering a series of niggling injuries that have prevented him taking a full part in pre-season.
Want-away striker Luis Suarez will miss Liverpool’s home match with Stoke City tomorrow because he is still serving a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic last season.
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