Manchester United face a flurry of 8pm kick-offs in the latest fixture announced by the Premier League, with large gaps between matches also frustrating.
Manchester United are struggling with the latest fixture announcement (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
Manchester United have reportedly lodged a complaint with the Premier League and Sky Sports after being dissatisfied with the latest fixture announcements. Unlike many of their rivals, United are solely focused on the Premier League, but the latest schedule is far from satisfying them.
Michael Carrick’s side have three games scheduled in April starting at 8pm, with games against Leeds and Brentford at Old Trafford on Monday night, as well as a trip to Chelsea on Saturday. This means that 14 of the 34 league games scheduled so far have had kick-offs at 8 p.m.
This time of year is not very friendly for fans, especially in the run-up to the trip to Stamford Bridge on April 18th. But there are other frustrations for the club.
According to The Sun, club officials are “furious” at the frustrating decision by the league and broadcaster. They reportedly understand United are an “attractive option” for TV, but still pose problems for both the Premier League and Sky Sports.
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United’s lack of participation in other competitions has affected their schedule, with United losing to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup in August and losing to Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup in January. These failures, combined with the absence of European football, mean that the schedule is likely to be driven by the Premier League.
United finished 15th last season and lost to Tottenham in the Europa League final, so they have not played enough games this season. In contrast, nine Premier League teams still participate in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League, which imposes many restrictions on schedulers.
Carrick’s side also have a big break between games, with 24 days between the trip to Bournemouth, with an 8pm kick-off on March 20th and the next league game against Leeds on April 13th. This is due to the international break and the FA Cup quarter-finals, which United are not participating in.
Manager Michael Carrick is worried about the content of the match (Image: 2026 Getty Images)
After Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle, there was an 11-day gap between the Reds and Aston Villa on March 15th. United can hardly bemoan such habits because they are not playing in the FA Cup, the centerpiece of this weekend’s fifth round tie.
Indeed, it could be argued that their absence from other competitions has given United an advantage over their rivals finishing in the top four of the Premier League, given that the rest of the top six are all competing on other fronts.
Carrick suffered their first defeat since taking over as caretaker manager on Wednesday night as William Osla produced a stunning win over Newcastle 10-a-side. Despite this, Villa lost 4-1 to Chelsea, leaving United in third place with nine league games remaining.
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