Liverpool’s 2015-16 Season Fixture Analysis

Published 06/17/2015, 1:49 PM EDT

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Reds will begin their campaign where they ended it & lost 6-1 at the Britannia Stadium. It was a dreadful farewell for Stevie G. This will be the first season after 17 years Liverpool will start a season without Gerrard in the team. He has been a talisman for almost 2 decades for the club. Let’s talk about the fixtures Liverpool have been allotted in depth.

Real Test (Aug – Nov Period)

Under the captaincy of highly talented Jordan Henderson, Liverpool will kick the season off with one of the youngest squads in the Premier League. The squad has potential but still looks short of ambition due to lack of experience. Rodgers has  been given another chance to revive himself and earn back the fans’ support. However, the first 7 away games are a nightmare for him. From the looks of it, it is clear that Liverpool have the toughest start with a Stoke away game and away games with all the top 4 teams of last season in this period all by itself.  The period of August to November will give a clearer picture of whether Brendan will stay. The inclusion of Milner and Ings looks beneficial to the squad & will boost the chances for a Top 4 finish. The meetings with Manchester United are set scheduled for September 12 at Old Trafford and January 16, 2016 at Anfield respectively. The first Merseyside derby of the season takes place at Goodison Park on October 3, with Everton to come to Anfield for the rematch on February 27, 2016. The setup of fixtures suggests that Liverpool cannot afford any slip ups else it might cost them the whole season. If they pass this torrid period, they could have a real chance at experimenting with new tactics in the later half.

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Expected Points – 30

Schedule

August – 8 – Stoke City (A)
15 – Bournemouth (H)
22 – Arsenal (A)
29 – West Ham United (H)

September – 12 – Manchester United (A)
19 – Norwich City (H)
26 – Aston Villa (H)

October – 3 – Everton (A)
17 – Tottenham Hotspur (A)
24 – Southampton (H)
31 – Chelsea (A)

November – 7 – Crystal Palace (H)
21 – Manchester City (A)
28 – Swansea City (H)

Cakewalk

Liverpool play at home on Boxing Day against Leicester City. Other fixtures also favor the Reds and it seems that December is probably the easiest month Liverpool will get in the entire season. But it could still be challenging and might require shuffling of players due to more than one game in a week. This period can be fruitful and Liverpool should try earning maximum points from these 5 games to increase pressure on the top half.

Expected Points – 13

Schedule

December – 5 – Newcastle United (A)

12 – West Bromwich Albion (H)
19 – Watford (A)
26 – Leicester City (H)
28 – Sunderland (A)

Jan – March (Stability)

Liverpool usually gain shape & confidence in the second half of the season. Last season, their form was fluctuating and they started the year with 12 games without a defeat but could not cope up with tough upcoming fixtures. But this time, Reds could really benefit from the set of fixtures with most of the tough games at Anfield itself. Cup and Europa League fixtures could be tough to manage along with all this, however.

If Liverpool maintains shape during this period, it could land them in the Top 4 quite easily. Character and mindset of winning would be important which can only be incorporated by the man in charge and the captain.

Expected Points – 31

Schedule

January – 2 – West Ham United (A)
12 – Arsenal (H)
16 – Manchester United (H)
23 – Norwich City (A)

February – 2 – Leicester City (A)
6 – Sunderland (H)
13 – Aston Villa (A)
27 – Everton (H)

March – 1 – Manchester City (H)
5 – Crystal Palace (A)
12 – Chelsea (H)
19 – Southampton (A)

April – May

Liverpool could easily complete their objective of a Top 4 finish as the only tough fixture in the last 2 months is against Spurs and that too at home.

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Expected points – 18

Schedule

April – 2 – Tottenham Hotspur (H)
9 – Stoke City (H)
16 – Bournemouth (A)
23 – Newcastle United (H)
30 – Swansea City (A)

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May – 7 – Watford (H)
15 – West Bromwich Albion (A)

Conclusion
It is expected that the Reds could finish on a high, albeit with a stumbling start. On a whole, it could again be a roller coaster ride and an interesting campaign for the Reds.

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Written by:

Varun Behl

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