Planning for Next Season

The Fixtures are out and it’s sweet, sweet, sweet.

Nottingham Forest at home to begin with will be a good test but should be an expected win; although last season’s 1-0 defeat is trembling in my mind. God, I’ll be nervous.

Then a luscious trip to St James’ Park to play Newcastle United, the biggest away fixture will be out of the way before Reading gets into the thick of the action in the Championship. I’m already planning my trip up there. Last time I was up in the heavens at Newcastle, I witnessed, like many poor Loyal Royals, a convincing 3-0 defeat- damn you Viduka, Owen and Martins ruining my six-hour trip. I hope that we can catch them cold this time around, as they won’t be up to the pace of the Championship, but it’s anyone’s guess.

August in all will be a difficult month with away trips to Swansea City and Barnsley, and a grudge home match to Sheffield United. It would probably be fair to say that this month could outline our season. Maximum points and we are laughing, a few defeats would be damaging. I’m sure Brendan Rodgers will have his team playing slick football when the season starts; well we can hope can’t we?

A game that I’m particularly pleased in seeing is an away trip to Leicester City late March; more or least a repeat of the 2005/06 promotion season where a Kevin Doyle goal sealed our promotion (sobs). I doubt history would repeat itself but there is no harm in dreaming. I am a dreamer after all.

We finish the season with a tough home encounter against Preston North End but I doubt that game will be important; we would have promotion wrapped up in April. See told you I was a dreamer.

My wishful thinking may get the better of me again. Oh well, I have hope and far too excited for the new season.

Urzzzz