The most stop-start season ever?

[G B Young]

Just noticed that after Friday's game we have yet another two-week lay-off for b****y internationals.

Amid the recent headlines about Neil Lennon, what was largely overlooked were his comments about this season's fixture schedule, which he quite rightly described as ridiculous.

OK, qualifying for Europe these days means you have to accept a very early start to the season and playing twice a week for as long as you keep progressing in the tournament. However, we've gone from that top-heavy start to the season to having three international breaks in the space of a couple of months as well as a near shutdown to accommodate the League Cup semi-finals. Following the next break we go into December, where we face eight games in a month at a time of year when money is tight for most! Crazy stuff and it feels like any time we've looked like generating some momentum this season it gets nipped in the bud by another break.

Would it be so difficult to have re-arranged fixtures during the League Cup semi-final weekend so that we could have played one of our December games and lessened the load next month? Better still, switch the League Cup semis back to midweek so that the weekend fixtures can continue as normal. As for the internationals, these are meaningless friendlies and Nations League games we're talking about. Clearing the weekend fixture cards for them seems way OTT. These sort of games should be played on a Wednesday night, with the squad meeting up just a day or two beforehand and returning to their clubs on the Thursday so they can be available for the weekend.

It feels as though there has been next to no fluency to this season's schedule and IMHO this cannot be helping club managers trying to establish some consistency in their sides' performances.

[Gatecrasher]

i hate it to be honest, i wish they would have a real look at the way international fixtures are dealt with. you have all these gaps then up with a fixture pile up mid season, it makes no sense.

[patlowe]

The winter break is the biggest factor in our December pile-up, although the international/league cup breaks are really annoying regardless. I'm not sure I see the point of a winter break if it means squeezing all the games into the previous month, although we did go on an incredible run on the back of it last season.

[Rocky]

Couldn't believe it when Hibs tweeted about Slivka being called up - how can there be another international break already? It would annoy me even if Scotland weren't pish.

[Diclonius]

A whole week break to watch a team that acts like it's still the 80s get beat by teams who's national organisations actually care about player development as opposed to staying in 5 star hotels. A joke.

But right enough - why don't we have internationals in December instead?

[Smartie]

Up until about 2 or 3 years ago I loved internationals.

I have very rapidly gone off them.

The team is pish, they've jacked up the ticket prices something rotten, I still don't really get this new competition (and most of our games appear virtually meaningless), the games are played on silly days of the week and it means a break from domestic football which I quite enjoy right now.

[Ryan69]

Its absolutely crazy.
Stop start,stop start,8 in 4 weeks,break....then 3 players away for upto a month.

Its absolute madness.

[heretoday]

Cannot abide international football. It's a complete bore.

[lord bunberry]

Why don’t we just have a month at the beginning, end or in the middle and play all these games in one go?

[tamig]

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The winter break is the biggest factor in our December pile-up, although the international/league cup breaks are really annoying regardless. I'm not sure I see the point of a winter break if it means squeezing all the games into the previous month, although we did go on an incredible run on the back of it last season.

It was the same last season. A crazy schedule in December then the break then another crazy schedule right after.

[Keith_M]

October : three games
November : three games
December : eight games
January : two games


How crazy is that.

[Halmyre Hibee]

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October : three games
November : three games
December : eight games
January : two games


How crazy is that.

Imagine if we get some really poor weather in December and games are postponed for safety reasons.

[PatHead]

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October : three games
November : three games
December : eight games
January : two games


How crazy is that.

It is crazy but there will also be a cup tie in January.

[Hi Heid Yin]

I hate International breaks with a passion.

[IGRIGI]

Unlike the yoons I love a Scotland game.

[Just Jimmy]

I hate international football. I'll watch the tournament cos it's on but I'm not fussed.

I'd bin it altogether.

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