With the release of the Premier League fixtures lists for all 20 member clubs at 9am on Thursday morning, manager Mark Hughes and Southampton discovered the layout of the challenges that lie ahead of us in 2018/19.
Southampton Face Burnley On The Opening Day Of The 2018/19 Premier League Campaign
With deep-seated relegation worries in 2017/18 and a narrow, but successful, push for safety at the end of the campaign as the Welshman came in and turned us around, everyone is hoping for a far less stressful season ahead.
We open the season at home to Burnley and then face Everton and Southampton before September cycles around, but short of the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, the fixture run we’ve been granted at the beginning of the season has to be looked at as an opportunity.
This is exactly the way it’s been received amongst the fanbase and hopes are high that we can blow off the cobwebs and any lingering insecurity and get some good confidence going, better performances and a good tally of points before he perceived more difficult matches of the campaign creep up on us.
?? The 2018/19 #PL fixtures have landed! ??
Here’s who #SaintsFC will open the season against… pic.twitter.com/7Go0cPuQNR
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) June 14, 2018
The response is actually genius!
HUGHES OUT, why did he pick Burnley and not one of the new promoted teams. So annoying.
— Ekelund 24 (@Ekelund24) June 14, 2018
A bright start could mean everything to us having a wildly different season to the last.
Oh, before I get to the fan reactions a certain Mr Jan Kluitenberg deserves a special mention.
Thank you Jan . You really are a class act. I hope Holland qualify for #euro2020 & wish you every success ????
— Ruth Alice Pollock (@RuthiePollock) June 14, 2018
Classy I thought!
First five last five fixtures look good for us, start well finish well is required for sure,
— Saints76 (@Saints761) June 14, 2018
Home to Everton…my birthday…messy! ??
— Tom Smith (@tomdiddytom) June 14, 2018
Dead happy with these fixtures! ??????
— ???????????? ? (@MissYjw1) June 14, 2018
Nah Mark Hughes has this
— Elias (@BodLeader66) June 14, 2018
The season officially starts here…. and what a start, I absolutely love these quirky things by the club's media team!!! Superb!!! #SaintsFC ????
— ?????????? (@StripedSaint) June 14, 2018
This might look stupid in 11 months time but we have got lucky with that fixture list. 1 major team out of our first 5 and last 5 fixtures. And home on the first and last game????
— Matthew Phillips (@MattCOYR) June 14, 2018
Yeah, realised just after I tweeted that Liverpool was our 6th fixture not 5th. Even better?? hardest game looks like it's gonna be Everton from the first and last 5
— Matthew Phillips (@MattCOYR) June 14, 2018
God how I love this club ?? but why? Just why?
— Ry Ry Jackson (@ryanlj112) June 14, 2018
Beat Huddersfield on the last day of the season to stay up. What's not to like?
— Richard (@richargr001) June 14, 2018
A great start for a great season!
— Paul Chu (@inthemix516) June 14, 2018
Fair to say after a presumed easier start, December is definitely on the tricky side.
December pic.twitter.com/ANITysxj8B
— steve (@stevemoe73) June 14, 2018
In answer to the following question, yes it’s international break time again as if we won’t all be bored of international football in a couple of weeks anyway.
I assume there’s two international breaks or something? They both skip a week. Not sure though, and December looks long, yet again!
— George Mutter (@GthesaintMutter) June 14, 2018
