Timing Is Everything

More trouble for David Moyes as Javier Hernandez (left) suffers a suspected hamstring injury during Mexico's 3-3 draw with Belgium

Everton have not enjoyed the best start to a season but how relevant is the fixture list in determining how well your team will do?

This season's start has been well documented but remember when David Moyes beginng his short spell at Manchester United suggested a conspiracy theory as on the eve of the first weekend he quite staggeringly declared: ‘I think it's the hardest start for 20 years that Manchester United have had. I hope it's not because Manchester United won the league quite comfortably last year that the fixtures have been made much more difficult. I find it hard to believe that's the way the balls came out of the bag, that's for sure.’

Even in those early days it seemed that fortune wasn't going to favour him and that difficult start took it's toll as his each and every word was looked upon as negative.

Of course every team will play each other twice in the season so does it really matter when you play each other?

Well it does actually as newly promoted teams will be full of confidence at the start of each season and more often than not the opposite is the case at the season's end.

Other variables will come into the equation with injuries, suspensions, new managers replacing sacked ones all creating an element of 'luck' into how your team will fare. Even the timing of fixtures with TV rights now so valuable that SKY and BT are determining start dates and times will play a part in game results. Not to mention International matches, competitive or otherwise, bringing up club versus country debates as key players are played too much or are injured.