Before getting completely up in arms about how crappy this reschedule is, let me add a couple of caveats to it:
- If Manchester United OR Chelsea require a replay for the 5th round of the FA Cup, the match would be postponed again. But, if....
- Manchester United and Chelsea are BOTH eliminated from the FA Cup, the match could be moved up in the schedule into February.
Got all that? Good. Now to where the match is currently penciled in. It's easy to get wrapped up in the British media telling us how "pivotal" a September match is. It's not THAT pivotal...not that early in the season. But this stretch of games, should the schedule hold, is VERY pivotal.
This is, by all accounts, squeeky bum time.