If we've put anything like a decent side together I think there's points in August. I think we'll win our home games, draw with Villa and beat QPR (because we usually do).
The fixtures aren't random, they're put together by a team of people working with the clubs to firm things up over several months.
Ok, I always thought they were supposed to be random. So if people actually take the time out to do this, why long away trips in midweek? I also look forward to randomly drawing Watford in a cup competition this season too!
Equally, if you play 4 'weaker' teams on consecutive Saturdays and Tuesdays, suddenly they become harder games as the squad is more stretched. Whereas teams that play those games with a week's break in-between might then pick up more points against those sides over the season.
There's loads of factors that effect the fixtures. Initially, there's a fairly random list selected, then they go through it and move all the games that can't be at home on the same weekend, Man United/Man City, Arsenal/Spurs, Everton/Liverpool etc, then they move stuff that clashes with other competitions and try and limit long midweek trips, while making sure there's some decent opening season fixtures, Christmas/New Year fixtures, end of season fixtures and enough of a Sat/Sun split of good games to keep the broadcasters happy. Then they send all the clubs a provisional list in March and ask for comments, apparently almost ever club asks for at least one fixture change, Nottingham clubs don't want games when the Goose Fair is on, we get home games moved for Hull Fair etc. The cup draws are random, they throw up some flukey fixtures, but it's not rigged.
The first pass must be very provisional as they can't take into account promoted and relegated teams. The period between end of playoffs and now must be frantic.
It's a much more complicated process than most people think. Season start dates are governed by WC and Euros, etc. **** knows how they're going to prepare for 2022 Winter World Cup