Season 33 Week 17 processing...

Welcome to week 17.

No missing Orders this week so i'm going to be busy.

The reset is underway...

Looking forward to it.

WATFORD

Watford are in a reasonable run of form with the fans disappointed not to be competing for the league, however delighted to have made it to the Champions final. Managing expectations is the job of the manager, and will looking at how he can strengthen ahead of next season. This week brings a new GK to provide stiff competition for Henderson. In the League the manager faces Man Utd. Who forced a draw last week with a hatrick from Balotelli, can Gabriel hold the Italian at bay?
As for the CUP, Watford face off against Charlton! Will Charlton manager rotate his squad to focus on the league... Or will he gamble and try to win both matches this week.. 
Watford have little to lose in the league so will field the same side that beat Schalke in the last CUP game... 

GENK

Genk are out of europe, and will look to rejuvenate the squad. Which see's Cabaye and Coentrao listed this week to allow future talent to come through into the side. As for the league, Genk will continue to focus on winning the remaining games! 
As for the CUP, another strong side put forward to ensure that the side can win a cup this week to keep the dream of a couple alive. 
Scouts are scouring the globe to see who fits the profile and criteria of the Director Of Football.. Keep tuned for departures.. 

LEVERKUSEN

Leverkusen managed to get back to winning ways to keep up the pressure on Wolfsburg. A win over Dortmund is important for the club to achieve its ambitions. Slight knock to Hlozek, see's the suspended Hazard come back into the side. No one seems to be able to make the LW slot their own at the moment.... Stadium rebuild continues as the club look to the long term. This weeks opponents are Bayern.... Previous champions... 
CUP opponents are Jena, who look to bounce back to the Bundesliga... Can the maintain there charge on both fronts.. Leverkusen rotate the side, more than the manager is used to.. However, must keep focused on the League if to pick up points to leapfrog.... 

BOTAFOGO

Massive game this week in Brazil... Santos.. Currently 5 points ahead of the chasing pack. However, a result for the Rio side could see that slashed to just 2 points... A lot to ask of the players who have given 110% already this season. But the likes of Saul, Neymar and Co will be up for the challenge... Casemiro had a slight knock this week and see's Veteran Fernandinho take his place.. Who was MOM in the CUP last week.... 
CUP opp Flamengo... This week see's Anderson Talisca inspired side face up against Brazil veterans Flamengo, who will no doubt be looking to progress in the CUP.. Can Botafogo navigate two important games this week...

Not on the road for the first week in a while so able to do a pre-match run down. Don't have the time to be able to match Phil's excellent graphics though.

Barcelona
Last week was a huge week with the Champion's League semi-final. And this week is just as big with a tough domestic Cup quarter final against Real Madrid. Real have a plethora of stars to choose from and it will be interesting to see what side Rich puts on on the pitch. Whatever the line up they have match winners everywhere so will be a real challenge. Pedri is out injured so the one change to the Cup team is Oyarzabal coming in as his replacement.
The League brings a trip to mid-table Sociedad. San Sebastián is a city I'd really like to visit but I was thinking coffee and pastries at a cafe outside the Basilica of Saint Mary or a beer in the evening somewhere overlooking the bay but instead it's to the cauldron of the Anoeta. Team news for Coles fans is that Fabian Ruiz and Theo Hernandez return to the starting 11 with Valverde who has been offered a new long term contract and Gaya dropping to the bench. A win is vital with Real hosting Sevilla in the League and Atletico having a relatively easy away game at bottom club Mallorca.

Nacional
Injuries are playing havoc with the defence this week. Skipper, central defensive rock and all round Uruguayan defensive stereotype Ronaldo Araujo is out. Veteran Nacho Fernandez swaps to the right centre back role and Ecuadorian wonderkid Piero Hincapie steps up. The manager has told reporters that he sees Hincapie and Araujo as the perfect long term pairing for the heart of the Nacional defence but maybe that's a story for next season. The team host second bottom Bellavista and are in search of goals to help make up the deficit between themselves and arch rivals Danubio.
The Cup quarter final is against Miramar in a game that may seem easy on paper but the coaching team are taking no chances and will be fielding a strong side in what may be the team's best hope of silverware this season. Tagliafico makes his debut at LB.

Hannover
Another team where consistency is key although rumours are that a tactical change is coming in the next few weeks in preparation for next season. No changes yet though and the only change to the starting 11 is a deserved run out for Nicolas Seiwald who is being given the opportunity to make a central midfield role his own. Taking his place on the bench is up and coming Nigerian Raphael Onyedika. The team have an away day at Frankfurt and nothing will be taken for granted in spite of the opposition currently sitting in the relegation zone.
A Cup game against Bayern is more difficult than the manager would like at the quarter final stage unfortunately that's what the team face this week. Terem Moffi and Noah Okafor come on to the bench as  Hannover field their strongest possible side.

Rennes
This season's surprise package ..... certainly for me and I pick the team. Promotion was secured in week 15 and the title in week 16. A season and a half and we'll be playing the big boys every week. One new recruit Joris Chotard comes straight into the League side ay DY in place of the injured Seko Fofana. Another recent recruit, Mousa Diaby takes the left wing slot. Visiting Toulon sit in mid table but the mentality at Rennes is every game matters. The manager, the squad and the fans are demanding the perfect season .... no points dropped and no goals conceded. Last season was close with only 4 goals conceded. This season's goal is to improve on that.
And then the big one. The mighty Saint Etienne are the Cup quarter final opponents. They sit second in Ligue 1 but only on goal difference from perennial champions Nantes. It seems like a huge task with 23 League positions between them. For every Ganso, Dembele and Tousart there's a Griezmann, Thuram and ummm ..... Salis Samed. It's a huge task but the boys will give it a go. If they can pull it off it'd be a bigger scalp than making their first European final after last week's win over Anderlecht.

Phil@Watford wrote:

WATFORD

As for the CUP, Watford face off against Charlton! Will Charlton manager rotate his squad to focus on the league... Or will he gamble and try to win both matches this week.. 

Great read again Phil, always interesting to read others thoughts.

With regard the cup side...10 changes and 4 schoolboys in the 18.  Does that count as rotation?



Just a case of how many for you mate!

Dave@Villa wrote:

Looking forward to it.

Wouldn't want to be facing a rejuvenated Villa side this week with the manager back in the dugout....

Oh wait.....

Thanks guys luving the reviews.

Data entry is underway...

Friendly games have kicked off, league games will kickoff at 1000 hours wednesday morning...

Cup games have kicked off, results posted as they come in...

Domestic Cup - Quarter-Finals results

Argentina
Estudiantes 1 River Plate 2
Godoy 0 Velez 2
Independente 2 Lorenzo 0
Belgrano 1 Boca 4

Belgium

Bruges 2 Mechelen 1
Oostende 0 Anderlecht 1
Genk 3 Antwerp 0
Lierse 2 Beerschot 0

Belarus

Bate 3 Vertikal 0
Brest 1 Slutsk 0
Dnepr 4 Smena 1 
Zhlobin 1 Neman 2

Brazil

Botafogo 3 Flamengo 0
Fluminense 4 Criciuma 0
Sao Paulo 4 Recife 1
Vasco 1 Santos 4

Eire

Bohemians 0 Cherry 1
Shamrock 3 Waterford 2
Cork City 0 Shelbourne 1
Limerick 3 Harps 1

England FA Cup

Villa 4 Man United 3
Arsenal 0 Man City 1
Plymouth 3 Bournemouth 1
Watford 4 Charlton 1

France

Rennais 3 Etienne 1
Lille 4 Sedan 0
Paris 2 Nantes 1
Monaco 1 Marseille 0

Germany

Leverkusen 5 Jena 0
Cologne 2 Berlin 1
Schalke 4 Bremen 1
Hannover 4 Bayern 1

Holland

Twente 2 Alkmaar 0
Feyenoord 1 Ajax 0
Heracles 1 Sittard 0
PSV 2 Vitesse 1

Italy

Lazio 2 Cagliari 0
Juventus 1 Napoli 0
Empoli 1 Inter 4
Milan 4 Matelica 0

Norway

Bodo 0 Lyn Oslo 1
Ranheim 0 Valerenga 0 aet pens 4-1
Molde 1 Rosenborg 3
Iliiestrom 1 Stabaek 0

Portugal

Setubal 1 Boavista 3
Braga 3 Estoril 0
Benfica 2 Porto 0
Lisbon 2 Belenenses 0