Season 33 Week 19 processing...

Welcome to week 19 of the season as we enter the home straight and the last four league games of the season with some of the leagues too tight to call. England Germany and France could still go to any of the leaders.

And on top of the league pressure we have the semi-finals of all the domestic cups, so its a very important week for many teams.

Extra good luck to everyone this week...

Good luck to everyone this week.

just about to send you my turnsheets now - a bit late this week!

WATFORD
 

Looks like Watford have hit form at the right time of the season. While the manager knows that the league is still probably a dream. The fact Watford are playing well surely pleases the fans and manager a like. Declan Rice seems to thrive in the middle of the park having taken over the Captains armband this season.
Manager is without the suspended Joao Cancelo this week, who has picked up a couple of yellow cards this season to say the least. This weeks league game is Away to Charlton, games don’t come much harder in the premier league. Hopefully Ederson is hungover this week from his partying in Rio… However, more then just the keeper to watch out for with Salah/Kane up top, Thiago/Fabinho in middle of the park and Laporte/Dijk at the back. Will certainly require Watford to be in there prime to cause problems of there own. In previous fixtures the manager has over thought this fixture, so keeping it simple this time round. Will Tom try to inspire his team 2 weeks in a row? Will it have the desired effect..
Watford still have a chance for glory in the CUP this season as-well. The opponents Villa… Even though winners in last weeks encounter. Not a for-gone conclusion with some light rotations and always the magic of the cup to enchant. Lucas Paqueta and Renan Lodi come into the side to keep the Left side fresh for the league.
Club welcomes back Evan Ferguson from his loan at Barrow, which looks to have aided his development and toughened him up.
 

GENK

 
A shocking draw last week, from a side usually free flowing with goals and flair seem to be halted in there efforts to break the deadlock. Something the manager has been toying with over the weeks. Given the amount of DY’s in the side, maybe best to use the players in there more natural position. So a slight tweak for PEB to PEP, with the likes of Le Fee, Kessie, Onana, Camavinga all able to play DY and new acquisition Frank Anguissa to anchor the side… Manager will be using these next few weeks to plot the departures from the club, with Cabaye, Dembele and Coentrao all leaving this week. With other players expected to leave. But not before the manager inspires his side this week in the league, with nothing less then 3 points expected.
Arthur Theate is given a contract after manager likes what he sees in training…
Unmanaged Oostende looks to put up the resistance in the league, can they control Genk? Will the absence of a manager affect them? Nkunku will be looking to give his side the edge in this encounter.
As for the CUP,a more challenging affair with Bruges the opponents. Vanaken and Propper in the middle of the park with Gyasi up from look to cause the danger for Genk, who will continue with PEB in such a important match. Not as many changes made for the CUP as in previous week, but experience is still required, I’m sure a professional approach will be taken by the players as is the managers approach to these games.

 
LEVERKUSEN

 
Another side to face Tom this week in the League…. Leverkusen have scored 4 goals in there last two games, and would appear also to be in fine form of late. But sometimes games like these don’t take form into account.. The side is first XI and all up to speed. No excuses should the side not convert the opportunity to put some space between the two teams in the race for the title.. Ryan Gravenberch as been a midfield revelation since signing for the club. With 4 goals in the last two games from AM, sublime form. Some mouthwatering lineups - Gosens/Gnarby, Maitland-Niles/Sterling, Felipe/Gravenberch, Hazard/Bellerin, Musiala/Schlupp and Lewandowski/Zagadou…
Will the departure of Bremmer cause disruption to the heart of the defence of Wolfsburg..
Can Merino bring a master-class to shackle Kroos? So many questions to be asked of. No doubt will be decided on the field!
CUP opponents Cologne, feels like Leverkusen have played Cologne 4/5 this season! With the league game so crucial a couple of needed roations in the side with Ismalia Sarr and Hlozek on the wings, Andrich at AM and Otto/Piszecek at Fullbacks to keep the side competitive!
 
 

BOTAFOGO

 
In Brazil, Rio side Botafogo are up against Sao Paulo. Rivalry between these two side goes way back, always a tricky opponent in any match, but them being the bogey side on occasions in the cup and copa liba. However, a strong Botafogo welcome any challenge and look forward to putting a fine performance on to ensure the gap to top spot doesn’t get even bigger!
CUP, another game Vs Tom…. 3 games Vs Tom in a week. Looks like Tom has been bringing in more Brazilian players to Fluminese as of late to shore up his team, already formidable force for anyone in south America. Injury to Marcelo, might be a slight crack in the armour of the defence for Botafogo to exploit. Otherwise no doubt going to be another ding dong of a match to watch. Hopefully Casemiro and Neymar didn’t join Ederson in the celebrations and are fresh back and focussed on preperations.
Neymar is on course to play his 1000^th career game.. currently has a strike rate of 126% this season. Not bad for a right winger…

Good luck to all managers this week!

Barcelona
The big games keep coming thick and fast and this week is full of them. Barcelona travel to Bilbao in what should be a straight forward fixture but you never know and can't count your chickens. In an effort to get the best from the midfield talent available we're testing Fabian Ruiz and Valverde at DL and DR and using the PEP tactic. Olmo comes in on the right wing to give Fati a rest from League duties.
The Cup semi-final against last season's League Champions, Atletico, is a really difficult proposition. Atleti set the standard in La Liga last season and won it comfortably. This will be a tough ask and an unchanged Cup side sees the team stick to their trusted PEB tactic and the Brozovic - Ndidi defensive midfield duo. Fati takes his usual spot on the wing. Subs will play a huge part in both games and hopefully we'll see a positive impact off the bench.

Nacional
Colonia in the League sees an unchanged line up with only Pellistri coming on to the bench. The Cup match against Montevideo rivals Penarol is a much different affair. As with any derby it'll be tense and Olivera and Pellistri come into the team. Agustin Alvarez is recalled from loan this week to boost attacking options in the run in and a few squad players are going on to the transfer list.

Hannover
After a disastrous start which saw Hannover sit in the relegation zone after 7 games and 10 points adrift of the top things have become a bit more positive at the Deutsche Telecom Arena. The ship has been steadied and a new, more youthful spine has been installed. Spearheaded by Canadian, Jonathan David and with some interesting midfield talent in Sucic and Seiwald the real gem in the squad is defensive rock Josip Gvardiol. A string Croatian feel runs through the squad with Gvardiol and Sucic joined by compatriots Livakovic, Sutalo and Sosa. In the League it's a tricky trip to Karlsruhe in an effort to stay within touching distance of the top 3. As for the Cup, it's a repeat of last years final where Hannover were taught a lesson by the Schalke all stars. Once again it is very much a David v Goliath encounter with the riches of Schalke huge favourites against newly promoted Hannover. Livakovic makes his debut while veteran club captain, Simon Kjaer and Swiss live wire Noah Okafor coming into the starting line up. Samuel Chukwueze drops to the bench.

Rennes 
The Breton faithful at the Carrefour Stadium have had a great season so far with the League successfully won and promotion in the bag but with a Cup semi final against high flying Lille and a European final to come it could get even better. No changes to the first team squad for the visit of Reims so Wissam Ben Yedder retains the centre forward role with Thuram and Griezmann raiding from the flanks. 
Lille, managed by the experienced Dave Brothers, are a much tougher prospect in the Cup and currently sit comfortably in Ligue 1 a whole 2 divisions above Rennes. Shuffling the pack slightly Moussa Diaby comes in on the left flank while Thuram reverts to centre forward and Griezmann moves to the right where he can more comfortably cut in on his stronger left foot. Will it work, no idea and only time will tell.

Good luck to everyone, it's a huge week.

Thanks for the reviews guys, always very interesting and lively.

Data entry is underway no orders from Sevilla and Real Madrid...

What a week ahead this week!  Title races all up in the air for all four of my sides.  Need all sides to get the three points to maintain their challenges but all face very difficult tasks.  

Watford are one of the most sternest tests in the Premier League and always a real challenge at the best of times.  Hopefully we can remain in touch with Plymouth.

Nantes have four home games left, one of which against Paris, to try and overturn a one point deficit. It is highly likely they will need to win all four and hope Etienne are held somewhere along the way.  Tight race and will go right to the wire I'm sure!

Wolfsburg still prove their doubters wrong, early season expectations were to survive and here they are, four wins from immortality!  Win all four and they will be Champions, simple really.  Would be simple if I didn't have to play Leverkusen and Schalke still!!  You never know.....

Flum somehow find themselves just 3 points behind incredible Santos.  A slow start to the season has really cost the Brazilian outfit but to still be in the race is testament to how the players have settled into the obscure formation.  Three away games in a row now, it will be tough to remain on Santos' coat tails but is we somehow do, then a final game of the season at home to Geoffs superstars could be massive!!  Fingers crossed for some last day drama!

As much as I'd want to be in all the cups still, always want to win trophies, I have to admit that this week I was actually glad not to have to pick two sides!  Picking the league sides proved so difficult, so picking a cup side too would have really taxed the grey matter!!

Flum are the only remaining side in the domestic cup but up against a hurting Botafogo side could prove to be interesting!


All in all a massive week with so much riding on it for all sides, but I wouldn't want it any other way!  Not normally much to play for this time of the season!!

Looking forward to a great weeks entertainment!

Schalke

Well, reaping the 'rewards' for indifferent form with 4 draws in the last 4 league games! Those 8 dropped points are the difference between top and where we are now.
The league is looking out of reach, but if we win every remaining game, you never know.
A few tactical changes have been made to try and convert game chances into goals...
Tough cup semi v Hannover, freshening up a couple of positions might help.

Data entry has finished and the Friendly games have kicked off, all being well the League games should kickoff Wednesday morning at 1000 hours...

Paul Hemmings wrote:

Thanks for the reviews guys, always very interesting and lively.

Data entry is underway no orders from Sevilla and Real Madrid...

I believe Rich is on Holiday this week 

The FA Cup semi-finals have kicked off...

Selected results from the FA Cup semi-finals around the globe...

Argentina
Boca 2 Velez 2 aet pens 5-3
River Plate 0 Independente 3

Belgium

Lierse 0 Anderlecht 3
Bruges 0 Genk 2

Belarus

Bate 1 Neman 0
Dnepr 3 Brest 1

Brazil

Santos 1 Sao Paulo 0
Fluminense 2 Botafogo 4

Eire

Limerick 1 Shamrock 3
Shelbourne 1 Cherry 1 aet pens 2-4

England

Villa 0 Watford 0 aet pens 5-3
Plymouth 4 Man City 3

France

Monaco 1 Paris 2
Rennais 4 Lille 1

Germany

Hannover 1 Schalke 1 aet pens 5-6
Leverkusen 2 Cologne 0

Holland

Twente 4 PSV 4 aet pens 5-4
Heracles 1 Feyenoord 2

Italy

Lazio 1 ACMilan 2
Juventus 0 InterMilan 0 aet pens 3-4

Portugal

Lisbon 2 Boavista 4
Braga 1 Benfica 2

Scotland

Kilmarnock 1 Rangers 5
Hibs 2 Hearts 1

Spain

Betis 4 Espanol 0
Atletico 0 Barcelona 4

Uruguay

Nacional 5 Penarol 0
Colonia 0 Danubio 4