Season 23 Week 18 processing...

Good morning and welcome to week 18 of an exciting season, and the best of luck to everybody this week.

I'm opening the envelopes atm.

Any not arrived Paul?

I have orders from Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Birmingham, Leicester, Plymouth, Watford, Charlton, Fulham, Inter, Real, Barcelona and Inverness.

but none from Newcastle and Schalke.

Paul Hemmings wrote:

I have orders from Man City, Arsenal, Birmingham, Leicester, Plymouth, Watford, Charlton, Fulham, Inter, Real, Barcelona and Inverness.

but none from Newcastle, Chelsea and Schalke.

finally my turn gets there! hope for another 3 points for arsenal and lille.

and its the mighty world cup final france vs brazil, no matter what happens the cup is coming to kendal! but my third final so hoping for a win!!

Good luck guys in the World Cup Final!!

Paul, when will we know the draw for the domestic cup semi-finals?

doing the dealings now...

Rich@Leicester wrote:

Paul, when will we know the draw for the domestic cup semi-finals?

Cups are processed before the league games.

Paul Hemmings wrote:

doing the dealings now...

I have just read this incorrectly and for a few brief seconds viewed Paul very differently.

Having Ronaldinho injured is a bit of a blow for me but being able to bring in Neymar as replacement softens it somewhat!

As seems the norm at the moment some forced changes at Birmingham with Cleverley and Young coming in for Nani and Welbeck, Clichy and Hangeland back from injury so should be a good game at Everton. Really do need to step up my chase for another striker.

With Two wins in the last two with Gremio its no changes at all, few players back from injury that need to settle for a place on the bench.

Yeah I think every one is feeling the enforced changes being the norm. I have to say i much prefer having the odd occasional headache to simply sending out the same 11 week in week out. Means you have to have a squad, which i love. 

Leicester already with half an eye on next season continue to make preparations having secured promotion. The title would be nice, but nothing matters more than Week 1 of season 19. 

Betis are picking up the pieces of last weeks last gasp defeat at Camp Nou. Having done so well to get back to 3-3, to lose it at the death was a dagger through the heart of the squad. 
That said, home to Espanol this week before next week's must win fixture at the Bernabeu, I can't see Barca making a mistake from here, but have to assume they will and capitalise if they do. Capitalising of course means winning at Madrid.... oh dear. 
The odd transfer tit bit will also add to this week if they come off

No transfer activity of note in the blue half of Milan. Every league game is a vital must win and Napoli will be really difficult added to the fact Juve have a relatively easy game against Lazio.

The team disruption is a common theme and this season has been tough on Inter with a lot of midfield injuries in particular as well as both full backs at various times through the season. Next season it's key that some of my youth/reserve players are available to step up as cover.

I haven't quite finished entering all the team changes yet but I expect to get the rest entered tonite so that the league matches can kickoff at 1000 hours Tuesday morning.

Sterling effort yesterday Paul, early start and late finish to get the games on today.  I'm sure everyone appreciates it despite no-one ever posting these days.

Important week for Fulham, knocked out of both the cups in successive turns and title race has been thrown wide open with a real downturn in form since just prior to mid point of the season.

Mario takes the rap for last weeks disappointing defeats and is subsequently dropped to the bench increasing speculation about his imediate future at the club.

morning all..

players are out warming up...

and the games have kicked off...good luck to everybody...

quiet start, who will get the first goal of the day ...

3 minutes on the clock and Emile Heskey, returning to action following a nasty knee injury, has made it Chesterfield 0 Banstead 1

Etienne 1 Lille 0 Meghni
Cosmos 1 Dallas 0 Chevanton

Spurs 1 Wolves 0 Modric 6 minutes

Real Betis 1 Deportivo 0 Ribery 9 minutes

Aberdeen 1 Celtic 0 Cana 12 minutes