Season 27 Week 10 processing...

Welcome to week 10 of the season, the reset is underway.

Data entry is underway...

Good luck!

Fingers crossed for some of my News This turn.... also a return to winning ways.

Hi Paul, did my turn arrive with you ok?  Wasn't able to send it til Friday morning so I wondered if it would be late getting to you!  Also, bank transfer reached you last week?

Stuart wrote:

Hi Paul, did my turn arrive with you ok?  Wasn't able to send it til Friday morning so I wondered if it would be late getting to you!  Also, bank transfer reached you last week?

Orders arrived okay, credit arrived okay thanks.

The friendly games are underway...league games will most likely kickoff Wednesday afternoon, if all goes well...

European and midweek cup games started...league games will kickoff at 1500 hours...

Pretty much a top half against the bottom half in the Premiership this week with Plymouth against Fulham being the most important game as both teams are in an unusually lower league position than one would expect, so this game is doubly important for both sides. Plymouth are unchanged although Ibrahimovic returns to the bench after a short absence, whilst Fulham make plenty of changes as they bring in centreback Martin Kelly, Albrighton in for Sane, move Tevez to targetman instead of David Silva, who drops to the bench, and ask centre forward Pogrebnyak to lead the line. Should be an interesting game.

No less than seven clubs are chasing a playoff place in the Championship with only Everton being reality managed, so big games this week as West Brom go to Goodison and Soton travel to Oldham. The top two are in good form and it will be a difficult week for Tottenham who play at Molyneux and Leeds who are at home to Man United.

A huge game in Brazil where second placed Sao Paulo travel to leaders Fluminense with the winner going clear at the top of the table in a big six pointer game. My own side, Santos, are just about hanging in there but, to be honest I don't see the title coming our way this year, testament to what a fine job Tom is doing at Fluminense, from rock bottom and relegation threatened to table toppers, pretty impressive.

The Belgian league is getting interesting with three of the four managed sides vying for the title. Standard Liege lead the way currently with Anderlecht and Mechelen hot on their heels, and Mechelen will be hoping for all three points at home to the leaders this week.

Champions Cup results are in...

Watford 3 Arsenal 4
Barcelona 2 Napoli 4

A crucial win for Arsenal who go above Watford into second place but Napoli go out despite an astonishing win at the leaders.

Charlton 3 AC Milan 2
Man City 4 Ajax 0

Charlton come from behind twice to beat Milan and draw level on nine points with Man City's win keeping them top on twelve, still all to play for here.

Inter 5 Benfica 0
Schalke 3 Plymouth 0

A crucial win for Schalke puts them above Plymouth into second with both sides on nine points and just three behind leaders Inter, who demolished the Portuguese Champions with consumate ease.

Real Madrid 3 Juventus 5
Bayern 0 Paris 2

Real and Paris are now out of the running with Juventus winning the group with a game to spare and Bayern into the quarter-finals as second placed team.

Huge game this week in the Eircom league where leaders Cherry Orchard travel to second placed Bohemians, the Champions against the ex-Champions, should be a cracker with third placed Cork City looking to take full advantage at unmanaged Dundalk. With one parent club and five feeder clubs in the top six this is another very competitive league.

Europa Cup results are in...

Birmingham 1 Berlin 3
Valencia 3 Monaco 1

Valencia, Berlin and Monaco all on nine points now with just one game left to play, its exciting.

Feyenoord 0 Blackburn 2
Parma 3 Roma 1

If i'm honest a couple of unexpected results in group two this week as Parma go top above Roma and the two will now fight for the top spot as Blackburn and Feyenoord drop out.

Nantes 1 Gornik 2
Liverpool 4 Rangers 0

Liverpool may be struggling in the league but their european form is exemplary, five wins from five now sees them stay top and go through as winners of the group after they demolished struggling Rangers. Nantes seem to be struggling and Gornik go three points above them into second with just a game left.

Ancona 0 Soton 1
Etienne 2 St Johnstone 2

Realisation just hit me that there are three "Saints" in this group but only Etienne and Soton are going through after two close games this week makes the last week a race for top spot as the english side try to make up a point on the french side.

Paul Hemmings wrote:

Inter 5 Benfica 0
Schalke 3 Plymouth 0

A crucial win for Schalke puts them above Plymouth into second with both sides on nine points and just three behind leaders Inter, who demolished the Portuguese Champions with consumate ease.

Ideally would have loved Schalke and Plymouth to draw but it just wasn't to be. Good news is that if I avoid defeat away at Plymouth then it guarantees top of the group. And even a 3-0 defeat means I can still qualify.  Really needs to be top of the group though to get a home draw.

Biggest game in the Bundesliga this week is the clash between Cologne and struggling Bayern Munich, both sides need all three points to keep pace with Schalke and Gladbach, although it's hard to see anybody catching the top two now unless Berlin can stage a recovery from third spot.

Champions Napoli must travel to second placed Roma this week as they try to regain some of last season's form and leaders Inter face a test at Fiorentina for sure with an easier week for Juventus.

Huge week for Inter as we need to maintain our run against Fiorentina.  Roma and Juve have kept the pressure on and both have home games this week. Need my forwards on form.

European Cup Winners Cup results are in...

Ruzomberok 0 Hamburg 3
Bilbao 0 Malmo 2

Hamburg are through as winners but the second placed side could be anybody so next week is vital.

Man United 3 Anderlecht 0
Cologne 3 Brondby 0

Cologne make up ground on second placed Brondby and are now just three points adrift.

Sheff Weds 2 Olympiakos 0
Galatasaray 4 Sociedad 3

Wednesday go through as winners with Olympiakos needing just a point from next week's game.

Chelsea 4 Panathinaikos 1
Dragovoljac 1 Copenhagen 0

Chelsea remain unbeaten and go through along with reality managed Dragovoljac.

Two polar opposite results there!!  Nantes are struggling in Europe this season, is gonna be tough to get out the group now.  Hats off to Gornik.

Delighted with Charltons result, gives me half a chance of getting through after what was a stinker of a start to the campaign.

In a quirk of the fixture list, Fluminense play Sao Paulo twice this week, both in the league and cup competition.  The league game is the big one, only due to the outstanding start we've had in the cup competition so far.....

Some interesting games in Spain this week as Real Betis travel to Atletico Madrid, Valencia take on Sevilla at home and leaders Barcelona travel to Bilbao looking for another three points. Second placed Real Madrid have an easier week and anything less than four goals at struggling Celta Vigo will be viewed as a dismal failure by most fans.

Fairs Cup results...

Spurs 4 Besiktas 2
Cagliari 3 Dinamo Moscow 0

Cagliari go through as winners with Spurs through as runners up.

Villa 3 Lazio 1
Basel 2 Dynamo Kiev 0

Villa go above Lazio on goal difference as the two fight for top spot and a home draw in the quarter-finals.

Preston 3 Spartak Moscow 0
Dortmund 0 Innsbruck 2

Innsbruck through as winners but Dortmund could still catch Preston and pip them to second place.

Sampdoria 0 Mechelen 2
Auxerre 0 Viking 5

Huge win for Viking sees them go through as winners with Sampdoria falling behind Mechelen on the back of this defeat and they now trail them bu three points.

Paul Hemmings wrote:

Champions Cup results are in...

Watford 3 Arsenal 4
Barcelona 2 Napoli 4

A crucial win for Arsenal who go above Watford into second place but Napoli go out despite an astonishing win at the leaders.

Charlton 3 AC Milan 2
Man City 4 Ajax 0

Charlton come from behind twice to beat Milan and draw level on nine points with Man City's win keeping them top on twelve, still all to play for here.

Inter 5 Benfica 0
Schalke 3 Plymouth 0

A crucial win for Schalke puts them above Plymouth into second with both sides on nine points and just three behind leaders Inter, who demolished the Portuguese Champions with consumate ease.

Real Madrid 3 Juventus 5
Bayern 0 Paris 2

Real and Paris are now out of the running with Juventus winning the group with a game to spare and Bayern into the quarter-finals as second placed team.

Not ideal having to beat inter by lots of goals to qualify here - can't see Schalke losing to Benfica... Just can't get consistency out of Plymouth this season...

Paul Hemmings wrote:

Fairs Cup results...

Spurs 4 Besiktas 2
Cagliari 3 Dinamo Moscow 0

Cagliari go through as winners with Spurs through as runners up.

Villa 3 Lazio 1
Basel 2 Dynamo Kiev 0

Villa go above Lazio on goal difference as the two fight for top spot and a home draw in the quarter-finals.

Preston 3 Spartak Moscow 0
Dortmund 0 Innsbruck 2

Innsbruck through as winners but Dortmund could still catch Preston and pip them to second place.

Sampdoria 0 Mechelen 2
Auxerre 0 Viking 5

Huge win for Viking sees them go through as winners with Sampdoria falling behind Mechelen on the back of this defeat and they now trail them bu three points.

The dream tie here is if Villa can win the group and get Preston in the next round.  Then we'll have some real Wilson verbals going on.

Intertoto Cup results...

Dukla Prague 0 Dresden 2
Liege 2 Fiorentina 4

Fiorentina and Liege both go through with the Italians leap frogging the Belgians into top spot on the way.

Espanol 0 Grasshopper 3
Sparta Prague 2 Wolves 0

Vital win for Prague moves them to within two points of second placed Wolves with Grasshoppers in top spot and three above Wolves. Still a lot to play for here.

Wimbledon 0 Gothenburg 1
Atletico Madrid 1 Palace 0

A tough week for the english sides and a winner from youngster Isak sees Gothenburg drop out but the other sides all grouped together on nine points. With Gothenburg's failure to qualify the manager has announced the sale of Isak to Nantes this week and the deal is expected to be ratified later today.

Fulham 1 Marseille 1
CSKA Sofia 0 Leeds 4

A draw sees both Fulham and Marseille through but both are on eleven points so next week is vital to get that home draw in the next round.

Copa Libertadores...

Sao Paulo 0 Fluminense 1
Cruzeiro 4 Nacional 0

Top two are expected to go through but defeat for second placed Sao Paulo means they now need a point from next week just to make sure, although they do have a plus twelve goal difference advantage as well.

Santos 3 Gremio 0
Bragantino 1 Bolivar 3

Santos and Bolivar go through in that order.

Vasco 0 Boca 3
Palmeiras 5 Catolica 0

Vasco need to win with Palmeiras losing next week to make the grade but Boca are through.

Flamengo 3 River Plate 0
Corinthians 3 Emelec 0

Top two Corinthians and Flamengo go through in that order with every group winner hoping to avoid second placed Flamengo in the next round for sure.

European Cup results...

Stuttgart 1 Red Star 2
PSV 2 CSKA Moscow 0

Red Star draw level on seven points with Stuttgart and PSV win the group.

Lisbon 3 Shaktar 0
Athens 3 Cherry 4

Cherry through as winners with Lisbon also through in second place.

Jena 3 Fenerbahce 0
Porto 0 Partizan 0

Porto go through despite the misfire today with Jena a point behind second placed Partizan.

Dinamo Minsk 0 Gladbach 2
Ferencvaros 0 Steaua 0

Gladbach's season continues to look bright as they go through as winners with Ferencvaros hoping to make up a two point gap on second placed Minsk next week.

A short break for some refreshments here then I will start the league games, kickoff at 1500 hours...

Mixed results for my teams in the cup, will be interesting to see what happened against Napoli. Went full strength, let's hope the others fair better in the league!