Season 35 Week 1 processing...

Welcome to the new season.

The reset has finished and data entry is well underway...

You’ve just made a group of grown men happy

gary@chelsea wrote:

You’ve just made a group of grown men happy

 - so true Gaz!

Friendly games have kicked off, so I expect the league games to kickoff at 1000 hours Wednesday morning...

Watford

So the new season is upon us and we begin with new hope and optimism! The manager is has changed things up in the off season. But has now settled on his starting XI for the start of the season. Fingers crossed the players can get familiar with themselves and there new partnerships soon! 
Newcastle are the first league opponents and plenty of familiar names in the opposition squad Hugo Lloris, Gareth Bale and James Ward-Prowse looking to make things difficult for the hornets. But hopefully the side can take advantage of the fullbacks of Newcastles who play Faes and Gibson. Sane/Paqueta should have the ability to cause problems. 

ACMilan

The manager is starting to get familiar with the San Siro and the neighbouring facilities and is well on the way to moulding the squad into his own vision. However, doesn't just stop at the first XI, got to look at the reserves and youth all the way down to the schoolboy side and ensure that the club is well run. Lots of dealing to be done! 
As for the league, Sampdoria as the first side to test the new look Milan side. Can the Milan lay down a early marker on the league and show what they are about ? Or will all the changes cause confusion amongst the side?

Leverkusen

The manager is hoping for a far better showing domestically this season. The side again sticks with who they have fielded for pre-season. While Bruno was late to pre-season the manager is getting him up to speed ASAP to help influence his side and lead the team from midfield. 
Games don't come much harder with Schalke first opponents... How can you stop Mbappe, Vinicuis, Wirtz, Musiala..  Can the early season luck sit with the Leverkusen side who have taken inspiration from their real life counterparts and aim to show everyone what they are capable of!

Botafogo

The side begin the title defence of the league with a double header Vs Fluminense. Always a fierce battle between the two sides. Which gives both sides a marker for how well the sides are prepared for the long season ahead. Looks like Tom has decided to change things up in hopes of injecting new blood into his side with some new ideas... Will it pay off?? 
Botafogo are remaining the side, even though the manager was tempted to try Endrick up front, but to aid his development manager believes he should get some GX under his belt before becoming the focal point of the side. 

Good luck to everyone!

Schalke

A new season and a more settled side (barring unforeseen problems).
What a tough start for Schalke...Leverkusen first, then Wolfsburg, Bayern and Hannover!
Hopefully, the enhanced pre-season training will mean the team get off to a flyer, but if things go t*ts-up, the league could be out of sight very quickly!
The manager is still experimenting (a little) with his best formation, but the closed-season friendlies indicated success, and the positions being played look to make sense, giving everybody a chance to shine...
Loans and NEWs just need tidying up, and away we go!
Good luck all (except Leverkusen this week, obviously).

Was planning on a huge preview but things got in the way so...

Plymouth - Plymouth have settled on making best use of the two World Class TM in De Bruyne and Odegaard in moving to Flying Wingers. Making use of Haaland as a pure CF and MacAllister as a dynamic box to box midfielder. Charlton at Home first up is a real challenge with the squad not all fully up to speed...

Juventus – Safe to say the club is in a tad bit of a mess and likely to need a major restructuring. Guirrasy the first major signing to provide an out and our goalscorer means a switch to WIY - with Raspadori given licence to pop up and collect any knockdowns. Very little squad understanding or consistency means a game against Atalanta likely to be a struggle.

Atletico – Atletico started pre-season playing FLY, though the manager has decided that a switch to FAS is likely to make the best use of the squad. Barella and De Paul making a formidable DY partnership behind a front three of Dybala, Borre and Openda. Kingsley Coman the slight odd one out and offers may be considered for him, if another DY could be brought in (though last season as an attacking DY Coman managed to pop up with some goals). First game might be a struggle for Atletico but we shall see.

Independiente - First up, Boca, which is a huge challenge but the team remains unchanged from last season. Target for this year - the Copa Libertadores having been runners up twice in two seasons. Expecting a tough start this season though.

The fans are in as one drama ends another begins, or so it seems here at the moment, but on with the fun...

The ref blows his whistle and the games are underway, good luck to everyone this week...

Leicester 0 Wednesday 1 Garcia on 2 minutes.
Brestois 0 Paris 1 Malcom.
Danubio 1 Miramar 0 Anderson Ceara.

Liverpool 0 Arsenal 1 Ramsey on 3 minutes.
Gladbach 1 Bayern 0 Draxler.
Cagliari 0 Parma 1 Bonetti.

Anderlecht 1 Genk 0 Brobbey header on 4 minutes.
Fluminense 0 Botafogo 1 Llorente.
Newcastle 0 Watford 1 Lukaku.
St Johnstone 0 Aberdeen 1 Ewandro header.

Anderlecht 1 Genk 1 Lewandowski header on 5 minutes.
Brestois 0 Paris 2 Thiago Maia header.

Newcastle 1 Watford 1 Pepe on 6 minutes.
Man United 0 Man City 1 Alvarez.
WestBrom 0 Birmingham 1 Willian Jose header.
Roma 0 Lazio 1 Vizeu.
Fiorentina 1 Napoli 0 Gori.

Blackburn 0 Palace 1 Robinson on 7 minutes.
Brann 1 Molde 0 Jean.

Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2 Zaniolo on 8 minutes.
Chicago 0 Harrisburg 1 Zardes.

And off we go! First games are always hit and miss so let's see how things pan out...

Limerick 1 Bohemians 0 Forrester on 9 minutes.

Brestois 0 Paris 3 Fadiga on 10 minutes.

Limerick 1 Bohemians 1 Arter on 11 minutes.
Chelsea 0 Fulham 1 Mitrovic header.

Paul Hemmings wrote:

Limerick 1 Bohemians 1 Arter on 11 minutes.
Chelsea 0 Fulham 1 Mitrovic header.

And so it begins 

Man United 1 Man City 1 Zaha on 12 minutes.