[NoSkillz]

Sat. September 11, 2021

Barclays Premier League
Wolves (1-0-2, 3 points, 14th) vs. Dover (3-0-0, 9 points, 1st)
Molineaux, Wolverhampton, UK

Betting Odds: Wolves: 6-4 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Dover: 13-8
Past Meetings: 4W 0D 1L

I'm quite shocked that we're underdogs to recently promoted Wolves - hopefully our lads can use that as motivation. I guess the bookmakers feel our thoughts will be on our Champions League group match coming up later this week in Spain against powerhouse Barcelona.

Wolverhampton spent one year in the Championship last year but dominated the league, notching 95 points to win and get the auto promotion right away. Prior to that, they had spent 11 consecutive years in the Premier League so I'm sure they're hoping last year was just a blip on the radar and that they're back to stay. They beat another promoted club in Blackburn last week to escape the basement and reach 14th on the table. They were actually quite active in the transfer market, spending over £13 million, with half of it on Huddersfield striker Stefano Zeno, a 24 year old Italian. He's still looking for his first goal. They also picked up DC Tom Thorpe from Sheffield Wednesday, a club that was extremely active in July transforming their club. Thorpe hasn't played yet despite the hefty price tag and isn't match fit according to my assistant.

We've had a 13 day break so everyone is pretty fit. Giorgos Gesios is the obvious exception, having just returned from his broken ribs. I'll have him on the bench today and will definitely get him in the game at some point in the second half. No changes to our starting eleven and we'll maintain a control mentality to start.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, A. Rocca, N. Cairney, G. Bolis
S - S. Andrea, W. Rooney
Bench - J. Kuciak, P. Tjiuoro, Mancini, S. Spall, C. Murray, K. Kalfas, G. Gesios

Wolves come out in a very defensive formation, a 4-2-2-2, with 2 DMCs, two wide midfielders and two up top. Zeno and Thorpe are both on the bench today for Wolves and not in the starting lineup. I tell the team they can win this game and pull aside young Claudio Contreras to tell him I have faith in his abilities - he's struggled quite a bit in our last two games.

17' - Not much happening other than a few shots from distance for both clubs but Wolves seem to be controlling possession. They have a corner and the ball is headed forcefully toward goal but Wilke dives and makes a splendid save. Not a great start for us against inferior opposition.

35' - Nothing still going on. Andrea gets a yellow card for taking down one of their defenders on a challenge.

36' - We finally get a chance, as Rocca sends a great ball upfield over the Wolves defenders and it's Andrea in on a full breakaway. He shoots low to the far corner and it's wide by a whisker! "He should have scored" shouts the commentator.

37' - Their right midfielder Sambou Yatabare gets a good shot off from inside the area that's turned aside by WIlke.

HALFTIME - An uninspired half of football from us. Wolves have 53% of possession and outshoot us 4-4 (2-0 on target). We're generating nothing right now and I switch to a 4-4-2 DM (4-2-3-1) and tell the team that if they aren't going to play for each other, at least do something for the travelling supporters.

57' - We work a counter attack off a missed Wolves corner and Rooney sends the ball long up the left side to Andrea. He cuts in towards goal and sends a hard low blast into the side netting. Still no shots on target for us.

64' - Such a sorry performance so far. I take out both Andrea and Rooney and bring in Giorgos Gesios and Shaun Spall. Gesios is alone up front, Rocca moves into an attacking spot right behind him and Spall will take over Rocca's spot in midfield.

73' - We get a free kick just outside the top of the area and Rocca lays off a pass to the right to Bolis. He gets a strong shot away but it hits forcefully off the post and deflects all the way to the sidelines. Ugh.

74' - Contreras has a 6.1 rating, his third terrible performance in a row so I pull him and bring in Paulus Tjiuoro. We move to an attacking mentality. Still no shots on goal for us.

84' - There's some back and forth play at midfield and we end up gaining control and springing a long ball down the field. Arsene Bamba is first there and he has the goal at his mercy, as Hennessey, the Wolves keeper, is taking a poor angle on the shooter. Bamba SHOOTS WAY OVER. You gotta be kidding me.

85' - We're finally pushing the tempo and we get two great chances from in tight, as Cairney sends a ball off the keeper that deflects off the post and out and then another chance is tackled away and behind the goal.

From scoring at will to getting one shot on target. Dreadful display.

Wolves 0 - 0 Dover
Goals -
Assists -
Man of the Match - Salim Loucif (7.5)
Other Dover Notables - Rayane Hamon (7.3), Neil Cairney (7.3)
Attendance - 27,470

Wolves held 53% of the possession through the game and shots were 10-8 (1-2) for our club. One single shot on goal. I tell the team I'm disappointed in their effort.

-- Arsenal are able to battle to a 1-1 draw against City at Man City Stadium, Huddersfield win 1-0 away against Villa to move one point behind us. Unted win 3-2 away at Sheffield Wednesday.



Champions League Odds

-- Our first opponent, Barcelona, are the 3-1 favourites to win the Champions League this year. United are given 4-1, City 5-1, Atletico Madrid 9-1, Sampdoria and FC Bayern are 10-1. We're given 33-1 odds…not bad but that puts us among the weakest teams in the competition.



Dover U18 Update

-- Our kids pull out a 1-1 draw against Brighton. Our only tally is an own-goal by Brighton's Robert Furlong but young fullback Carlos Guzman is man of the match. Star in the making Emmerson Harvey suffered a broken jaw and will miss a month of action.



-- I rarely send out praise in the media but Champions League group play seems like a good opportunity to feed the press a bone, as I talk about my opposite number, Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard and say how proud their supporters must be of their team's leader. That earns me some praise right back, as Rijkaard says Dover is lucky to have me leading the club.



Champions League Group Play

-- There are eight matches on Tuesday night in Champions League play. In Group A, Atletico Madrid smoke Spartak Moscow 4-0 and Chelsea beat up on Shakhtar 4-1. In Group B, Ajax wins 3-0 over H. Tel-Aviv and Palermo upset Manchester United 2-0 at home. Group C sees FC Bayern destroy Partizan 5-0 and Porto wins 2-0 away at Zaragoza. Finally, Group D sees Besiktas win 3-2 over AaB and OM knock off HSV 2-0.



Next Up

-- We will be on the BIG STAGE, as we head to Spain to take on the largest club in the world, FC Barcelona! Close to 100,000 fans will be in attendance!