[NoSkillz]

Sat. August 17, 2024

Barclays Premier League
Sheffield United vs. Dover
Bramall Lane, Sheffield, UK

Betting Odds: Sheffield United: 3-1 Draw: 2-1 Dover: 4-5 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 3W 2D 2L

Sheffield United finished second in the Championship last year to earn automatic promotion and are back in the Premier League for the first time in six years. In fact, their last season in the Premier League was 2018/19 which means they promoted up with us, as that was our first year in the top league. Strange I didn’t remember that until looking it up! Prior to that, Sheff United only spent one other year in the Premier League since 1994 and that was in 2006/07. So this is only their third year in the Premier League in the last 31 years. Wow. They spent a modest £6.75 million in the transfer market, with their big splash being 25 year old DR Michele Mandelli, a £2.8 million transfer from Odense Boldklub (OB) in Superliga. Their top goal scorer for the last two seasons has been Marcello Trotta, who scored 22 last year. He’s 31 years old so he’ll have trouble keeping up that scoring pace in this league. These guys will have lots of trouble staying up.

We welcome back Arsene Bamba from his Olympics experience but will miss Paul Moses today, as he’s still recovering from his neck injury. He’ll be ready for our next game, thankfully. Andy Broomes has earned the chance to start in his place alongside Chiquinho. No other changes today from our Community Shield lineup.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, N. Cairney, Jose, G. Bolis
S - A. Broomes, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, B. Raab, A. Rocca, G. Allan, M. Pedersen, Z. Bardi

Sheffield United come out in a 4-2-2-2, with 2 DMCs and 2 wide midfielders. Trotta is up front with Angel Egana and Adrian Smith is their keeper. I recognize none of these names and we should easily handle them. Thankfully, my assistant doesn’t seem to think that complacency or overconfidence is an issue today. Good. I tell the team I expect a win today, a request they usually respond well to.

40’ - Took us long enough! We get a bit of a counter with Andy Broomes leading the charge up field. He passes into the area to Chiquinho but his low shot is stopped by Smith. The rebound is available and Gianluca Bolis shoots off the diving keeper and it’s in! Finally! DOVER GOAL 1-0

HALFTIME - Sheffield are not really coming forward much but the scoreline is still very dangerous. We only held 52% of possession but had a wide shot advantage, 18-4 (8-0 on target). Their keeper has been sensational so far. I decide to encourage them at half time in the dressing room.

56’ - We have control and it’s Bamba feeding Broomes just outside the area. He turns on the speed, jets past his marker and runs into the box, shooting low past Smith and into the net! DOVER GOAL 2-0

68’ - We have a little stretch of undisciplined play that sees two quick yellows given to Jose and Claudio Contreras but get the ball back again. We have a free kick from distance and it’s Jose sending in the ball in a carbon copy of our Community Shield game and there is Bolis heading it past Smith and IN. Bolis with two goals today and three already on the year! DOVER GOAL 3-0

72’ - We make a double substitution, taking out Jose and Contreras and bringing in Andrea Rocca and Saber Nasri.

76’ - Sheffield United midfielder Conor Clifford takes the ball from well out and rifles a ROCKET BLAST into the top left corner of our goal past a diving Wilke. That was a 30 yarder! What a shot and United is on the board. SHEFFIELD UNITED GOAL 3-1

Sheffield actually pressed pretty well near the end but we hold them off for the opening day win.

Sheffield United 1 - 3 Dover
Goals - Gianluca Bolis 2 (8.9), Andy Broomes (7.7)
Assists - Jose (7.2), Arsene Bamba (7.2), Chiquinho (7.0)
Man of the Match - Gianluca Bolis
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.0), Rayane Hamon (7.1), Claudio Contreras (7.6), Renato Gaucho (7.2)
Attendance - 30,664

Possession ended up dead even but we outshoot them 28-8 (11-2 on target). It’s great to see Bolis playing so well after a few years of pedestrian play - yes, it’s early but he’s been excellent thus far. He only scored four goals ALL SEASON last year and now has three in two games. Yeah, pretty good start, I’d say!

-- Not many surprises to start the Premier League season, as City hammer Reading 5-0, Man United win 4-0 over Burnley, and Chelsea beat Sheffield Wednesday 4-1. Also winning are Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Newcastle.



Dover U18 Update

-- The U18s win 5-1 over Hampton & Richmond in their league season opener. Freddie Laird scored twice and we get singles from Nathan Protheroe, Neil Evans and a H&R own goal. Matthew Neil had two assists.

-- Young DR Eneko Remirez got hurt in the game and will miss four weeks with fractured ribs.



International Update

-- Manuel Lugo scores for Mexico and Manuel Perez played well in goal but they lose 2-1 to Holland and are eliminated from the Olympics in the quarterfinals. Both will be returning to Dover and should be available for selection in our next game if needed.



Transfer News

-- A bit of a surprise to see that Tottenham sell former Dover striker Gerardo Escobar to Atletico Madrid for £6.75 million. Escobar was Spurs’ leading scorer last year with 16 goals but they have Jean Junior and newcomer Peter Jansen starting so Escobar became surplus to requirements.



Season Ticket Update

-- We end up selling 7467 season ticket packages, up significantly from last year’s total of 5317. Good stuff.



International Update

-- U18 midfielder Vlastimil Silhavy plays the whole game in Czech Republic’s 4-1 loss to Brazil in the Olympics. Pretty cool that Silhavy is playing such a large role for his country at such a tender age.



Dover Reserves Update

-- The reserves get their first chance to play this year and it’s a massacre, as we destroy Reading’s reserves 8-0! 19 million pound man Manuel Lugo, who struggled in our preseason friendlies but played well in the Olympics for Mexico, notches a hat trick, as does right winger Lyubomir Kunchev. Also scoring are Zoltan Bardi and Alberto Velazquez. Emmerson Harvey had three assists and Felix Hernandez had two helpers in the blowout.



Injury Update

-- Left fullback Renato Gaucho strains his wrist during weight training and will miss the next 1-2 weeks. Rafinha will suit up in his place.



Next Up

-- Our home opener is up next, as we welcome Newcastle to Crabble Athletic Ground.