[NoSkillz]

Sat. April 27, 2024

Barclays Premier League
Middlesbrough (16-9-10, 57 points, 8th) vs. Dover (26-7-2, 85 points, 1st)
The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, UK

Betting Odds: Middlesbrough: 6-4 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Dover: 13-8
Past Meetings: 7W 2D 4L

Well, with nothing left to play for, we are slight underdogs against Middlesbrough, who are fighting for a potential continental qualifying position, only one point back of Arsenal. Roland Hoxha is their leading scorer, with 21 goals in only 24 matches. He’s healthy today and I expect him to start. Tomas Pavlik is also dangerous up front, with 13 goals in 29 games. Taksiarxis Fountas, a midfielder, also gives me fits, both on the pitch and trying to spell his name!

We are definitely in “squad rotation” mode, as I will look to get EVERYONE on our team at least one start in our last three league games, especially important with a Champions League game again in four days. Today, we start Manuel Perez, Saber Nasri, a completely different four man midfield (Rafinha, Emmerson Harvey, Andrea Rocca, Gianluca Bolis and a new strike force in Andy Broomes, getting a very rare start alongside the out-of-form and ICE COLD Chiquinho. Key players like Bamba, Wilke, Jose, Cairney and Moses are not even dressing today, as I keep them healthy for Manchester United on Wednesday.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - M. Perez
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, S. Nasri, S. Loucif
AM - Rafinha, E. Harvey, A. Rocca, G. Bolis
S - A. Broomes, Chiquinho
Bench - C. Guzman, M. Yilmaz, S. Reed, G. Fanfoni, L. Kunchev, G. Allan, Z. Bardi

Middlesbrough are in their tight 4-2-3-1 with 3 central attacking mids. Hoxha is alone up front and Sinan Bolat is in goal. We always have trouble with this formation so hopefully we can manage. I tell the team they can win this and pull aside Chiquinho, Rafinha and Bolis for personal pep talks.

4’ - Perez had to be sharp on a first minute shot from distance but we get the first real chance on a counter, as Andy Broomes uses his speed to burst in but his shot is right at the Middlesbrough keeper.

5’ - This Middlesbrough formation continues to give us fits, as the four man attacking unit, so tight together, seems to cause our defenders to move out of position. That allows Hoxha a clear run at goal and Perez again makes a great stop.

12’ - We have the ball at midfield and move it up to Chiquinho. He turns and moves past his marker and in on goal, shooting just as he reaches the top of the area. Sinan Bolat makes the save but the rebound pops right back out to our struggling striker and he boots the ball again, this time PAST Sinan Bolat and IN! Chiquinho FINALLY scores!!! His first goal since March 3rd! DOVER GOAL 1-0

16’ - Rafinha with his second terrible pass in a row in highlights and Andy Broomes is forced to take a man down, drawing a yellow card.

23’ - Salim Loucif steals the ball deep in our end and sends a long ball over the defence. Broomes wins it and has a partial break and his shot beats the ‘Borough keeper but hits the post and bounces out!

32’ - Rocca with a perfect free kick and Bolis has a wide open net but heads it WIDE. Bolis has been a colossal disappointment this year.

45’+2 - Rocca with a yellow card.

HALFTIME - Not a bad half. We hold 52% of the ball and an 11-9 (3-3 on target) shot advantage. I tell the team I’m pleased thus far.

47’ - Loucif tackles the ball away from Thorgan Hazard but it ends right on Hoxha’s foot and his quick shot is saved by a diving Perez!

60’ - Just as I talk trash about Bolis, he makes a great move to avoid a tackle at midfield and he’s off to the races down the sideline. He cuts in and passes to Broomes and he’s SURE TO SCORE but delays before booting it and it hits a Middlesbrough defender and Sinan Bolat is able to scoop it up. Broomes is having a very poor game.

61’ - Emmerson Harvey is banged up and comes off for Gian Marco Fanfoni.

65’ - Broomes is out and I bring in Graham Allan to play striker. He’s usually a right winger but he’s always done well up front when called upon.

68’ - Rafinha with a yellow card.

Middlesbrough are now in a conventional flat 4-4-2.

80’ - Middlesbrough are coming on and Hoxha has missed a couple of sitters but this time, it’s substitute striker Jack Kelly getting through with a howitzer right at Perez and he turns it aside.

They continue to press but get no real great chances the rest of the way. Good win.

Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Dover
Goals - Chiquinho (7.2)
Assists -
Man of the Match - Manuel Perez (8.7)
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.4), Saber Nasri (7.0), Claudio Contreras (7.7), Renato Gaucho (7.1), Andrea Rocca (7.1), Andy Broomes (5.9)
Attendance - 25,082

Middlesbrough took it to us in the second half but we didn’t break, mostly due to a masterful performance in goal from Manuel Perez. They hold 51% of possession and end up outshooting us as well 20-18 (6-3 on target). Still, a good result with a much weaker lineup than usual. And of course, Chiquinho finally broke through with a goal, his first in over eight hours of competitive football.

-- In other Premier League action, Arsenal upset Man United 3-1, as United must be prepping for our big return matchup in a few days - that said, I check out their lineup and they went with a pretty full strength squad - hopefully they are tired for our match on Wednesday! Chelsea lose at home to Newcastle of all teams 2-1, Man City get past Spurs 3-1 and Liverpool knock off Norwich. Norwich are officially relegated back to the Championship for next season.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 36 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Dover - 88 points
2. Tottenham - 75 points
3. Manchester United - 74 points
4. Manchester City - 73 points
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5. Chelsea - 65 points
6. Liverpool - 64 points
7. Arsenal - 61 points
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Dover U18 Team Update

-- Our U18s SPANK Southampton 6-0 behind a brace from Jim Ryan and singles from Norberto Vazquez, Adam Betts, Felix Hernandez and Josh Gimpel. The U18s have lost only one game all year but their league race will come right down to the last game, a matchup against mid-table Wycombe, as Reading’s U18s are only two points back.



Premier League Team of the Week

-- Manuel Perez and Salim Loucif get named to the Premier League team of the week.



Injury Update

-- Rayane Hamon is our only player injured right now and he’s about two weeks away from returning from his pulled hamstring.



Champions League Update

-- One finalist is set, as Barcelona once again upend Real Madrid 2-0 to win 4-0 on aggregate. Barca are four-time Champions League winners, with their last title coming in 2012 and this is their first appearance in the final since their 2013 loss to OM.



Dover Reserves Team Update

-- We start a whole bunch of U18 players but defeat Wolves Reserves 3-2. Young striker Norberto Vazquez scores twice and we get a single from Lyubomir Kunchev. Felix Hernandez notched all three helpers in the contest.



May Update

-- The season winds down and we have two Premier League matches left, with both at home, as we host Blackpool and Aston Villa. We take on Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals later tonight and if we are able to hold onto our lead, the final will be taking place on May 25th. So four possible games left.

-- We get positive training notices for Claudio Contreras, Arsene Bamba, reserve GK Mathis Imbert and U18 player Steven Potter. Negative reports come in for Zoltan Bardi and U18 player Adam Hyde. I’ll talk to both of those fellas.



Premier League Monthly Awards

-- Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere wins the player of the month award for April.

-- Birmingham striker Adam Sinnott wins Young Player of the Month while Paul Moses finishes in second.

-- I’m rewarded for our Premier League title by being named Manager of the Month for April, with us winning three of four games, tying one.



Board Confidence Update

-- The board continue to be absolutely delighted with the way I’m leading the team. Our fantastic overall performance in the Premier League is the highlight while our disappointing run in the FA Cup is the negative.

-- We made £2,370,000 in April.



Next Up

-- We head to Old Trafford with a two goal advantage in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester United, perhaps the biggest road game of my career thus far. If we hold on, we move onto the finals to face Barcelona.