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Old 05-24-2014, 03:39 PM   #405
NoSkillz
College Benchwarmer
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: St. Catharines, Canada
Sat. September 16, 2023

Barclays Premier League
Manchester United (1-1-1, 4 points, 12th) vs. Dover (2-1-0, 7 points, 3rd)
Old Trafford, Manchester, UK

Betting Odds: Manchester United: 4-6 (Favourites) Draw: 9-4 Dover: 7-2
Past Meetings: 3W 2D 9L

United finished below us last year on the table but they continue to be very strong. That said, they are another aging club, with superstar Yaya Sanogo now 30 years old, usually the age strikers start to decline. They nabbed Said Henni from us last year and he’s struggling to fit into the club, with only 2 goals in 14 league games so far. United were pretty quiet in the July transfer window spending £26.5 million overall, with £18.75 million spent on 29 year old Braga striker Sandro. Not a smart move in my opinion but we’ll see if he pays off for them at his advanced age. He hasn’t suited up in a league game as of yet.

We have our first Champions League match coming up in midweek but I’ll hold nothing back today, going with mostly a full roster. I will be starting Shanon Andrea up front though - Paul Moses played a couple of games for England and is a bit tired and I don’t really want to play him right away against his former club. I’ll save him for the Champions League game. Counter attacking mentality today on the road against big, bad Man U.

Dover: 4-4-2 Counter
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, N. Cairney, A. Rocca, G. Bolis
S - S. Andrea, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, Jose, G. Fanfoni, H. Cruz, G. Allan, P. Moses

United are also in a flat 4-4-2 with Sanogo and Ishak Belfodil up front. Henni is at left midfield and another former friend, Cristian Rodriguez, starts at DC. Liviu Dragomir is in goal. Do it for the supporters, guys…

13’ - We have the majority of highlights so far but the first major incident sees Rayane Hamon take down Yaya Sanogo on a 50/50 ball and he earns a yellow card for that. Wilke then has to make a great save on the free kick, as Sanogo gets his head on the ball and Wilke turns it aside.

19’ - Shanon Andrea with our first shot on goal but it’s weak and Dragomir makes the easy stop.

28’ - We get a glorious chance, as Rocca’s free kick is in the box and right to Neil Cairney. His header is right on and Dragomir makes the brilliant stop and Cairney shoots the rebound WIDE. Oooh..

35’ - We work it off a throw in deep down the left hand side and Rocca and Renato Gaucho play a give and go. Renato Gaucho uses his weaker right foot and sends in a cross and there is Gianluca Bolis, cutting in from his right wing and taking the ball against the grain of play. Dragomir is out of position and Bolis has the wide open net and makes no mistake. I look for a raised flag but there isn’t one! Great goal! DOVER GOAL 1-0

43’ - We have a corner kick and Rocca’s cross is headed off the crossbar by Claudio Contreras!

HALFTIME - Wow. I don’t know if United is this bad or if we’re this good but we’re dominating this game! 62% possession at Old Trafford for our club and a 12-6 (2-1 on target) shot advantage! Wow! I contemplate pulling back even further but I want to see if we can maintain this domination, as it’s essentially been all Dover for 45 minutes. I’m pleased, to say the least.

56’ - Jurgen Klinsmann must have laid into their players at halftime because it’s a different United squad in the first ten minutes of the second half. Omar Hernandez with a rocket launcher from distance but Wilke is in good position and holds on for the save.

66’ - Arsene Bamba takes a knock and I decide to take him off, bringing in Helder Cruz.

68’ - I pull completely back, narrowing the width, slowing our tempo, playing deep, etc.

70’ - United continue to pile on pressure and it’s Hernandez up to Sanogo and from about five yards outside the area, he unleashes a howitzer that curls past Wilke and into the far corner. Great goal and United pull level. MANCHESTER UNITED GOAL 1-1

I immediately move back to a regular counter attack. I also realize that I have Rocca and Cairney playing in their opposite roles today, a ridiculous mistake. I switch them into their proper spots after the goal.

76’ - Double substitution, as I bring in Paul Moses and Jose and take out Shanon Andrea and Neil Cairney, who was horrible today…partially my fault for not noticing him playing as an advanced playmaker instead of his preferred box-to-box role.

77’ - Great curling free kick from Rocca but Dragomir is well positioned for the stop.

86’ - Those player substitutions have lifted our level of play and it’s Chiquinho getting some space for the first time all game and forcing Dragomir into a fine diving stop.

We’ll take the draw at Old Trafford.

Manchester United 1 - 1 Dover
Goals - Gianluca Bolis (7.5)
Assists - Renato Gaucho (7.0)
Man of the Match - Yaya Sanogo (Manchester United ST - 8.3)
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.1), Arsene Bamba (7.0)
Attendance - 74,714

We held 54% of overall possession and an 18-12 (4-4 on target) shot advantage. They certainly carried play in the second half but a point at Old Trafford is always welcomed. I think we’re starting to prove that we’re better than these teams but we’ll see if that proves to be the case in the long run.

-- Boy, Chelsea continue to struggle, only getting a draw against recently promoted Blackpool. Liverpool continue to play great early football, beating Arsenal 3-1 to maintain their undefeated record and they are actually passed at the top by Middlesbrough of all teams, who are off to a flier of a start, with 14 goals in four games and an unblemished record, with wins over Tottenham, United and Newcastle. Not bad! Man City move ahead of us into third and haven’t given up a goal yet in their first four games.



Dover U18 Update

-- The U18s battle to a 2-2 draw against Barnet, with Pete Smith and Adam Hyde scoring the goals.



Next Up

-- We head to the Ukraine and our first game of Champions League Group Stage is against Dynamo Kyiv.
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