[NoSkillz]

Sat. January 27, 2024

Barclays Premier League
Newcastle (7-6-11, 27 Points, 12th) vs. Dover (18-4-1, 58 points, 1st)
St. James’ Park, Newcastle, UK

Betting Odds: Newcastle: 7-2 Draw: 9-4 Dover: 4-6 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 6W 1D 2L

We continue to be big favourites on the road versus mid-table Newcastle, who we’ve beaten 5-0 in our last two meetings, both at Crabble Athletic Ground. I’m guessing today will be a bit more competitive. Their leading scorer is midfielder Vincenzo Scala, with 8 goals, but he is injured and won’t play today. They have three players tied with seven goals in strikers Antonello Urbinati and Stanislas Vigneau, along with wide midfielder Guillaume Mari. These guys usually play with only one man up front so we’ll see how they play at home today. Newcastle has spent almost £9 million over the past two weeks to reinforce their roster, bringing in 23 year old Aston Villa midfielder David Foster and 24 year old Stuttgart midfielder Igor Vukecevic in separate transfer deals.

We play again on Tuesday in the second leg of the League Cup semifinals against Southampton but with a crazy seven goal advantage there, I can afford to start all of my backups in that game. Therefore, I’ll be starting a full strength lineup today. Claudio Contreras is back from his two week injury and will start today. Ingo Wilke is back in goal. Control mentality as usual.

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 - P. Moses, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, S. Reed, A. Rocca, E. Harvey, G. Allan, A. Broomes

Newcastle come out in a 4-4-2 DM (4-2-3-1) as expected, with Vigneau alone up front and Mari lined up at AMR. Newcomer David Foster is in midfield and Jak Alnwick, always a tough keeper against us, is in goal. I tell the team this is a winnable game.

Miserable day in Newcastle today, with sleet falling.

8’ - Arsene Bamba and Chiquinho play a little give and go and Chiquinhio is one-on-one with Newcastle captain Frederic Begue. Our striker avoids a Begue tackle and steps into a low shot that beats Alnwick and is in! Chiquinho is officially on fire and we take the early lead! DOVER GOAL 1-0

14’ - We continue to pour on pressure and Moses gets in with a shot but Alnwick dives and sends it over the bar.

23’ - Off a Newcastle throw in, Mari sends a ball into space behind our defence. Rayane Hamon should get there first but it’s as if he doesn’t think there is anyone challenging him and in races Vigneau. He beats our defender to the ball and quickly shoots past a charging Ingo Wilke and the ball is into the top corner of the net. Not a great sequence for Hamon and Wilke and Newcastle pull level. NEWCASTLE GOAL 1-1

27’ - A brilliant give and go between Moses and Chiquinho results in Moses getting loose in the area but there is Alnwick again with a wicked stop!

36’ - We send the ball out wide to Salim Loucif, who is starting to take more chances these days at joining the rush from his fullback position. He sends the ball back into Jose and our midfielder cuts toward the outer edge of the area and shoots from distance. It takes a slight deflection off a Newcastle defender and goes off the hands of a diving Alnwick and into the net! That’s Jose’s FIRST GOAL for Dover and we’re back in the lead! DOVER GOAL 2-1

HALFTIME - A bit of a sketchy half of football and the weather may be slowing us down a bit after a quick start. Possession is even and we outshoot them 15-7 (6-2 on target). Moses gets a 6.4 rating in that half. I tell the team I’m pleased with their efforts so far.

Newcastle start the second half with a 4-4-2 diamond formation.

48’ - Moses with a quick left footed shot from in close and Alnwick with the reflex save.

67’ - Mari with a nice cross into substitute striker Paul Gould and his low shot is saved by a diving Wilke! So close.

69’ - Moses with some dandy dribbling, as he weaves through two players and then lays the ball off to Arsene Bamba. Our in-form winger’s shot goes underneath Alnwick and it’s in! There’s the cushion we needed! “This Dover team looks UNBEATABLE at the moment!”, bellows the announcer! DOVER GOAL 3-1

70’ - Gianluca Bolis steals the ball off the ensuing kick off and we storm back up field. Moses feeds Chiquinho in tight but he has no room and his shot is right at the Newcastle keeper.

74’ - A double substitution, with Rafinha and Andy Broomes coming in and Bamba and Moses coming out.

78’ - Broomes gets a turn-around shot off from just inside the area and Alnwick just gets to the post in time to make the save.

79’ - Boy, Jose is playing well today after getting his first ever goal for us and he delivers another curling shot from distance that looks destined to hit the back of the net but Alnwick dives and just keeps it out.

86’ - Jose with a corner kick and his cross to the far post is headed by the returning Claudio Contreras and it’s off a Newcastle defender and IN! We continue to pile it on! DOVER GOAL 4-1

We continue to roll.

Newcastle 1 - 4 Dover
Goals - Chiquinho (7.8), Jose (8.6), Arsene Bamba (8.2), Claudio Contreras (8.2)
Assists - Salim Loucif (7.6), Jose, Arsene Bamba, Paul Moses (7.3)
Man of the Match - Jak Alnwick (Newcastle GK - 9.3)
Other Dover Notables - Rayane Hamon (7.8), Renato Gaucho (7.2), Gianluca Bolis (7.0), Neil Cairney (7.0)
Attendance - 30,985

Newcastle edged us in possession with 51% but we outshoot them 29-11 (13-3 on target). Again, showing how good their keeper is, Jak Alnwick gets man of the match honours despite letting in four goals! He was pretty solid and likely made at least four ridiculous, goal-saving stops. Perhaps Jose’s best game in a Dover kit, as he scores his first goal for our club and adds his 18th assist already!

-- Chelsea continues to roll as they look to defend their Premier League title with a convincing 3-1 win over Arsenal. Norwich shock Middlesbrough 1-0, Spurs can only manage a draw versus Everton and the biggest stunner is Aston Villa walking into Old Trafford and beating Manchester United 2-0!! Manchester City beat struggling Liverpool 3-1. Our lead is now up to NINE points!!


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 25 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Dover - 61 points (after 24 games)
2. Tottenham - 52 points
3. Chelsea - 52 points (after 24 games)
4. Manchester United - 51 points (after 24 games)
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5. Manchester City - 51 points
6. Liverpool - 46 points
7. Middlesbrough - 45 points
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8. Reading - 43 points
9. Arsenal - 42 points
10. Aston Villa - 41 points
11. Sunderland - 31 points
12. Newcastle - 27 points
13. Everton - 26 points
14. Sheffield Wednesday - 25 points (after 24 games)
15. Huddersfield - 23 points
16. Wolves - 19 points
17. Birmingham - 18 points
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18. Norwich - 14 points
19. Blackpool - 12 points
20. Fulham - 12 points



Transfer Deadline Approaches

-- Palermo keep coming after reserve left midfielder Helder Cruz, offering a ludicrous £9,500,000 and I’m not even allowed to answer, as my chairman answers for me and accepts the deal. Damnit. Now I have to go looking for someone else - we do have Graham Allan who can play there in a pinch and young Wonderkid Rafinha is also capable of playing there too. Oh, I also have U18 prospect Felix Hernandez so perhaps I don’t have to go after anyone.

-- Real Madrid are sniffing around our third string GK Mathis Imbert. I tell the press I’d sell him for the right price. Funny enough, Imbert, who hasn’t played at all this year for us, will likely start our League Cup second leg, as Manuel Perez is still recovering from a virus.



Premier League Team of the Week

-- Claudio Contreras and Jose make the Premier League team of the week.



Next Up

-- We have a slightly commanding SEVEN GOAL LEAD as we travel to Southampton for the second leg of the League Cup semi finals.