Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - FM – From Semi-Pro Minnows to Champions League Glory: Dover Athletic FC

NoSkillz · 03-09-2014, 01:42 PM

Sun. May 8, 2022

Barclays Premier League
Dover (21-9-7, 72 points, 3rd) vs. Manchester City (26-4-7, 82 points, 1st)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 7-4 Draw: 11-5 Manchester City: 5-4 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 0W 1D 7L

Despite playing better lately against City and dominating possession in our last two meetings, we still have never gotten a positive result in a game that matters against them, with the draw shown above being in a preseason friendly a number of years back. City are three time consecutive league champions and are going for a 4th consecutive Champions League title in two weeks against Olympique Lyonnais in a game taking place in Florence, Italy. We are slight dogs today - these are easily the best odds I've ever seen against City so our time is now! City continue to be led by the sensational Enrique, who has 43 goals this year. Just a dominating player. Winger Gylfi Sigurosson is second on the team with 12.

We are going with a top lineup today and it will be Shanon Andrea up front with Giorgos Gesios. Mancini is starting in the midfield but Andrea Rocca is back to full fitness and will be a second half substitute for sure. With this being a home game, I'm going to play a control mentality and try to play a positive, attacking game.

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

City are in their trademark 4-5-1 with Enrique up front and Joe Hart in goal. I tell the team to go out and perform for their supporters and pull aside Gesios and Mancini to say I have faith in them.

4' - A good start in the first five minutes as we control play. We have a corner and Cairney's cross is headed by Tjiuoro just over the net.

10' - Mancini springs Gesios and he delivers a ROCKET but Hart is there for the spectacular diving stop!

11' - There is Enrique with a turnaround shot but Wilke makes the fine stop.

19' - Gesios sends a ball through to Andrea and he's in on goal. A defender catches up and tackles him and the ball gets past Hart and is rolling toward goal but Hart recovers just in time to snatch the ball before it crosses the goal line! Wow!

26' - Paulus Tjiuoro is off getting medical attention and that allows Enrique to storm through our defence and get a hard shot on goal but Wilke is up to the task!

30' - Enrique. Enough said. He gets the ball at midfield, turns past Hamon and just JETS through our defence, shooting low into the near corner and City are ahead. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 0-1

32' - Off the ensuing kick off, we work the ball up field to Gianluca Bolis and he speeds past the left fullback. Bolis sends in a low cross and there is Arsene Bamba, sliding towards goal and kicking it past Hart and into the net! INSTANT REPLY! DOVER GOAL 1-1

37' - Neil Cairney gets a yellow card.

43' - End to end action as Bolis speeds through the defence again but his cross is turned back up field by City. Of course, it's Enrique getting the ball and his shot is saved by Wilke. Furious pace!

45'+1 - City with a goal kick and we head back up field. Andrea is there first but under pressure, he shoots wide! OH that was a chance!

HALFTIME - A tremendous match so far - City hold 53% of possession but we outshoot them 12-8 (2-6 on target). Enrique is brilliant and we have no answer for him right now. I introduce Andrea Rocca at halftime for Mancini and tell the team i'm pleased thus far. Lets get this win!!!

57' - We win the ball at midfield and Cairney feeds Shanon Andrea. He fights with a City defender for the ball and wins the battle, sending Gesios through. Our out of form striker has a half step on the defence as he bares down on goal and slots a long shot from just outside the area past Joe Hart and INTO THE NET to give us the lead!!! DOVER GOAL 2-1

We move to a counter attacking mentality.

62' - We have an extended period of possession and Rocca gets the ball up to Shanon Andrea. He takes it about five yards outside the area with his back to the goal, turns and fires with his stronger right foot and slams the ball with precision into the top corner of the goal past a diving Hart and we have a two goal lead! Holy SHIT!!! DOVER GOAL 3-1

WORLD CLASS strike from Andrea there!!!

72' - We get a corner and Rocca's cross into the box is met by the foot of Paulus Tjiuoro and his left-footed half volley goes past Hart and into the net! OHMYGOD!?!?!?! DOVER GOAL 4-1

City are STUNNED and move to a flat 4-4-2.

74' - Incredible. Enrique takes the ball down the left side near midfield and dribbles through the middle. He cuts across to the right side of the area and shoots and Wilke dives to get a piece of it but it's off his hands and into the corner of the goal. Fuck that guy is SENSATIONAL! Enrique gets City right back into it. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 4-2

80' - I take out the excellent Gesios and bring in some influence in Wayne Rooney.

85' - Wilke with a great save on the dangerous Sigurosson.

90' - Abdallaye Kokaina comes in for his first ever league game in place of Tjiuoro.

Simply put, one of our finest wins EVER!

Dover 4 - 2 Manchester City
Goals - Arsene Bamba (7.8), Giorgos Gesios (7.5), Shanon Andrea (8.6), Paulus Tjiuoro (7.7)
Assists - Andrea Rocca 2 (7.6), Gianluca Bolis (7.9), Shanon Andrea
Man of the Match - Enrique (Manchester City ST - 9.1)
Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.3), Rayane Hamon (7.1)
Attendance - 18,851

City hold 54% of overall possession but we outshoot them 20-14 (6-9 on target). SENSATIONAL WIN!!!

-- United win against Southampton in dominating fashion so we tie them on points but they finish second on goal differential. We finish third, our best finish position ever but interestingly, we finish with one less point than last year's fourth place finish. Liverpool lock up the last Champions League spot despite losing to Huddersfield. Arsenal win over Middlesbrough to lock up a Europa League spot and while Chelsea beat up on Derby 5-0, they have to sit and wait for the FA Cup final between Arsenal and Reading. If Arsenal win, Chelsea get a Europa League spot - if Reading win, then it's their club that gets the coveted Continental spot despite being behind Chelsea on the table!

-- We win £14,400,000 for finishing in third place in the Premier League! We pay out higher than normal bonuses of approximately £1.5 million to the players for the finish.

-- With that, our players are now officially on holiday until the start of next season!

Next Up

-- Stats, recaps, awards, etc.

03-09-2014, 01:42 PM	#258
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Sun. May 8, 2022 Barclays Premier League Dover (21-9-7, 72 points, 3rd) vs. Manchester City (26-4-7, 82 points, 1st) Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK Betting Odds: Dover: 7-4 Draw: 11-5 Manchester City: 5-4 (Favourites) Past Meetings: 0W 1D 7L Despite playing better lately against City and dominating possession in our last two meetings, we still have never gotten a positive result in a game that matters against them, with the draw shown above being in a preseason friendly a number of years back. City are three time consecutive league champions and are going for a 4th consecutive Champions League title in two weeks against Olympique Lyonnais in a game taking place in Florence, Italy. We are slight dogs today - these are easily the best odds I've ever seen against City so our time is now! City continue to be led by the sensational Enrique, who has 43 goals this year. Just a dominating player. Winger Gylfi Sigurosson is second on the team with 12. We are going with a top lineup today and it will be Shanon Andrea up front with Giorgos Gesios. Mancini is starting in the midfield but Andrea Rocca is back to full fitness and will be a second half substitute for sure. With this being a home game, I'm going to play a control mentality and try to play a positive, attacking game. Dover: 4-4-2 Control GK - I. Wilke D - R. Gaucho, P. Tjiuoro, R. Hamon, S. Loucif M - A. Bamba, , N. Cairney, Mancini, G. Bolis S - S. Andrea, G. Gesios Bench - J. Kuciak, A. Kokaina, K. Kalfas, A. Rocca, C. Murray, W. Rooney, P. Moses City are in their trademark 4-5-1 with Enrique up front and Joe Hart in goal. I tell the team to go out and perform for their supporters and pull aside Gesios and Mancini to say I have faith in them. 4' - A good start in the first five minutes as we control play. We have a corner and Cairney's cross is headed by Tjiuoro just over the net. 10' - Mancini springs Gesios and he delivers a ROCKET but Hart is there for the spectacular diving stop! 11' - There is Enrique with a turnaround shot but Wilke makes the fine stop. 19' - Gesios sends a ball through to Andrea and he's in on goal. A defender catches up and tackles him and the ball gets past Hart and is rolling toward goal but Hart recovers just in time to snatch the ball before it crosses the goal line! Wow! 26' - Paulus Tjiuoro is off getting medical attention and that allows Enrique to storm through our defence and get a hard shot on goal but Wilke is up to the task! 30' - Enrique. Enough said. He gets the ball at midfield, turns past Hamon and just JETS through our defence, shooting low into the near corner and City are ahead. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 0-1 32' - Off the ensuing kick off, we work the ball up field to Gianluca Bolis and he speeds past the left fullback. Bolis sends in a low cross and there is Arsene Bamba, sliding towards goal and kicking it past Hart and into the net! INSTANT REPLY! DOVER GOAL 1-1 37' - Neil Cairney gets a yellow card. 43' - End to end action as Bolis speeds through the defence again but his cross is turned back up field by City. Of course, it's Enrique getting the ball and his shot is saved by Wilke. Furious pace! 45'+1 - City with a goal kick and we head back up field. Andrea is there first but under pressure, he shoots wide! OH that was a chance! HALFTIME - A tremendous match so far - City hold 53% of possession but we outshoot them 12-8 (2-6 on target). Enrique is brilliant and we have no answer for him right now. I introduce Andrea Rocca at halftime for Mancini and tell the team i'm pleased thus far. Lets get this win!!! 57' - We win the ball at midfield and Cairney feeds Shanon Andrea. He fights with a City defender for the ball and wins the battle, sending Gesios through. Our out of form striker has a half step on the defence as he bares down on goal and slots a long shot from just outside the area past Joe Hart and INTO THE NET to give us the lead!!! DOVER GOAL 2-1 We move to a counter attacking mentality. 62' - We have an extended period of possession and Rocca gets the ball up to Shanon Andrea. He takes it about five yards outside the area with his back to the goal, turns and fires with his stronger right foot and slams the ball with precision into the top corner of the goal past a diving Hart and we have a two goal lead! Holy SHIT!!! DOVER GOAL 3-1 WORLD CLASS strike from Andrea there!!! 72' - We get a corner and Rocca's cross into the box is met by the foot of Paulus Tjiuoro and his left-footed half volley goes past Hart and into the net! OHMYGOD!?!?!?! DOVER GOAL 4-1 City are STUNNED and move to a flat 4-4-2. 74' - Incredible. Enrique takes the ball down the left side near midfield and dribbles through the middle. He cuts across to the right side of the area and shoots and Wilke dives to get a piece of it but it's off his hands and into the corner of the goal. Fuck that guy is SENSATIONAL! Enrique gets City right back into it. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 4-2 80' - I take out the excellent Gesios and bring in some influence in Wayne Rooney. 85' - Wilke with a great save on the dangerous Sigurosson. 90' - Abdallaye Kokaina comes in for his first ever league game in place of Tjiuoro. Simply put, one of our finest wins EVER! Dover 4 - 2 Manchester City Goals - Arsene Bamba (7.8), Giorgos Gesios (7.5), Shanon Andrea (8.6), Paulus Tjiuoro (7.7) Assists - Andrea Rocca 2 (7.6), Gianluca Bolis (7.9), Shanon Andrea Man of the Match - Enrique (Manchester City ST - 9.1) Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.3), Rayane Hamon (7.1) Attendance - 18,851 City hold 54% of overall possession but we outshoot them 20-14 (6-9 on target). SENSATIONAL WIN!!! -- United win against Southampton in dominating fashion so we tie them on points but they finish second on goal differential. We finish third, our best finish position ever but interestingly, we finish with one less point than last year's fourth place finish. Liverpool lock up the last Champions League spot despite losing to Huddersfield. Arsenal win over Middlesbrough to lock up a Europa League spot and while Chelsea beat up on Derby 5-0, they have to sit and wait for the FA Cup final between Arsenal and Reading. If Arsenal win, Chelsea get a Europa League spot - if Reading win, then it's their club that gets the coveted Continental spot despite being behind Chelsea on the table! -- We win £14,400,000 for finishing in third place in the Premier League! We pay out higher than normal bonuses of approximately £1.5 million to the players for the finish. -- With that, our players are now officially on holiday until the start of next season! Next Up -- Stats, recaps, awards, etc. __________________ MY CURRENT FM19 DYNASTY - FM19: "Ludere causa Ludendi - To Play for the Sake of Playing" - Queen's Park FC (Scottish League Two) MY OLD FM11 DYNASTY - FM11: From Semi-Pro Minnows to the EPL - Dover Athletic FC My Personal Blog - Now on the Tee - Golf, Sports, Poker, Life 2006 GOLDEN SCRIBE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST 'OTHER SPORT' DYNASTY - EHM2005: Sharpening Swords in Buffalo