[NoSkillz]

Wed. January 8, 2025

Barclays Premier League
Derby (3-3-16, 12 points, 18th) vs. Dover (14-4-3, 46 points, 3rd)
Pride Park, Derby, UK

Betting Odds: Derby: 13-2 Draw: 11-4 Dover: 2-5 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 11W 0D 2L

We shouldn’t get too much resistance today against relegation candidates Derby, who are winless in four games and just lost 7-0 a couple games ago to Reading. This club has major troubles scoring goals and the proof is that Joao Henriques Almeida and Hallam Hope are joint leaders with only four goals. Not good. Old friend Fraser Forster is still their goalkeeper and he’s not very good either.

We have a weekend FA Cup match against second tier Norwich so we can go full out today and save our substitutes for that contest. Paul Moses still isn’t match fit so he’ll be on the bench today but will definitely start regardless of fitness on the weekend. I only make three changes to our starting lineup from the City game - Manuel Perez will be in goal, Mads Pedersen plays for Arsene Bamba and Mwemere Mutesa is in for slumping Claudio Contreras.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - M. Perez
D - Renato Gaucho, M. Mutesa, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - M. Pedersen, B. Raab, Jose, G. Bolis
S - A. Broomes, Chiquinho
Bench - Emerson, S. Nasri, A. Rocca, N. Cairney, A. Bamba, G. Allan, P. Moses

Derby are in a flat 4-4-2 with Almeida and Niels Hendriks up front and Forster in goal. I expect a win today, gentlemen!

22’ - We have a throw in near midfield and Renato Gaucho throws it to Andy Broomes. He cuts to the middle of the pitch and feeds a long ball up to Chiquinho. He reaches the byline, cuts back to the middle and cleverly slots the ball into the near side of the goal past Forster and we finally break through. DOVER GOAL 1-0

24’ - Broomes wins a battle at midfield and sends Chiquinho in again, this time on a breakaway. He hits a trademark blast and it’s low into the corner of the net! Chiquinho is on fire the last few games! DOVER GOAL 2-0

45’+2 - Broomes shows incredible skill by taking the ball just on Derby’s side of the field and weaves through three players before getting into the area. He jukes one way, cuts back and strikes the ball off a diving Forster and in! Simply magical!!! DOVER GOAL 3-0

Derby switch to a 4-4-2 tight diamond.

HALFTIME - This is no contest. We hold 62% of the ball and an outrageous 17-2 (4-0 on target) shot advantage. I tell the team I’m pleased but pull aside an ineffective Jose (6.3) and tell him to go out there and prove a point.

54’ - My goodness. Broomes simply takes the ball away from a Derby defender and streaks in alone. Forster comes out to challenge but Broomes shoots it past him and IN. He has two goals as well and now I have to keep Moses on the bench to give these guys a chance at a hat trick. DOVER GOAL 4-0

60’ - Jose is having a dud of a game and is playing complacently so I pull him out and bring in Andrea Rocca.

69’ - Graham Allan is in for Gianluca Bolis.

80’ - We win a corner and Rocca’s cross is to the far post and Hamon heads it in! DOVER GOAL 5-0

Easy.

Derby 0 - 5 Dover
Goals - Chiquinho 2 (8.8), Andy Broomes 2 (9.6), Rayane Hamon (8.8)
Assists - Andy Broomes 2, Benedikt Raab (8.2), Andrea Rocca (6.9)
Man of the Match - Andy Broomes
Other Dover Notables - Manuel Perez (7.0), Salim Loucif (8.0), Mwemere Mutesa (8.3), Renato Gaucho (8.0), Gianluca Bolis (7.1), Mads Pedersen (7.8)
Attendance - 31,265

Super! We held 62% of overall possession and held a 35-7 (9-2 on target) shot advantage. FOUR points for Andy Broomes, who now has 22 goals and 7 assists in 28 matches (23 starts). And he’s going to the bench soon!! Hamon is up to six goals, which matches a career high already for the central defender while Chiquinho now has 17 goals and 8 helpers in his 28 games.

-- Chelsea continue to draw games, this time tying Middlesbrough 1-1 while Sheffield Wednesday knock off Spurs 3-2.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 23 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Manchester United - 52 points (after 22 games)
2. Manchester City - 49 points
3. Dover - 49 points (after 22 games)
4. Chelsea - 47 points
----------------------------------------------------
5. Sheffield Wednesday - 39 points
6. Middlesbrough - 38 points
7. Arsenal - 37 points (after 22 games)


Clause Money IN

-- We receive a cool £1,500,000 from Cruz Azul due to a games played clause I built into the sale of midfielder Rafael Ramirez. I have to give 35% of the fee to OM, the club I bought Ramirez from due to a clause from THAT deal. So complicated! But we net close to a million pounds so I’m happy.



Next Up

-- We host Championship side Norwich in the third round of the FA Cup.