[NoSkillz]

Sun. February 9, 2025

Barclays Premier League
Blackpool (2-7-17, 13 points, 19th) vs. Dover (17-5-3, 56 points, 3rd)
Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, UK

Betting Odds: Blackpool: 4-1 Draw: 5-2 Dover: 4-7 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 5W 0D 0L

We’re perfect against Blackpool and they are looking destined for the drop after barely surviving last year. They are eight points from safety. Lazaros Sentementes leads the club with 8 goals, backup striker Adam Higgins has five and the next best player has TWO. Not a prolific club.

We make five changes from the scoreless draw against Chelsea, with Paul Moses, Mads Pedersen, Neil Cairney, Salim Loucif and Manuel Perez all starting. We also have Manuel Lugo on the bench today after his sensational six goal performance with our reserves in mid-week. He’s back to full fitness after missing four months due to injury. Benedikt Raab is getting the night off today and won’t even dress. Cairney has been really strong lately and deserves a start.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - M. Perez
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - M. Pedersen, N. Cairney, Jose, G. Bolis
S - P. Moses, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, E. Harvey, A. Rocca, A. Bamba, G. Allan, M. Lugo

Blackpool usually play a 4-5-1 but are rolling with a flat 4-4-2 today. Interesting. Sentementes and Higgins are up front and Nathan Potter is in goal. No screwing around - I want a win today.

22’ - We have a free kick from distance and Jose takes it. The ball is sent into the box and Gianluca Bolis gets free and heads it past Potter and in. We finally score. DOVER GOAL 1-0

35’ - We work a counter attack and it’s a two on two with Chiquinho dribbling down the right flank. He crosses into the area and Paul Moses is clever enough to drop back into space and the ball is perfectly delivered to his right foot and his one-timer is past Potter and IN. Moses breaks his four game goal-less streak! DOVER GOAL 2-0

44’ - We have another free kick and this time, Jose’s cross is headed home by Rayane Hamon! DOVER GOAL 3-0

HALFTIME - Shockingly enough, we are behind in the possession battle, with only 48% of the ball but we outshoot them 13-6 (6-4 on target) and have a huge lead. We’re taking advantage of our chances, that’s for sure.

57’ - A ball is sent over the defence and Moses looks to latch onto it but is taken down just outside the area. Yellow card for the Blackpool defender and Jose takes the kick. He bends a hard shot off a Blackpool defender and it’s off the woodwork and IN! What a game from Jose today!!! DOVER GOAL 4-0

67’ - I take out Paul Moses and bring in Manuel Lugo to see what he can do.

71’ - One more sub, as we take out the excellent Jose and bring in Emmerson Harvey.

75’ - We win a free kick and Cairney sends a pass to Harvey who is lurking outside the area. He sends a 30 yard ROCKET that looks like it deflects on it’s way toward goal but it’s IN!! That’s Harvey’s first ever senior goal outside of cup competitions!! DOVER GOAL 5-0

85’ - Bolis is streaking down the right flank and crosses into Mads Pedersen. Just as he’s about to shoot, he’s pulled down and that’s a PENALTY!! Up steps Cairney and his low blast is IN! We’re POURING IT ON! DOVER GOAL 6-0

That’s what I’m talking about!

Blackpool 0 - 6 Dover
Goals - GIanluca Bolis (8.6), Paul Moses (8.2), Rayane Hamon (8.9), Jose (8.5), Emmerson Harvey (7.4), Neil Cairney (9.2)
Assists - Jose 2, Neil Cairney, Mads Pedersen (8.6), Chiquinho (8.1), Paul Moses
Man of the Match - Neil Cairney
Other Dover Notables - Manuel Perez (8.8), Salim Loucif (8.5), Claudio Contreras (8.0), Renato Gaucho (8.1)
Attendance - 15,559

We only held 47% of possession but outshoot Blackpool 21-12 (12-6 on target). We were ruthless in our finishing today. 12 players with ratings over 7.0!

-- Manchester United continue to press forward as well, winning 3-0 over Sunderland.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 27 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Manchester United - 64 points (after 26 games)
2. Dover - 59 points (after 26 games)
3. Chelsea - 57 points
4. Manchester City - 55 points
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5. Arsenal - 48 points
6. Sheffield Wednesday - 46 points
7. Newcastle - 45 points
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Team of the Week

-- We fill up the team of the week, with an incredible six of our players making the squad! Manuel Perez, Salim Loucif, Rayane Hamon, Mads Pedersen, Neil Cairney and Jose get the honour.



International Update

-- Gaining youth caps are Felix Hernandez (France) and Alberto Velazquez (Mexico).

-- Gaining senior caps are Graham Allan (Scotland - 1 goal), Neil Cairney (Scotland), Mads Pedersen (Denmark - 1 assist), Lyubomir Kunchev (Bulgaria - 1 goal), Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz (Morocco), Saber Nasri (Tunisia), Paul Moses and Emmerson Harvey (England), Chiquinho (Belgium - 1 goal), Manuel Perez (Mexico), Claudio Contreras (Argentina), Jose (Brazil), Salim Loucif (Algeria), Zoltan Bardi (Hungary) and Arsene Bamba (Ivory Coast).

-- The cap for Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz is his first senior international appearance. Good for you kid!



Injury Update

-- You MUST BE KIDDING. Paul Moses tears the SAME CALF MUSCLE he tore earlier in the season while playing for England and initial reports are that he’s out for three months…essentially the rest of the season. This is a bloody disaster - he’s been very healthy his whole career but now he has a chronic calf issue? Please don’t tell me this will effect him for the rest of his career. DOVER INJURY - Paul Moses (Torn Calf Muscle - 3 Months).

-- You MUST BE KIDDING PART TWO. Zoltan Bardi also gets hurt, suffering a sprained ankle for Hungary and he’ll miss a month. Geez. Just when our strikers finally get healthy, we get hit with two major injuries. DOVER INJURY - Zoltan Bardi (Sprained Ankle - 1 Month).



Next Up

-- I’m going to be ill. I can’t believe Paul Moses is hurt again…

-- Oh yeah, we host Liverpool in Premier League play. Whatever. GRRRRRRRRRR.