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

NoSkillz · 01-05-2014, 11:10 PM

Sat. February 20, 2021

FA Cup - 5th Round
Dover vs. Liverpool
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 6-4 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Liverpool: 13-8
Past Meetings: 1W 2D 6L

There's not much more to say about Liverpool - I just played them two weeks ago. Fixture congestion could be a serious concern for them, having just defeated Sunderland three days ago in the 4th round reply to get here and more importantly, they have a huge Champions League game coming up on Tuesday. I won't be surprised if a couple of their top players are rested today.

I'm going to roll the dice and change things up, moving to our successful 4-4-2 DM (4-2-3-1) control tactic. I usually only bring this out against weaker sides but I want to throw a different look at Liverpool today and can always move to a flat formation if things aren't going well. Zoltan Bardi will come back into the side and sit directly behind Giorgos Gesios in his preferred AMC position.

Dover: 4-4-2DM (4-2-3-1) Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Contreras, P. Tjiuoro, S. Loucif
M - A. Rocca, N. Cairney
AM - A. Bamba, Z. Bardi, G. Bolis
S - G. Gesios
Bench - J. Varga, J. Kuciak, D. Pratley, Mancini, C. Murray, M. Prochazka, P. Simek

Liverpool are in a flat 4-4-2 again and definitely are rotating the squad and their top scorer Parzyszek isn't even on the bench for this one. Rafael Flores is starting up front with 21 year old striker Antonello Urbinati, who has only played two games so far this year. Veteran striker Edinson Cavani is playing right midfield but stalwart keeper Chris Dunn is playing. I tell the team they can win this and pull aside Gesios and Bardi to tell them I have faith while also pulling aside Paulus Tjiuoro to say I expect better from him today. He will be marking Flores today.

15' - There have been a number of weak chances in the first 15 minutes from both sides but Liverpool gets the first crack on net, as it's young striker Urbinati getting a half step in the area and unleashing a low blast that Wilke does well to turn aside.

16' - Almost right afterward, Liverpool gain a free kick around midfield and send it to Cavani down the right side. He cuts to the outer edge of the area and is tackled by a sliding Renato Gaucho but the ball goes right to dangerous striker Rafael Flores and he sends a one-touch rocket that Wilke dives, gets a piece of but not enough. It's in the goal. Unlucky. LIVERPOOL GOAL 0-1

21' - We work a counter attack up field and show nice distribution, getting the ball from Gesios, to Cairney and finally up to Bardi. He dribbles up the middle and shoots from the top of the area but it's turned aside nicely by Chris Dunn.

23' - We force a turnover and Bardi gets the ball again, sending a long, hard shot from well outside the area right at Dunn and he bumps it away.

24' - We're starting to impose ourselves. Off a free kick, Gesios gets a pass then makes a lovely cross box feed to Bolis, who cuts in and inexplicably shoots way wide of the far post. Poor effort from Bolis, who is struggling in recent games and was singled out by my assistant before the game as a guy who possibly should have been dropped from the side today. This doesn't help his case...

31' - Liverpool play a long ball up field and Flores beats Tjiuoro to the ball but his shot is turned aside by Wilke.

34' - WOW. Liverpool midfielder Lucas, who has been given a chat by the referee earlier but no card, takes down Bardi at midfield on a challenge that definitely deserved a yellow but is given the STRAIGHT RED CARD! Liverpool is down to ten men. We'll stick with the current tactic for now.

36' - Right after the sending off, we move the ball up the right flank to Salim Loucif and he sends a lovely back heel pass into the box to Bolis. As he turns he's taken down by Liverpool defender Marcano. PENALTY!!! Neil Cairney steps up to take it but the phenomenal Chris Dunn guesses right on the kick and makes the brilliant diving save! DAMNIT!

41' - Off an innocent looking throw, they play a one-two and Cavani sends a high cross into the box and midfielder Poundje heads it forcefully by Wilke into the net. DISASTER! We give up a goal to ten men and we're in big trouble. LIVERPOOL GOAL 0-2

I move to an attack philosophy.

44' - We work a counter and Cairney dribbles up field. One of the centre defenders makes a move for him and that allows Cairney to spring Gesios on the partial break. He walks in and delivers a glorious, low blow to the bottom right corner to give us life! DOVER GOAL 1-2

45'+1 - Cairney must be taking the missed penalty personally, as he dribbles down half the field, breaks through the defence and into the area but shoots just over.

HALFTIME - Well, our late goal saved the lads from having their ears burned off. Still, I tell them I want to see much more from them in the second half. Liverpool have a possession edge despite being 10 men, holding it 54% of the first half. We are outshooting them 12-11 (4-5 on target). I switch to a flat 4-4-2 control system for the start of the half - Liverpool ended the first half in a 4-3-2 so hopefully having a midfield man advantage will help us get the equalizer.

47' - Look out! We work upfield after the kickoff and win a corner. Rocca takes it, as usual and his out-turning cross is headed violently by Paulus Tjiuoro right into the back of the net! Superb comeback from two down to pull level! DOVER GOAL 2-2

49' - We work a counter attack and the ball is sent up to Gesios. He's being challenged from behind and notices that Dunn is way out from the goal line so he tries the long shot that curls over Dunn's head and forcefully hits the cross bar! Incredibly close Gesios!! The ball is picked up by Bolis and he sends it back to the top of the box to Andrea Rocca and his right footed shot just goes wide. We're pouring it on!

Liverpool move to a 3-4-2..interesting.

54' - We continue to push - Bamba sends a glorious through ball to Bardi and he shoots from just outside the area to the low post but Dunn is there brilliantly for the diving stop, pushing it behind the net. Liverpool now move to a 5-2-2 as they make substitutions.

65' - We gain possession around midfield and Cairney sends a quick pass to the left to Bamba. He flicks it past the right back and runs after it. He beats his man and from the left edge of the area, feeds a low cross that meets the sliding foot of Giorgos Gesios and he sends the ball into the net for his second of the game. We pull back three unanswered and lead! DOVER GOAL 3-2

68' - Cairney sends a rocket just over the net as Liverpool now move back to a 4-3-2 in an attempt to find a tying goal.

69' - It's Cairney again, taking a feed from Rocca onto his right foot and from outside the area he sends a curling rocket to the top corner that a diving Dunn just gets his hands on. This keeper is sensational!

78' - We are absolutely dominating possession and there is about a five minute sequence of highlights where we win a number of corners, culminating in a Renato Gaucho shot that is held right near the goal line by Dunn.

80' - I take out Bardi and bring in the speed of Petr Simek in hopes of an insurance marker.

82' - Now it's Cameron Murray on for Arsene Bamba.

86' - I take out Andrea Rocca and bring in Mancini, while switching to a counter attack mode for the remaining minutes.

90'+3 - More Dover possession sees Gaucho send a nice ball into Cameron Murray at the left edge of the area. He's completely unmarked and runs to the byline, makes a move back to the middle and shoots, with the ball deflecting off a defender right to Mancini, who one-times it into the net. GLORIOUS second half! DOVER GOAL 4-2

Cavani gets one last crack off the kick off but his weak shot is easily saved by Wilke and the ref immediately blows the whistle. FANTASTIC!

Dover 4 - 2 Liverpool
Goals - Giorgos Gesios 2 (8.8), Paulus Tjiuoro (7.6), Mancini (7.4)
Assists - Renato Gaucho (7.2), Neil Cairney (6.9), Andrea Rocca (6.9), Arsene Bamba (7.0)
Man of the Match - Giorgos Gesios
Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.8), Salim Loucif (7.4)
Attendance - 13,690

We seemingly controlled the ball the entire second half against a team that eventually went down late to nine men due to injury. We held 53% of overall possession and outshot them 25-12 (10-6 on target). A sensational second half response from our men.

-- We are given £184,000 for the win. This is the furthest we've ever gotten in this competition.

-- My assistant manager talks to the press and says it was my half-time words that turned the tide for our club. Nice that he has my back after all these years! Maybe I'll extend him again! Giorgos Gesios also says the same thing in his words to the press - super duper. Gesios, by the way, is up to a phenomenal 18 goals in all competitions for the season. He's starting to pay off that significant transfer fee, that's for sure!

-- David Moyes is sacked at Middlesbrough and I'm linked as a possible successor, with Tony Mowbray being the favourite. Good luck Tony - you won't have to contend with me for the job but if you get it, I look forward to facing you!

A few days later, Mowbray is announced as the new manager so it turns out the press was right.

Dover U18 Update

-- Striker Gregoire Lambert, who has battled injury this year, notched a hat trick in our 6-0 throttling of Ebbsfleet. Carlo Cerbone, Chris Patterson and Steve Sinnott scored singles in the convincing win.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Draw

-- There are only four remaining Premier League teams in the competition and we draw one of them. Our name is first out of the hat and we will host Huddersfield. There are still two League One teams left, incredibly enough, although one (Brentford) will be playing a Championship side in a 5th round replay. With no "big" clubs left, we have a very good chance of winning this thing if we can knock off a tough Huddersfield side.

Dover Reserve Team Update

-- I sent a couple of guys to the reserves in order to regain some confidence. Gerardo Escobar was sent down for the game as was young DC Claudio Contreras, who has struggled in recent games. We end up destroying Wolves to the tune of 8-0, with Escobar scoring a hat trick, on loan winger Martin Prochazka bagging a brace while Liam Craig, Roberto and Jonathan Adam score singles. Contreras was given a 9.0 match rating so it must have worked. I'll sit him out for our next senior game against Arsenal and give one of our veterans a shot at playing for the first time in a while.

-- Prochazka got hurt in the game and will miss about two weeks with a gashed leg. That's unfortunate timing, as with Gianluca Bolis' struggles lately, Prochazka may have been getting a look to start this coming weekend.

-- Roberto's agent continues to press for a new deal and I reject the request for the third time.

-- GK Ingo Wilke approaches me for about the third time this year, asking for a new deal. Finally, I relent and come to an agreement with his agent. He'll triple his salary if he ends up accepting. Wilke has been a rock for years for us and deserves more money, without question.

Next Up

-- We are home to fifth placed Arsenal in a key Premier League matchup.

01-05-2014, 11:10 PM	#122
NoSkillz College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Canada	Sat. February 20, 2021 FA Cup - 5th Round Dover vs. Liverpool Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK Betting Odds: Dover: 6-4 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Liverpool: 13-8 Past Meetings: 1W 2D 6L There's not much more to say about Liverpool - I just played them two weeks ago. Fixture congestion could be a serious concern for them, having just defeated Sunderland three days ago in the 4th round reply to get here and more importantly, they have a huge Champions League game coming up on Tuesday. I won't be surprised if a couple of their top players are rested today. I'm going to roll the dice and change things up, moving to our successful 4-4-2 DM (4-2-3-1) control tactic. I usually only bring this out against weaker sides but I want to throw a different look at Liverpool today and can always move to a flat formation if things aren't going well. Zoltan Bardi will come back into the side and sit directly behind Giorgos Gesios in his preferred AMC position. Dover: 4-4-2DM (4-2-3-1) Control GK - I. Wilke D - R. Gaucho, C. Contreras, P. Tjiuoro, S. Loucif M - A. Rocca, N. Cairney AM - A. Bamba, Z. Bardi, G. Bolis S - G. Gesios Bench - J. Varga, J. Kuciak, D. Pratley, Mancini, C. Murray, M. Prochazka, P. Simek Liverpool are in a flat 4-4-2 again and definitely are rotating the squad and their top scorer Parzyszek isn't even on the bench for this one. Rafael Flores is starting up front with 21 year old striker Antonello Urbinati, who has only played two games so far this year. Veteran striker Edinson Cavani is playing right midfield but stalwart keeper Chris Dunn is playing. I tell the team they can win this and pull aside Gesios and Bardi to tell them I have faith while also pulling aside Paulus Tjiuoro to say I expect better from him today. He will be marking Flores today. 15' - There have been a number of weak chances in the first 15 minutes from both sides but Liverpool gets the first crack on net, as it's young striker Urbinati getting a half step in the area and unleashing a low blast that Wilke does well to turn aside. 16' - Almost right afterward, Liverpool gain a free kick around midfield and send it to Cavani down the right side. He cuts to the outer edge of the area and is tackled by a sliding Renato Gaucho but the ball goes right to dangerous striker Rafael Flores and he sends a one-touch rocket that Wilke dives, gets a piece of but not enough. It's in the goal. Unlucky. LIVERPOOL GOAL 0-1 21' - We work a counter attack up field and show nice distribution, getting the ball from Gesios, to Cairney and finally up to Bardi. He dribbles up the middle and shoots from the top of the area but it's turned aside nicely by Chris Dunn. 23' - We force a turnover and Bardi gets the ball again, sending a long, hard shot from well outside the area right at Dunn and he bumps it away. 24' - We're starting to impose ourselves. Off a free kick, Gesios gets a pass then makes a lovely cross box feed to Bolis, who cuts in and inexplicably shoots way wide of the far post. Poor effort from Bolis, who is struggling in recent games and was singled out by my assistant before the game as a guy who possibly should have been dropped from the side today. This doesn't help his case... 31' - Liverpool play a long ball up field and Flores beats Tjiuoro to the ball but his shot is turned aside by Wilke. 34' - WOW. Liverpool midfielder Lucas, who has been given a chat by the referee earlier but no card, takes down Bardi at midfield on a challenge that definitely deserved a yellow but is given the STRAIGHT RED CARD! Liverpool is down to ten men. We'll stick with the current tactic for now. 36' - Right after the sending off, we move the ball up the right flank to Salim Loucif and he sends a lovely back heel pass into the box to Bolis. As he turns he's taken down by Liverpool defender Marcano. PENALTY!!! Neil Cairney steps up to take it but the phenomenal Chris Dunn guesses right on the kick and makes the brilliant diving save! DAMNIT! 41' - Off an innocent looking throw, they play a one-two and Cavani sends a high cross into the box and midfielder Poundje heads it forcefully by Wilke into the net. DISASTER! We give up a goal to ten men and we're in big trouble. LIVERPOOL GOAL 0-2 I move to an attack philosophy. 44' - We work a counter and Cairney dribbles up field. One of the centre defenders makes a move for him and that allows Cairney to spring Gesios on the partial break. He walks in and delivers a glorious, low blow to the bottom right corner to give us life! DOVER GOAL 1-2 45'+1 - Cairney must be taking the missed penalty personally, as he dribbles down half the field, breaks through the defence and into the area but shoots just over. HALFTIME - Well, our late goal saved the lads from having their ears burned off. Still, I tell them I want to see much more from them in the second half. Liverpool have a possession edge despite being 10 men, holding it 54% of the first half. We are outshooting them 12-11 (4-5 on target). I switch to a flat 4-4-2 control system for the start of the half - Liverpool ended the first half in a 4-3-2 so hopefully having a midfield man advantage will help us get the equalizer. 47' - Look out! We work upfield after the kickoff and win a corner. Rocca takes it, as usual and his out-turning cross is headed violently by Paulus Tjiuoro right into the back of the net! Superb comeback from two down to pull level! DOVER GOAL 2-2 49' - We work a counter attack and the ball is sent up to Gesios. He's being challenged from behind and notices that Dunn is way out from the goal line so he tries the long shot that curls over Dunn's head and forcefully hits the cross bar! Incredibly close Gesios!! The ball is picked up by Bolis and he sends it back to the top of the box to Andrea Rocca and his right footed shot just goes wide. We're pouring it on! Liverpool move to a 3-4-2..interesting. 54' - We continue to push - Bamba sends a glorious through ball to Bardi and he shoots from just outside the area to the low post but Dunn is there brilliantly for the diving stop, pushing it behind the net. Liverpool now move to a 5-2-2 as they make substitutions. 65' - We gain possession around midfield and Cairney sends a quick pass to the left to Bamba. He flicks it past the right back and runs after it. He beats his man and from the left edge of the area, feeds a low cross that meets the sliding foot of Giorgos Gesios and he sends the ball into the net for his second of the game. We pull back three unanswered and lead! DOVER GOAL 3-2 68' - Cairney sends a rocket just over the net as Liverpool now move back to a 4-3-2 in an attempt to find a tying goal. 69' - It's Cairney again, taking a feed from Rocca onto his right foot and from outside the area he sends a curling rocket to the top corner that a diving Dunn just gets his hands on. This keeper is sensational! 78' - We are absolutely dominating possession and there is about a five minute sequence of highlights where we win a number of corners, culminating in a Renato Gaucho shot that is held right near the goal line by Dunn. 80' - I take out Bardi and bring in the speed of Petr Simek in hopes of an insurance marker. 82' - Now it's Cameron Murray on for Arsene Bamba. 86' - I take out Andrea Rocca and bring in Mancini, while switching to a counter attack mode for the remaining minutes. 90'+3 - More Dover possession sees Gaucho send a nice ball into Cameron Murray at the left edge of the area. He's completely unmarked and runs to the byline, makes a move back to the middle and shoots, with the ball deflecting off a defender right to Mancini, who one-times it into the net. GLORIOUS second half! DOVER GOAL 4-2 Cavani gets one last crack off the kick off but his weak shot is easily saved by Wilke and the ref immediately blows the whistle. FANTASTIC! Dover 4 - 2 Liverpool Goals - Giorgos Gesios 2 (8.8), Paulus Tjiuoro (7.6), Mancini (7.4) Assists - Renato Gaucho (7.2), Neil Cairney (6.9), Andrea Rocca (6.9), Arsene Bamba (7.0) Man of the Match - Giorgos Gesios Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.8), Salim Loucif (7.4) Attendance - 13,690 We seemingly controlled the ball the entire second half against a team that eventually went down late to nine men due to injury. We held 53% of overall possession and outshot them 25-12 (10-6 on target). A sensational second half response from our men. -- We are given £184,000 for the win. This is the furthest we've ever gotten in this competition. -- My assistant manager talks to the press and says it was my half-time words that turned the tide for our club. Nice that he has my back after all these years! Maybe I'll extend him again! Giorgos Gesios also says the same thing in his words to the press - super duper. Gesios, by the way, is up to a phenomenal 18 goals in all competitions for the season. He's starting to pay off that significant transfer fee, that's for sure! -- David Moyes is sacked at Middlesbrough and I'm linked as a possible successor, with Tony Mowbray being the favourite. Good luck Tony - you won't have to contend with me for the job but if you get it, I look forward to facing you! A few days later, Mowbray is announced as the new manager so it turns out the press was right. Dover U18 Update -- Striker Gregoire Lambert, who has battled injury this year, notched a hat trick in our 6-0 throttling of Ebbsfleet. Carlo Cerbone, Chris Patterson and Steve Sinnott scored singles in the convincing win. FA Cup Quarterfinals Draw -- There are only four remaining Premier League teams in the competition and we draw one of them. Our name is first out of the hat and we will host Huddersfield. There are still two League One teams left, incredibly enough, although one (Brentford) will be playing a Championship side in a 5th round replay. With no "big" clubs left, we have a very good chance of winning this thing if we can knock off a tough Huddersfield side. Dover Reserve Team Update -- I sent a couple of guys to the reserves in order to regain some confidence. Gerardo Escobar was sent down for the game as was young DC Claudio Contreras, who has struggled in recent games. We end up destroying Wolves to the tune of 8-0, with Escobar scoring a hat trick, on loan winger Martin Prochazka bagging a brace while Liam Craig, Roberto and Jonathan Adam score singles. Contreras was given a 9.0 match rating so it must have worked. I'll sit him out for our next senior game against Arsenal and give one of our veterans a shot at playing for the first time in a while. -- Prochazka got hurt in the game and will miss about two weeks with a gashed leg. That's unfortunate timing, as with Gianluca Bolis' struggles lately, Prochazka may have been getting a look to start this coming weekend. -- Roberto's agent continues to press for a new deal and I reject the request for the third time. -- GK Ingo Wilke approaches me for about the third time this year, asking for a new deal. Finally, I relent and come to an agreement with his agent. He'll triple his salary if he ends up accepting. Wilke has been a rock for years for us and deserves more money, without question. Next Up -- We are home to fifth placed Arsenal in a key Premier League matchup. __________________ 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 Last edited by NoSkillz : 01-05-2014 at 11:16 PM.