[NoSkillz]

Wed. December 28, 2022

Barclays Premier League
Dover (14-2-3, 44 points, 3rd) vs. Everton (7-4-8, 25 points, 11th)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 4-5 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Everton: 3-1
Past Meetings: 6W 1D 4L

Everton are a mid-table constant and that's no different this year, as they are on a four game unbeaten streak in all competitions but against decidedly weak clubs (Newcastle, Derby, Middlesbrough and Stoke). Striker Chris Wood leads the club with 9 goals and wide midfielder Daniele Bentivoglio is second with 8.

We have a very tired squad and I'm starting a whole slew of backups. Neil Cairney will play after missing the Man City game due to suspension and Salim Loucif will also start and captain the club, as usual. Claudio Contreras will also start but it's all backups other than that.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - M. Perez
D - K. Zagos, D. Traore, C. Contreras, S. Loucif
M - S. Henni, N. Cairney, S. Spall, G. Allan
S - P. Moses, Z. Bardi
Bench - M. Yilmaz, R. Gaucho, G. Fanfoni, G. Bolis, A. Bamba, W. Rooney, S. Andrea

Everton are in a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Wood is up front with Erik Uhrik and Bentivoglio will be dangerous on left wing. Franco Di Capua is in goal for Everton. I tell the team to perform for their fans today.

4' - Everton have a free kick and send it into our area but we head it out. Shaun Spall has it and sends it up to Paul Moses at midfield and he simply sprints past the defender and he has a half-field breakaway. The defence can't catch him and he gets to the box and shoots low past Di Capua and it's in! Spectacular individual effort from young Moses and we have the dream start! DOVER GOAL 1-0

6' - Off the ensuing kick, Everton keep possession and work upfield. Uhrik lays off a pass to Bentivoglio and for some reason, Manuel Perez comes out after him, allowing the Everton midfielder to lob him and easily score into the vacant goal. TERRIBLE decision from Perez, his first glaring mistake since joining us and Everton have an instant reply. EVERTON GOAL 1-1

23' - There's a lot of action but no shots on net until now, as we work a throw in to Shaun Spall. He delivers a pass to Cairney and his blast is saved by a diving Di Capua but Said Henni is there for the rebound and he left foots it past a recovering Di Capua and into the net! Nice goal! DOVER GOAL 2-1

28' - Graham Allan makes a tackle and is hurt. I have to replace him with Gianluca Bolis.

39' - Off a free kick, Contreras sends it up to Paul Moses and he makes a defender look SILLY, dribbling right past him and in on goal but Di Capua stones him!

41' - Said Henni fouls a player and thankfully only gets a lecture. On the ensuing free kick, we take the ball away and start up field with an odd man rush in our favour. Moses sends it up to Henni and he spots Neil Cairney running in unmarked. The ball is sent to Cairney and just as he's about to shoot, Everton defender Tomas Kalas slides and knocks the ball away from him but into his own goal! We'll take it! DOVER GOAL 3-1

HALFTIME - Another fine half of football from a squad of mostly backups. We hold 56% of possession and a 14-5 (6-2 on target) shot advantage. I'm pleased!

50' - Another injury, this time to Daniel Traore and he also needs to come off. We bring in Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz.

52' - Brilliant pass from Moses up to Zoltan Bardi and he's in all alone but Di Capua makes the game saving stop!

55' - We earn a free kick from near centre half and Shaun Spall delivers a gorgeous cross deep into the area and it's Claudio Contreras, sliding at the ball and sending it past Di Capua for the stunning goal! Awesome. DOVER GOAL 4-1

61' - Cairney wins a ball at midfield and passes to Moses. He speeds past the defence and in on Di Capua, who makes the save. The rebound is there for Bardi and with a gaping net staring at him, he left foots it wide! Ahh!

67' - Di Capua with a great save in close on Gianluca Bolis.

69' - Di Capua sends a ball up field and Cairney heads it back over the defence. Bardi wins the race to the ball and is in on goal but Jack Rodwell tackles it away and again it's into the net. A SECOND own goal for Everton! DOVER GOAL 5-1

80' - Henni sets up Moses and his blast is again turned aside by Di Capua.

81' - I take out Claudio Contreras and bring in Renato Gaucho. Loucif moves to DC and Zagos moves to right fullback.

We continue to ROLL!

Dover 5 - 1 Everton
Goals - Paul Moses (8.6), Said Henni (9.2), Tomas Kalas OG, Claudio Contreras (8.1), Jack Rodwell OG
Assists - Shaun Spall 2 (8.4), Neil Cairney 2 (9.0), Said Henni
Man of the Match - Said Henni
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.8), Kostas Zagos (7.5), Zoltan Bardi (7.1), Gianluca Bolis (7.0)
Attendance - 18,948

We continue to score at an unprecedented rate and hold 55% of possession and a 26-9 (12-2 on target) shot advantage. Not a bad effort from our second stringers! Shaun Spall was excellent today, as was Henni.

-- The injuries are starting to pile up. Daniel Traore suffered strained knee ligaments and will miss 5-6 weeks. Thankfully, Graham Allan, also injured in the match, suffered nothing serious and is fine.

-- In other action, Chelsea knock off Liverpool 2-1 to maintain their lead at the top but Man United can only manage a draw at home against Reading. Also, Birmingham SHOCK Manchester City 1-0, Arsenal beat Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday win over Newcastle to move into fourth ahead of City and Sunderland hold off Derby. We move back ahead of United and into second place on the table.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 20 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Chelsea - 50 points
2. Dover - 47 points
3. Manchester United - 46 points
4. Sheffield Wednesday - 41 points
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5. Manchester City - 40 points
6. Arsenal - 39 points
7. Sunderland - 35 points
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He Likes Me! HE REALLY, REALLY LIKES ME!

-- In news that makes me incredibly happy and all warm and tingly inside, I notice that young on-loan striker Paul Moses now has me listed under his favoured personnel. Remember, last year he and I feuded all season long but we've been on great terms since his return from Manchester United and things are looking very good for a possible long-term partnership. I have the option of buying him at any point during the loan deal for an admittedly large fee but Moses is definitely going to be worth it. He's easily one of the top striker prospects in all of football and English to boot, which certainly helps with our continental registration needs.



Change Season Expectations

-- I'm offered the chance to change our season expectations in a meeting with my chairman and I tell him I think we can challenge for the title as opposed to our preseason plan of continental qualification. That adds £75,000 per week to my wage budget, which I can likely use to bump up my transfer kitty, something that will be welcomed when I decide to finally bite the bullet and buy Paul Moses from Manchester United through the loan buyout clause I negotiated.



January Update

-- We continue to be VERY busy, especially since we're still alive in the League Cup. We have five Premier League matches, with home ties against Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea along with road matchups against Huddersfield and Tottenham. We play Wolves two more times this month, once in the FA Cup third round and also in the League Cup semi finals. If we beat them in the FA cup, we'll also have a 4th round tie at the end of the month. So that's EIGHT possible matches in January.

-- We get word that GIan Marco Fanfoni, Shanon Andrea and reserve GK Louis Read trained well last month, along with U18 prospects Ben Patterson, Jay Doyle and Shane Holmes. Failing to impress are veteran Wayne Rooney and young fullback Carlos Guzman. Guzman will get a talking to...



England's Best Eleven

-- DR Kostas Zagos is named to the 2022 England Best Eleven at right fullback. A nice honour!



2022 Yearly Awards

-- Hugo Cruz from Dortmund wins the European Striker of the Year award.

-- Miguel Angel Lozano from Schalke wins European Goalkeeper of the Year.

-- Sevilla's Octavio Hernandez wins European Midfielder of the Year, the FIFA Ballon d'Or AND World Player of the Year.

-- Ivan Prado from Real Madrid wins European Defender of the Year.



Premier League Monthly Awards

-- Sunderland's Nicola Papaleo wins Player of the Month honours. No Shanon Andrea?

-- Newcastle's Pierpaolo Bartoli wins Young Player of the Month and Claudio Contreras finishes second.

-- Shanon Andrea finishes in third in the Premier League Goal of the Month for his "David Beckham" goal against Wolves.

-- Sunderland manager Dennis Wise wins Manager of the Month honours and I finish third. What do I have to do to win this thing!? Haha.



Transfer Window Re-Opens

-- Ahh, the fun begins. Offers immediately filter in for Neil Cairney and Salim Loucif and all are rejected.



Next Up

-- We host Wolves once again, this time in FA Cup 3rd Round action at Crabble Athletic Ground.