[NoSkillz]

-- We have a Sunday matchup against Stoke this week and that allows Everton (!!) to pass on the table, as they destroy Middlesbrough 5-1 on Saturday to move to 4-1-0 on the year and one point ahead of us for now.



U18 Team Update

-- Our youth team prevails 3-1 over Kingstonian, with Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz, Carlo Cerbone and a Kingstonian own goal creating the margin of victory. Cerbone continues to impress.



Sun. September 20, 2020

Barclays Premier League
Dover (4-0-0, 12 points, 2nd) vs. Stoke City (1-1-2, 4 points, 14th)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

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

We welcome Stoke to Crabble Athletic Ground for a nationally televised Sunday matinee. Stoke, similar to my last opponent Sheffield Wednesday, have spent most of their time in the Premier League. They were demoted to the Championship two times but went right back up the next year both times. Their best finish in the Premier League since 2010-11 is 13th but for the most part, they are always battling against relegation. They opened this season with a shock 1-0 away win at Liverpool (who are struggling this year) and also drew away against Arsenal, with their two losses coming against Man U and Reading. So, needless to say, they've had a brutal schedule to start their season! Their highest valued player is 6' 8" defender Guillermo Piras while their most dynamic player might be 30 year old striker Billy Ketkeo, who has three goals in five games this year. My scouts talk about how they don't do well against narrow formations and slow tempo but I'm going to stick with what's working and maintain my same 4-4-2 DM look. Giorgos Gesios will return to the lineup after a one game absence due to injury. He will replace Gerardo Escobar, who scored twice in that game. I'll also stick with DC Thomas Andersen for one more game over the returning Paulus Tjiuoro - Tjiuoro is healthy now but I'm going to save him for our League Cup game next week and possibly bring him off the bench in this game.

Dover: 4-4-2 DM (4-2-3-1) Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Rodriguez, T. Andersen, S. Loucif
M - A. Rocca, N. Cairney
AM - A. Bamba, Z. Bardi, G. Bolis
S - G. Gesios
Bench - L. Koscielny, P. Tjiuoro, L. Craig, D. Pratley, P. Kostal, Roberto, G. Escobar

They are using a 3-5-2 formation to start. My wingers should be able to take advantage of this. No mincing words - I tell the team I expect a win today - our schedule is about to get tough so we need to keep taking advantage of these early matchups.

4' - An extended period of possession for us sees the ball come to Neil Cairney but he blasts high over the bar from just outside the area.

9' - We win a corner and Rocca's beautiful kick is headed toward goal by Cristian Rodriguez but their keeper makes a brilliant save to keep the game scoreless.

23' - A long period of inactivity before we win a ball in midfield and move it up to Gesios. He has a step on his man but again shoots high. We're not making the most of our opportunities so far.

34' - They get their first great chance on a counter attack. One of their strikers is being chased down the field by Rodriguez and their other striker Zavon Hines is completely wide open for the pass. Their ball handler elects to shoot and misses high. Wasted chance there.

39' - After a long period of great possession but wasted chances, we get another ball down the right flank to Bolis. His cross is a good one to Arsene Bamba but he's taken down before getting the chance to shoot. PENALTY! Neil Cairney steps up to take the kick and just finds the inside of the post for the huge late half goal! DOVER GOAL 1-0

45' - Andrea Rocca takes down a man on the edge of the box and gets the yellow. The ensuing free kick hits one of their players and deflects harmlessly out of play.

HALFTIME - They switched in the last minute of play to a 5-3-2 so perhaps we'll have a better time of possession in the second half, as we're edged 53% to 47% right now. Shots are in our favour 8-5 (2-1 on target). Gesios hasn't been effective (6.0) - I once again go to the "encourage" team talk and tell Gesios I have faith in him.

Stoke stay in their 5-3-2 to start the second half.

47' - Their midfielder gains possession and unleashes a rocket that hits the woodwork and bounces to safety.

49' - We use the "exploit flanks" shout, as they aren't using wingers and there is plenty of room on each side of the field.

66' - Gesios hasn't been good today and I put in Escobar. Hopefully the fresh legs help.

73' - We finally work into the box to Escobar but he flops to the ground when he's barely touched. Yellow card to Escobar for the dive.

75' - I bring in Roberto for Zoltan Bardi, who again didn't do much for the second game in a row.

79' - Escobar makes a great play in the box from the byline, doing a 360 turn with the ball and firing a left footed blast that's turned away behind the net We get a couple chances at corners but nothing comes of it.

85' - On a seemingly harmless play, they slowly work up the field on a counter attack but spring their forward behind the defence, he cuts to the left around Wilke but his shot hits the goalpost and is booted away.

87' - We bring in Laurent Koscielny for Renato Gaucho and also switch to a counter attacking philosophy and try to maintain possession.

We do a good job keeping the ball the rest of the way. Dull game.

Dover 1 - 0 Stoke
Goals - Neil Cairney (7.3)
Assists - Arsene Bamba (6.9)
Man of the Match - Cristian Rodriguez
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.2), Thomas Andersen (7.1), Cristian Rodriguez (7.4), Andrea Rocca (7.1), Giorgos Gesios (5.9)
Attendance - 9135 (Sellout)

A really boring game where we struggled to break them down. I will have to figure out ways to play these teams that defend hard like that but maybe you just have to take what they give you. We ended up winning possession 52% to 48% and outshot them 17-7 (6-1 on target). We really had no superb chances all game and our only goal is on a penalty. Gesios had a really poor game but it's nice to see our new Argentinian defender fitting in well so far. We'll take the three points!

-- We move back to the top of the table after our victory and Man U keeps pace, sitting in second on goal differential.



Next Up

-- We head to Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal in the third round of the League Cup