[NoSkillz]

Sat. October 17, 2020

Barclays Premier League
Liverpool (3-0-4, 9 points, 9th) vs. Dover (5-0-2, 15 points, 2nd)
Liverpool Stadium, Liverpool, UK

Betting Odds: Liverpool: 4-5 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Dover: 3-1
Past Meetings: 0W 1D 6L

We've played Liverpool more than any other Premier League team due to a few cup ties over the years. They are struggling a bit out of the gate with only 3 wins from 7 matches. They continue to be a powerhouse and haven't missed out on Continental qualification in decades, finishing 4th last year. They just bought a flashy new striker, Rafael Flores, from Turkish Premier side Besiktas JK for £14.5 million, something which has made their normal top forward Edinson Cavani a surplus to requirements. This despite 23 goals from Cavani last year! That said, Cavani is now 33 years old while Flores is a young pup of 25. Liverpool also bought another striker during the July window, Piotr Parzyszek from Aston Villa for £12.25 million so that's a lot of money on forwards! We've had little to no success historically against Liverpool but did play them to a 1-1 draw away in our last contest. The odds certainly aren't overwhelming against us for the first time so it's nice to start getting some respect!

We'll need to simplify here to have a chance. I will run a flat 4-4-2 for this game, utilizing a narrow, deep and slow tempo formation as instructed by my advanced scouting team.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Rodriguez, P. Tjiuoro, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, A. Rocca, N. Cairney, G. Bolis
S - G. Gesios, Z. Bardi
Bench - T. Andersen, J. Kuciak, L. Craig, D. Pratley, P. Kostal, G. Escobar, P. Simek

Liverpool are utilizing a 4-4-2 Diamond formation for the first time in any of our contests. Flores is starting up front with a fifth striker named Raymond de Winter, usually a backup player for them. I also get a strange note from my assistant manager, who tells me in the pre-game buildup that many of the squad members are struggling to get motivated with Ingo Wilke as our captain (he's our vice captain but Pratley is on the bench). Interesting...

11' - We're doing a good job with possession but other than a few shots from distance, there are no real chances on either side.

12' - I had to open my mouth. We turn the ball over in midfield to their AMC Shelvey. He races up the centre of the pitch and when challenged by Cristian Rodriguez, springs a wide open Raymond de Winter. He speeds past Tjiuoro and sends a low blast off the left post and into the net. LIVERPOOL GOAL 0-1

20' - We continue to hold possession for the most part and we have an extended sequence deep in Liverpool territory off a throw in. Renato Gaucho plays some give and go into the box and out with Zoltan Bardi. It comes back to Gaucho and he sends a pass into the box to Andrea Rocca. With his stronger left foot, he turns and sends a screamer that hits the top of the crossbar and down into the goal. Great strike! DOVER GOAL 1-1

27' - We win a corner and Rocca sends a ball to the near post. Rodriguez turns and heads it just over, missing by a whisker!

45+1' - We continue to dominate the highlights, with plenty of long efforts just missing. Neil Cairney sends a lovely through ball to Bolis up the right side deep in Liverpool territory and it's kicked out by their defender, setting up a corner. Rocca sends one deeper this time toward the far post and it's Paulus Tjiuoro who latches onto it and heads it into the back of the net. Tjiuoro's first ever goal for Dover as Liverpool's manager tears up his half time notes! DOVER GOAL 2-1

HALFTIME - Perhaps our finest half of the year so far! We lead possession 52% to 48% but are getting all of the chances, outshooting them 13-3 (2-1 on target). Again, we're taking a lot of long shots but so far so good. I tell the lads I'm pleased.

Liverpool change to a 4-1-3-2 to start the second half, with a defensive central midfielder.

50' - Edinson Cavani, who came on at halftime, heads the ball upfield to himself and gets a dangerous ball into Shelvey but his shot goes over the net from in close.

53' - We send a long ball up the right side and Bardi latches onto it. He moves diagonally into the corner of the area and delivers a rocket that is stopped by a diving Chris Dunn, the Liverpool GK. The rebound comes right onto the foot of Giorgos Gesios and he one times it into the empty net. Big goal!!! DOVER GOAL 3-1

54' - They work a counter attack shortly after the resumption of play. It's Cavani in midfield who finds their right fullback Papasthatopolous screaming down the sideline. He sends in a low cross and it's right back to Cavani, who one times it into the net. Nice goal by the veteran and we have ourselves a game again. LIVERPOOL GOAL 3-2

56' - Salim Loucif takes down a player just outside our penalty area and gets the yellow card.

61' - I bring in Gerardo Escobar for Zoltan Bardi and go very narrow, slow the tempo, deepen the line, etc. Time to protect this lead.

64' - We are scrambling around in a bit of a panic. We're blocking shots and nothing is getting through yet but I'm worried.

72' - I take off a tired Gesios for Petr Simek. Hopefully we can spring him on a counter attack and he can utilize that great speed.

84' - Holy crap! We have an extended period without highlights and we come to a throw in deep in their territory. Bamba throws in to Simek, who cuts toward the byline and then sends in a left footed high cross into the box. With the keeper and two defenders right there, it's Gerardo Escobar leaping over all of them to head the ball into the goal! What a dagger! Can we possibly win away at Liverpool?!?! DOVER GOAL 4-2

They move to a 4-2-4.

89' - We bring on Jozef Kuciak and switch to a 5-3-2 formation.

90'+1 - Great - Cairney gets hurt and has to go off. We're down to 10 men and drop Escobar back into the midfield.

That's it! WHAT A WIN! Hopefully Cairney isn't badly hurt.

Liverpool 2 - 4 Dover
Goals - Andrea Rocca (8.8), Paulus Tjiuoro (7.8), Giorgos Gesios (7.4), Gerardo Escobar (7.3)
Assists - Renato Gaucho (7.6), Andrea Rocca, Zoltan Bardi (6.9), Petr Simek (6.9)
Man of the Match - Andrea Rocca
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.1), Cristian Rodriguez (7.0), Neil Cairney (7.4)
Attendance - 58526

They ended up edging us in possession 51%-49% but we outshot them by a wide margin, 19-10 (6-2 on target). This may be one of the greatest wins in club history and the press agree, calling it a "historic win". The fans are "jubilant" after the victory and I tell the lads it was a fantastic result. Wow!

-- Man United lost again, this time to Reading 1-0 at Old Trafford but Man City continues to lead at the top of the table after a thrilling 4-3 win away at Tottenham.

-- There aren't any notices about Neil Cairney so thankfully his injury isn't serious!



Dover U18 Update

-- Dover's U18s win a close 1-0 game over Havant and Waterlooville, with our lone goal scored by unheralded striker Chris Paterson.



-- I give my players Sunday off from training, not a surprise, as it's something I do a lot during the season, especially after wins or during weeks where we play more than one game. I use this time to have some individual player chats to show appreciation for good games and when complimenting Escobar's key goal (which he shrugged off by the way), I noticed that he thinks Bardi's "poor attitude" will possibly affect team harmony. I decide to have another chat with Bardi and he immediately jumps on me, saying he's talked with the other players on the club about his contract situation so I bark right back at him about his unprofessionalism. Thankfully, he backs off, saying he'll show more respect starting right now and the next day, he's back to being happy at the club. Whew!



Barclays Premier League Team of the Week

-- We get three players named to this week's best eleven. DL Renato Gaucho, DC Paulus Tjiuoro and MC Andrea Rocca all get honoured this week.



-- The bad vibes keep coming, this time from our stalwart new DC signing Cristian Rodriguez. He requests a chat and tells me he's having great difficulty settling into English life. I have the opportunity to send him away from the club but opt to tell him that I'll try to find someone to bring into the club to help him settle in. He tells me he'd be delighted if I brought MR Marcelo Astudillo in. Time to scout that 26 year old winger. By the way, Rodriguez is playing exceptionally well so far despite not knowing the language, playing 8 games, scoring once and having a 7.45 average rating, which is superb.

-- I end up getting a positive scouting report on Astudillo (3.5/3.5) but he's a left footed MR and I don't think he really fits my schemes here. I start looking for cultured Argentinian DCs who are based in England - maybe I can find a cheap veteran to bring in during the next window to tutor young Rodriguez.



Next Up

-- A date at Emirates Stadium with Arsenal in Premier League action