[NoSkillz]

Sat. November 26, 2022

Barclays Premier League
Derby (1-7-6, 10 points, 17th) vs. Dover (10-1-3, 31 points, 2nd)
Pride Park, Derby, UK

Betting Odds: Derby: 3-1 Draw: 2-1 Dover: 4-5 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 7W 0D 2L

We are huge road favourites against perennial relegation candidates Derby. They've only secured one win out of 14 matches so far. Their big offseason purchase was £7 million rated midfielder Stefan Holm from AZ and the Swedish international has 2 goals in ten matches so far. Striker Niels Hendriks, with 9 goals in 15 games, is their danger man.

We'll start a full strength side today, for the most part. I'm going to reward Graham Allan for his fine recent play with a starting spot over out-of-form Gianluca Bolis. Chiquinho is back in at striker after missing the last two games - one was a rest day and the other a suspension. Kostas Zagos is in at left fullback for Renato Gaucho. Control mentality as favourites on the road.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - K. Zagos, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, N. Cairney, A. Rocca, G. Allan
S - S. Andrea, Chiquinho
Bench - Renato Gaucho, D. Traore, G. Fanfoni, S. Spall, G. Bolis, S. Henni, Z. Bardi

Derby start in a 3-5-2 formation, standard practice for them. I guarantee at some point they'll move to five defenders. Old friend Fraser Forster is in goal and Joao Henriques Almeida and Hendriks are up front. I tell the team they can win this and pull aside Shanon Andrea to tell him to keep his good form up.

18' - We head up field over the defence and Chiquinho wins the race but his shot is right at Forster. We're dominating the highlights but getting no good chances, just shots from distance and most are off-target.

26' - Hendriks gets a through ball and his hard shot is saved by Wilke. Champions League letdown so far for us...

32' - Cairney with a curling blast that's off the crossbar!

HALFTIME - Derby are content to sit back and let us control the game but it's 0-0 so they are obviously doing well. We hold 59% of possession and an outrageous 16-3 (1-1 on target) shot advantage. We simply aren't hitting the target. I tell the team this is winnable still.

As expected, Derby drop into a 5-3-2 formation.

57' - Nothing happening with Derby just defending and not moving forward but we win a corner. Rocca's cross is to the near post and Hamon heads it toward goal. Forster makes the save but the rebound is right on the foot of the ever-dangerous Shanon Andrea and he pumps it in and we lead! DOVER GOAL 1-0

72' - We're completely in control but Derby work a counter and it's the dangerous Hendriks spotting Wilke being way too aggressive and shooting from distance and Wilke is able to just get enough of the ball to send it wide.

75' - We move to a counter attacking mentality.

79' - Gian Marco Fanfoni is on for Andrea Rocca.

90'+1 - Yawn. Daniel Traore is in for Claudio Contreras. These guys are still in a five defender formation…at home…down a goal. Incredible.

Derby suck.

Derby 0 - 1 Dover
Goals - Shanon Andrea (7.3)
Assists - Rayane Hamon (7.9)
Man of the Match - Rayane Hamon
Other Dover Notables - Ingo WIlke (7.4), Salim Loucif (7.4), Claudio Contreras (7.1), Kostas Zagos (7.4)
Attendance - 19,432

What a boring team Derby are. We hold 62% of overall possession and outshoot them 28-6 (4-2 on target). Good defending today but too many shots from distance and we get nothing from Chiquinho again.

-- Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday all win so there's no change whatsoever on the table.



Dover U18 Update

-- Emmerson Harvey gets two assists in his return from a long injury as our kids win 3-1 over Aldershot. James Campbell, Lyubomir Kunchev and Eddie Robinson score the goals.



FA Cup - 3rd Round Draw

-- We have more than a 50/50 chance of getting a non-Premier League side but we draw Wolves in a game to be played at Crabble. Not bad, as they are relegation candidates in our league this year. The game will be played on New Year's Eve.



Next Up

-- We are at home to face League 1 side West Ham in League Cup quarterfinals action.