Magician's Dover Saga | S3E18 End

s3e10 Darby

Ahead of the derby match, I’ve scheduled additional tactical training. Derby games are always crucial for us, and we know we need to win. Gillingham are currently eighth in the league, so we’re expecting a tough test. 

It was an away match so when we arrived at the Gillingham ground we have been escorted by the Police. We were expecting this as EFL issue a warning to both teams that repeating scene from last season is not an option. The Fans has been separated to keep things civil.

Fans usually prepare a tifo banner for special occasion and this time there did it to.

I started the match with RAF 303 tactic but set the mentality to Balanced.

After 23 minutes stats indicate we were much better team.

We scored in the 25th minute through Filippo Di Stefano, so I decided to maintain a balanced mentality. 
We then added two more goals. Maher scored twice, in the 54th and 79th minutes, making it a very comfortable win for us. They managed only one shot on our goal. 

The players were called into the dressing room immediately after the final whistle to reduce tension in the stands.
 

Post-match interview

Reporter: Congratulations. It looked like an easy win for your team.

Me: Those matches are never easy. There’s a lot of pressure on the players in games like that. The same goes for managers — a defeat can put a huge amount of pressure on the losing coach. I suppose in my case it wouldn’t be such a big problem, as I recently turned down a move to Reading.

Nevertheless, we played well today. Raimondo is a great addition to the squad; he’s not only here to score goals but also to provide assists. The same goes for Finn — that boy is outstanding. Both of them perform so well in these important matches.

Reporter: Yes, fair point. Your team is blending well, and you can really see that chemistry on the pitch. What do you think about the extra security presence? The police were here to keep order.

Me: The Gillingham fans seem much quieter now than they were last season when we played them in the cup. I guess they’ve learned their lesson. Honestly, these days they look more like a circus and clowns than us.

Reporter: Those are very strong words. You could be penalized by the EFL for saying that.

Me: I’ve only spoken the truth. That’s what happened last year, and I don’t recall their club being fined, so I hope I’ll get away with it.

Reporter: We’ll see. Thank you for the interview.

Me: Thank you.

Reporter: Congratulations! Your team not only won, but you scored twice.

Finn: Yes, we were on fire today.

Reporter: The team seems in great spirits now. Do you think you might get promoted this year?

Finn: We just want to win every match. That’s our focus for now — it’s too early to be talking about promotion. Surprisingly, we’re playing very well this season. We thought it would take longer to adapt and compete at this level, but the coach replaced the outgoing players with new ones who have really lived up to expectations.

Reporter: You must be pleased with the coach. He said you are like a son to him — is that true?

Finn: Yes, we have a good relationship. I got offers from clubs in higher divisions, but he convinced me it wouldn’t be a good decision. I trust him, just like he trusts me to give me a chance. Two seasons ago I was playing in the Conference South, and now we’re two leagues higher.

Reporter: Yes, you’re right. At this rate, both of you might become legends for Dover. Please also pass on my congratulations to Antonio for winning the Player of the Match award.

Finn: I will, yes. He’s learning the language quickly, so next time you might be able to tell him yourself.

Reporter: Well done once again.

Finn: Thanks.
 

Cole Brannigan go injured and will be out for couple days.
 

The next match was at home against Brighton U21 in the EFL Trophy. They had Webster and Dunk playing for them, so with all their experience at the back, it was hard to create chances. We managed to score in the 30th minute, which was great, but unfortunately we conceded in the 87th minute, and the game went to penalties. I was a bit angry, as I felt we didn’t deserve that. I spoke to the lads before the shootout to make sure they stayed motivated. I know we probably won’t win this cup, but it would have been nice to get a bit of extra cash. 
And they did. We won 5-3. 

Goal highlights 

The month ended with our compliance with Fair Play regulation. The board ale also pleased with our form and squad dynamics is very good to. We are doing better than expected and it looks like promotion is in our reach. But December is usually known for form issue but I hope I can overcome the mid season slump.

Living on the boat during winter was too dangerous because of the storms coming our way. I hadn’t mentioned this before, but a couple of months earlier I bought a piece of land in the countryside near Dover.
 

I didn’t want to build a concrete house, because a football manager’s job is full of surprises, and in case of a sacking I wanted something flexible. So I bought a few shipping containers and converted them into a small house. There are plenty of them around Dover, and since I’m well known here, I got them for free. I like my privacy, so I chose land near the forest.

I didn’t have much time to settle in, because we had to play Marine in the FA Cup. They are a lower-league club, so we were expected to win. It turned out to be an easy 3–0 victory. We earned some cash by progressing to the next round, which is always good to hear.

Then we played a home match against Exeter and won 3–0 again. 

After that came another win against AFC Wimbledon, 2–0, 

followed by a 3–1 victory against Harrogate. 

That match marked our 30th unbeaten home game. We were in great form, with no sign of a mid-season slump.

Our next match was away at Boston United, and we won that one too, 3–1 — although it wasn’t as easy as it looks. They scored first in the 26th minute, and we didn’t create many chances to get back into the game.

I decided to wait until half-time so I could talk to the players and address the issues. I made the call to switch to the Grumpy Dwarf tactics, and it turned out to be the right decision. We scored in the 62nd and 77th minutes, 

then added another in the 88th to seal the win.

Before sending the players off for a few days with their families for Christmas, we travelled to Walsall on the 21st. They were 5th in the league, so I expected a tough challenge. We struggled to break down their defense, but after switching to D-Day tactics we finally scored on 78 minute through Kamara. Unfortunately, we then conceded a penalty.
 

I wanted the players to push for a win, so I changed the mentality to very attacking — and it backfired. They scored in from corner in the 94th minute. It was our first defeat of the season. Hard to take, especially because we were the better team, but these things happen. We will bounce back.

Goal highlights 

Happy Christmas to you from Dover FC and the manager. 

The team returned to training on the 28th, as we had a match on the 29th of December against Northampton. I was slightly concerned that, after so many days off, the players might become complacent. 

I was wrong. We won 4–0, and there was no drama at all — we were by far the better team. Northampton managed just one shot on target the entire match.

The month ended with the financial summary, and unfortunately we are spending more than we are earning, which is not good news. On the positive side, squad cohesion and the dressing-room atmosphere are very good.

We couldn’t celebrate New Year too much as we had a match on the 1st against Tranmere. I thought the players might have a bit of a hangover, but once again they proved me wrong. We secured another 3–0 home victory, and just like the previous match, the opposition only managed one shot on our goal.

On the 4th of January, it was time to face Southampton in the Vertu Trophy — yes, that Southampton, the best team in League One. They have some very strong players such as Harry Gray, Eli Junior Kroupi, and Aaron Ramsdale. I was hoping they might use more of a second team.

I decided to use the Grumpy Dwarf tactic. The match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes, so it went to penalties. This time we were unlucky and lost 5–3. I don’t think we played badly — it was an average performance from both sides — but penalties are always a lottery, and this time our luck ran out.

We had to move on quickly as we had another cup match, this time we travel to Stoke to play them in the FA Cup. They are in 5th position in Championship. Once again, I chose the Grumpy Dwarf tactic. The start was poor as we conceded in the 6th minute. As mentioned before, I don’t panic unless we concede a second goal.
 

I kept things as they were, and we equalized in the 10th minute before taking the lead in the 19th thanks to Raimondo.

Things were looking good until the 47th minute when Stoke scored an equalizer. However, Raimondo was in top form that day and scored again in the 52nd minute to make it 3–2.

At that point, I decided it was time to make changes and brought Emenalo on for Enriquez. I also adjusted some instructions late in the game, and in the 87th minute. We managed to see it out and secure the win.

Stoke had much more possession, but that was expected as we were the underdogs playing against a Championship side.

Winning was great, but the 126k prize money was even better news.

I have decided not to extend Cian Dillon’s contract. It didn’t take long for Galway United to make an offer, and he will be joining them on a free transfer at the end of the season.

On the 12th of January, Sunderland made another offer for Finn—this time 300k—which I considered a joke. I rejected the offer, but I knew this was far from over. 

On 12 January, we played at home against Southend and secured a 1–0 victory. At this stage, it’s not about high-scoring games — it’s about picking up points. 

Unfortunately, there was some bad news as Finn twisted his ankle during the match and will be out for 2–3 weeks.

Before our next game, I asked Jim to improve youth recruitment. Our recent youth intake was quite poor, so we need to make sure the next one is better. Luckily, he agreed.

We then played another home match against Rotherham and won 2–0. A good win and more points on the board.

On the same day, we received an offer for Jacob Slater from Shelbourne in Ireland, which I happily accepted as he is not part of my plans for next season. We sold him for 125k — a good deal.

I also decided to loan out Tayo Singer, as he wasn’t playing much. He will spend the rest of the season at Chesham United.

Then Sunderland came back with another offer for Finn, this time 450k. I rejected it, which left Finn a bit upset. I had to speak to him again and managed to convince him that staying was the better option for his development — though I’m not convinced this is the end of it.

We were finally back on the pitch away at Swindon. After hammering them 7–0 last time, it clearly wasn’t luck as we thrashed them 5–0 once again. 

We now have 81 points, sitting 22 points clear of second-placed Blackpool. I don’t think we’ll let this slip. At the very least, we should secure promotion — if not the league title — but we’ll see.

Next, we picked up another three points with a 2–1 win over Notts County after coming from behind. They scored in the 7th minute, and we equalized in the 27th. Breaking them down was difficult as they defended very compactly. I played most of the second half with D-Day tactics, but in the final 10 minutes I went very attacking. It paid off — Raimondo scored the winner in the 94th minute.

We then beat Cambridge United 1–0.

This is what I mean by effectiveness over perfection. This is why I collect points instead of chasing records or stats. Records might come in the process, but they don’t matter — progress does.

As I mentioned at the start of the season, some of the players I signed have very low release clauses, which I planned to remove once we had more cash. Unfortunately, London Emenalo is not interested in extending his contract at the moment. I also tried to offer Finn a new deal to help him forget about Sunderland, but he doesn’t want to sign either.

As always, at the beginning of the month we received the financial summary. This time, our income was higher than our expenditure. That said, it’s only temporary, as most of the extra cash came from cup matches and selling players. 

I also received another Manager of the Month award, which wasn’t really a surprise considering how well we’ve been performing for most of the season. Overall, things are very positive right now.

The only situation that’s starting to annoy me is Finn’s. The fact that he doesn’t want to sign a new contract is making other teams more interested. This time we received an offer from Wolves of 625k. If we are forced to sell him, I’ll need a lot more than that.

I’ve also been looking for reinforcements, mainly because most of my defenders will be returning to their parent clubs. Because of that, I decided to sign Tyler Fredricson. I currently see him as a fringe player, but I’m planning to use him much more. He’s a decent defender and can also play as a defensive midfielder. Ideally, I’d like my defenders to be a bit taller for better heading ability, but no one else suitable was interested.

On the 5th of February, we played Crawley Town at home. Once again, we conceded first — this time in the 9th minute — but Maher equalised in the 36th minute. I kept things as they were and continued with the base RAF 3-0-3 tactic. Raimondo has scored in 50 minutes and we were winning 2-1.

In the 65th minute, I switched passing to standard and added more encouragement to dribble. This change resulted in three more goals. They scored once more themselves, but the final score was a comfortable 5–2.

We then travelled to Huddersfield. Last time it had been a tough match that we eventually won 3–2, but this time it was much easier — a convincing 5–1 victory, even though we missed a penalty.

That win secured our place in the playoffs, with us sitting 25 points clear at the top. 

It was a great platform going into our next FA Cup match against Brentford. They’re at the bottom of the Premier League. The match was televised, so we needed to prove that we deserved to be there.

They usually play a 5-2-1-2 DM AM, so I choose the balanced RAF 3-0-3 tactic. However, they changed formation for this match to the same 4-2-3-1 as us.

We scored in the 13th minute thanks to Scanlon, and neither team created many chances after that. In the second half, I switched to standard passing and tempo, turned off counter-attacking, and instructed the team to waste time occasionally. This helped us control the game while maintaining our lead.

In the 83rd minute, I told them to waste time much more often. It worked — we went through with a 1–0 win. Not pretty, but very effective.

We received another 144k in prize money, which is exactly what I want from the cup. It’s unlikely we’ll win it, but the extra cash is hugely important.
 

After that, we travelled to Bristol and won again, 1–0. That result was massive, as it confirmed our promotion once more — a hat-trick of promotions.

It was an away match, but the fans couldn’t stop singing last season’s chant.” 

WHO’S GOING UP?
DOVER!
WHY WE GOING UP?
COACH A MAGICIAN — GAME OVER!
First time League One, yeah we made that move,
Not finished yet, nah, we coming for more!
Hands in the air, let the whole place roar:
DO-VER! DO-VER!
WE! WANT! MORE! 

Goal highlights 

The post-match celebrations continued throughout the journey back to Dover. I hope this promotion will give the players a fresh perspective and encourage them to extend their stay in Dover. 

It was only the 19th of February, and we already knew we were going up. Jim splashed some cash by setting the new budget for next season, and just two days later he increased the number of coaches as well. This was also good news, as we could reduce the training load during the sessions.

The promotion parade will be held after the season ends so it won’t disrupt work at the club. The players were in great spirits, but they still wanted to prove a point — that we could win three consecutive league titles. We only needed a couple more points, depending on the other teams’ results. 

Firstly, we played Newport County at home and won 3–0. It was a comfortable victory. They had just one shot on target, while we had ten.

Then we were at home again, this time against Doncaster. We knew that a win would crown us champions, so I didn’t even need to remind the players how important the match was.

It took only eight minutes to open the scoring, thanks to a brilliant move between Maher and Raimondo. Three more goals followed and we won 4–0.

BOYS AND GIRLS — WE ARE CHAMPIONS AGAIN.
 

The place was bouncing. The trophy presentation took place straight after the match, and the players were singing with the supporters. Another day to remember. Once again, we made the national news.

Reporter: Good afternoon. Congratulations — you’ve done it again.
Me: Good afternoon. It seems I haven’t run out of magic just yet.
Reporter: Your team has only lost one match so far. We’ve never seen anything like that before. What’s your secret?
Me: I don’t really have one. It’s simply hard work and the ability to motivate the players to give everything for the club. I enjoy working with young players who are eager to prove people wrong. Most of them were never given a proper chance, but I showed faith in them and they’ve repaid it.
Reporter: We could see the desire on the pitch, especially in the cup matches against sides from higher divisions. What happens now — do you have a plan?
Me: I tend to adapt quickly to new situations, so I’m already making adjustments. I’m looking at a few new players, but so far none are seriously considering joining us. I’m also working on extending some contracts, but I don’t want to discuss details until everything is finalised.
Reporter: Are you planning to bring in more experienced players?
Me: Not particularly. It’s not that I don’t value experience — it’s just that experienced players can sometimes be harder to convince to try something new. Occasionally they feel that because they’ve worked under bigger managers, they don’t need to listen to me.
I’m learning all the time, and even if I come across as confident, it doesn’t mean I don’t value advice. I do — I just don’t always agree. That’s perfectly normal. Younger players can be easier to influence, which can make certain things simpler.
Reporter: Fair enough. Are you planning to give the players a few days off?
Me: Maybe a day. We’re still playing matches, so we can’t celebrate too much yet. The real celebrations will have to wait until the season ends. I don’t want the players’ standards to drop. I want to win every match — it doesn’t matter that promotion is already secured.
Reporter: Have you spoken to Jim?
Me: You can’t really speak to him at the moment — he’s been swept away by it all. He never expected to see his club flying so high. I suppose he made the right decision in appointing me.
Reporter: Has he given you a budget for next season? Will it be enough, especially with some players only here on loan?
Me: I think it should be enough. We may have to sell a few players — not necessarily by choice, but some release
clauses make them very attractive to other clubs. I’ll also be looking at free agents again. There are plenty of players out there looking for a second chance.

Reporter: I imagine you want to get back to the dressing room to celebrate, so once again — congratulations.
Me: Thank you very much.

The financial summary for the season shows we’re on the right track.

I also picked up another Manager of the Month award.

On 1 April, it was time to get back on the pitch and we scraped a win against Exeter. We didn’t play badly — our finishing just wasn’t quite there. I suspect a few of the players hadn’t fully recovered from the celebrations, so I wasn’t too harsh on them. We got the three points, and that’s what matters.

Goal highlights 

Our next opponents in the FA Cup were the “famous” Spurs. Unfortunately for us, they are in top form this season, sitting second in the league.

They were far too good for us to realistically expect to progress, so I told the players we were going there with no pressure — just to enjoy the occasion. It was a great experience for the squad, and hopefully one day we’ll have a stadium of that quality ourselves.

They picked quite a strong starting eleven, so when I looked at the team sheet I knew we had to focus on defending first. I chose the Grumpy Dwarf tactics with a balanced mentality.

It didn’t work this time. After 12 minutes we were already 2–0 down, and they added a third in the 38th minute. The tie was effectively over — it was just a question of whether we could at least score a goal. Sadly, we couldn’t. It just wasn’t our day. I tried to make changes and even introduced the D-Day tactics, but they were simply too good for us.

Next, we travelled to York and managed to grind out a 1–0 win. It looks like the players have had some finishing issues in recent matches, but I’m hopeful we’ll sort that out soon.

Then we were at home to Barrow. We couldn’t break them down until the 76th minute, and eventually added a second in the 90th to win 2–0.

That made it 40 unbeaten home matches.

We had to play a couple of games without Maher and Scanlon as they were away on international duty, but it wasn’t a problem against Blackpool away — we beat the second-placed side 4–0. That only proves how strong we are this season.

Then came another home match. We don’t usually lose at home, and it was another win — 3–1 against Barnet.

Goal highlights:

Now it is time for some off-field news — it’s been a busy period.

Firstly, I decided to sign some coaches before Jim changed his mind. I didn’t mention earlier that he decided not to introduce the U21 team after we had agreed on it. I signed three U18 coaches, two first-team coaches, and appointed Simon Mignolet as Head of Youth Development.
 

I also sold Sam Rak-Sakyi to Kwara United for 215k. He was unhappy about his lack of playing time, so it was an easy decision. He’s not a bad player, but he isn’t developing as we’d hoped.

London Emenalo and Alex Campos both signed contract extensions. That was very good news, as they each had £235k release clauses and would have been easy targets for rival clubs.

Jim also agreed that our training facilities need upgrading, and the work is scheduled to be completed by September.

On 14th April we played a home match against Gillingham. They were fighting for a playoff spot, and since they’re our rivals, we wanted to remind them where they belong — in League Two.

I used the RAF formation with a positive mentality because it was a home match, and we wanted to dominate from the start.

There were only a few away fans. They knew Dover would remember the circus insults, and since we are champions, we proved them wrong once again.

We scored in the 25th minute and controlled the game for most of the match. But the fans weren’t happy with just one goal, so I decided to make some changes. We scored again in the 71st, 78th, and 85th minutes — but that still wasn’t enough. The players kept pushing until the very end, and Raimondo grabbed the fifth goal from penalty spot.

I wasn’t expecting such a big result, but I was more than happy to take it. I decided not to attend the press conference — I usually get carried away in those kinds of matches, and I didn’t want to pay another fine. Jimmy was happy to step in. Instead, I celebrated with the players in the dressing room.

We still had three matches left to finish the season.

First, we travelled to Wimbledon and beat them 5–0.

Then we scored three more against Chesterfield. It looked like we had found our rhythm again.

The final match was against Harrogate Town, and we won 1–0. I think the players already had the end-of-season parade on their minds, which was taking place the next day.

We finished the season with 129 points — 42 wins, 3 draws, and just 1 loss. Almost invincible. And who cares? We were supposed to be mid-table, not sitting at the top.

The joy on the faces of the people — and ours — was incredible. We did it again.

We went out to celebrate with the fans. The players are all over 18 now, so drinking was allowed — but we kept it private.
 

After a few drinks, I received a message from Gary Neville congratulating us. I replied saying he should join us so we could all celebrate together. Then I added, “See you next season,” since his team didn’t get promoted again.

He didn’t reply — but I’d love to see his face. I bet he looked as grumpy as I did back in the old days.
 

Goal highlights: 

The season is over and we did much better than expected. We have only lost one match and drew three; we collected 129 points. 

Fixture https://fmshots.com/image/w69eTc

Our youth intake is decent, but the prospects have average potential ability, so I don’t think any of them will match Finn Maher’s ability.

I won the April Manager of the Month as well as the Manager of the Year award.

Owen Dodgson won League Two Player of the Season and Finn Maher won League Two Young Player of the Season.

Here are some stats:

We have been the best team at scoring and defending. 
The reason why Breeze didn’t win Best Goalkeeper of the Year was due to the rotation I introduced.

When it comes to goals from corners, it is really hard to predict. I have scored some, then none in the next couple of matches. It sometimes looks like the better the familiarity, the worse the execution. So I make small tweaks occasionally, but execution varies depending on the players in the match-day squad. 

Eventually, Finn forgot about not joining Sunderland and signed a new contract.

Finances

Our sponsorship income is one of the worst in the league. I will elaborate more on this aspect as it is quite an important factor for next season.

Preston, Luton and Millwall are relegated to League One, so they will be our opponents.

One more funny fact is that the 25-year-old Bradley Griffin is going to retire by the end of the season. He was our Performance Analyst.

 Thank you.