TT INTERVIEW

Lee answers questions about his team Dover Athletic

PRE-SEASON

Pre-season has been eventful to say the least, mainly due to the well documented off field events around signings but focusing on the on-field activity, it’s gone relatively ok. We lost at home to strong EFL opposition. Heavily to Gillingham (0-4) & narrowly to Crawley Town (1-2). After a very poor defeat at Home to Enfield FC (0-2) who are 2 divisions below us, results picked up with a win over local rivals Folkestone Invicta (2-1), away success at Deal Town (5-3) and most recently victory over Ashford United (4-2).

EXPECTATIONS FOR 23/24

If you’d have asked me 3-4 weeks ago I’d have struggled to see us finishing above 24th. No squad and the few signings that had joined us, appeared to have not actually signed and moved onto other clubs before even kicking a ball for us!

However we have recruited players in recent weeks and now have a squad assembled. Based on the last few Pre-season games, we’ve won them and have scored goals which is a positive. However, these have all been against lower level opposition, so the real test will be against yourselves (Torquay Utd) come Saturday.

KEY PLAYERS

It’s difficult to say when, once again, we have had to assemble a completely new squad from scratch and have only seen the new players play a a couple of times or so. However, midfielder James Dunne comes in with plenty of EFL & National League experience. Joshua Anifowose has impressed in pre-season, as has Imran Kayani. The attackers need to be key this season as we only scored 42 League goals last season. The lowest of all 24 clubs in the division which so very very nearly cost us.

THE MANAGER

Mitch Brundle is one of the country’s youngest managers at just 28. He is currently in his second spell at Dover having played for us for two seasons between 2017-2019. Mitch returned last year as Player/Assistant Manager to Andy Hessenthaler. Following Hessenthaler’s departure to Gillingham in January of this year, Brundle was appointed Caretaker Manager before taking the reins on a permanent basis shortly after.

I loved Mitch as a player for us. As a manager it’s difficult to really say at the moment. He’s working on a limited budget and, of course is still very young & inexperienced in terms of being a Football Manager. We very nearly slipped out of the division on the final day of last season when we should never have found ourselves in such position. We also lost to some of the poorest teams in the League too which raised questions over whether he was right for the job.

This season, however, the squad that has been assembled is his own, so this will indicate whether he has got it right or not. I remain hopeful and really want him to do well, and wish him luck in doing so.

POSSIBLE LINE-UP

Even when answering these questions this week and since our last friendly with Ashford last Saturday, we’ve since added another 3 new players so I’m not sure what our starting XI will look like but my rough XI would look something like this…

Billy Terrell, Fuad Sesay, Peter Osimen, Charlie Naylor, Michael Olarewaju, James Dunne, Joshua Anifowose, Nick Dembele, Imran Kayani, George Wilkinson, George Nikaj.

REASONS FOR THE RECENT DOWNFALL

In a nutshell, covid & the pandemic. We spent 8 seasons competing with the big guns at National League level and finished 8th/5th/6th/8th/14th/11th before Covid hit and we ended up 23rd (Bottom) in 2021/2022 after being hit with a -12 point deduction and an unwarranted £40,000 fine for opting to furlough players and curtail our season rather than saddle the club with debts and face liquidation. Something the National League did not help or protect us over and didn’t agree with, which was incredible to say the least.

FOOD AND DRINKS

Crabble is out of town in the ‘River’ area of Dover so facilities immediately around the ground are limited to The Cricketers pub or The Royal Oak a 10 minute walk from the ground.

I would encourage the Real Ale and/or Craft Beer drinkers to visit The Hoptimist Taproom (just off the Market Square in town and a 10 minute walk from Dover Priory Station). The Staggered Inn (up the High Street and on the way towards the ground) is another highly recommended Micro Pub, followed by The Breakwater Taproom & Pizzeria (which is also en route towards the ground) and has a variety of beverages on offer as well as fresh pizzas made on site.

PREDICTION

Saturday is the real test and is when the serious stuff begins! Having the League favourites first game isn’t ideal but we’re at home and it may be the best time for us to play you. It’s your first game back down at this level and I’m sure the Gulls did not want to find themselves back at this level after so narrowly missing out on promotion back to the EFL just 2 years ago. I’m sure you’ll be keen to start well and bounce back up at the first attempt. It is a game that could go either way really but with the acquisition of Bradley Ash from Weymouth whilst keeping hold of Aaron Jarvis up top, along with the experience of Dean Moxey in defence, I just think you’ll have a bit too much for us.

Dover Athletic 1-2 Torquay Utd