Dagenham & Redbridge are trapped in an inescapable cycle of constant false dawns interspersed among more frequent mediocrity, tumbling towards the same predictably depressing conclusion unless we finally sack the perennial failure who is perpetuating it. The man plagued by the same unaddressed problems as when he first set foot in the club amid a backdrop of wrongful hope three years ago, stating desires to improve a club culture he constantly dissociates from in terms of self-declared managerial properties, but has only served to worsen. Pound for pound, Peter Taylor extracted more from the team and that's really saying something, while we also suffered far fewer humblings like Daryl McMahon has. The odd one happens in football, but the frequency at which they do here alludes to deep-rooted problems. Following a now-customary collapse at home to Barnet in his first full season at the helm, he stated that the club has 'felt sorry for itself' in the two years preceding his arrival but he would not let that happen. After all, it supposedly contravened everything he stands for as a manager. Yet it has done so at intermittent periods ever since, each time eliciting a regurgitation of that same sentiment. Later on that very campaign, after a 3-1 defeat to a Notts County side reduced to ten men one of whom was a 5'10'' central midfielder in goal, McMahon pinpointed the embarrassing evening as indicative of how far we were away from challenging. We are no nearer now, a whole two years down the line. If anything, there have been more of those disastrous performances than ever before, with the Dorking Wanderers debacle probably the worst of them all and, even at a club which notoriously perseveres with managers beyond their shelf-life, it seemed a point of no return. However, it wasn't, so you have to wonder how bad things have to get before enough is finally enough. That he was even still in tenure at that stage was undeserved in itself, as the 5-0 defeat against Notts County a month earlier should have been the end. Cue more condemnatory comments questioning the character of the side, which by now had long lost their effect if ever there was any. Just when rock bottom is reached, though, we always manage to unearth an uplifting result from somewhere to convince ourselves that we have turned a corner after all. In this case, a stunning victory at Chesterfield, with the team looking comparatively transformed. You wonder whether he really has lost the dressing room like the previous match suggested. Then, either straight away or after a brief mini-spell if we're lucky, it is always back to square one. Always back to this. Which is where we find ourselves at the minute. Just three weeks ago, while winning against Bromley at half time, we were in the wonderful situation where another unanswered goal would have elevated us to fifth with games in hand. Four defeats from the next five outings later, the team have collapsed in a manner quite remarkable even by its own notorious standards of doing so. The latest, a midweek defeat to Eastleigh, feels significant not for being any worse than the others but in that it elicited another damning post-match assessment, the kind that might force players to buck up their ideas were it not the umpteenth time we've heard the like. The angle this time was that too many treat playing for Dagenham as simply a job instead of the passionate craft it should be, alluding to a lack of desire. Difficult to disagree with, except he has had a ludicrous amount of time to tailor this squad to his supposed vision by retaining and recruiting the personnel to suit, especially when you consider what the managers of Woking and Barnet have managed to achieve in a significantly reduced timeframe while on a lesser budget, not to mention Southend United whose staff aren't even being paid. There is absolutely zero excuse for us to be so far behind. When you look into our tactics, though, it's not hard to understand why we are. Formations are still continually tinkered in the hope of stumbling upon a solution that doesn't necessitate square pegs in round holes. Whichever he chooses will always hinge upon a soon 35-year-old in Myles Weston without whom there is no creativity whatsoever.
He's signed centre halves Manny Onariase and David Longe-King for actual money but both are being shown up by someone who has only played twenty career games there having been converted from another position. Meanwhile, our right-back is also our best option on the other side, plus our liveliest midfielder Mo Sagaf is either dropped or the first to be taken off. I could go on forever, but it's just a mess. So where to now? The play-offs aren't beyond reach however may as well be because we will suffer far too many of these before now and the season's end, though will win the odd game by virtue of individual ability to paper over the cracks and ultimately keep the manager clinging on some more. Therein lies the nature of the cycle. Here's retrospectively the most agonising part, though it doesn't feel so at the time despite most people knowing what is coming next: we will almost certainly find a result against Scunthorpe United or Aldershot Town in the next seven days, maybe even both - which, let's be honest, should be the case - but it won't be long before we're back here and the cycle repeats. Again. And again. And again. The famous definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong while travelling the country supporting the boys every week, but it's never felt more gruelling. With a sub-1000 home turnout midweek, others are clearly acting upon the same feeling.
5 Comments
Though the existential necessity to do so has been lessened by the financial status under which we have operated in recent years, Dagenham & Redbridge have always been a self-proclaimed 'selling club' whose ability to nurture unpolished gems into profitable assets further up the pyramid is worn as a metaphorical badge of honour. Supporting them therefore incurs the realisation that your favourite players will occasionally leave for bigger and better things.
Yet that never makes it any easier to digest. For, every time, the feeling hits like an all-consuming gut punch burning deep within. Whether recency bias or the devastating timing ahead of our busiest month when the need for points is strongest, this one seems to hurt that little bit more. There were no murmurings of in-form striker Josh Walker being prised away by an EFL club on Deadline Day then, under the cover of darkness, came the sudden notification that he was gone. As possibly the most technically gifted striker to grace Victoria Road in years with undeniably the highest ceiling of attainability among the squad, supporters knew that the Walker Wonderland in which they had been taken on countless pleasant strolls would not last forever but at the same time might have expected more than just six months of a three year contract signed only last summer. While ultimately not securing his services for anywhere near the full duration like hoped, it would be comforting if that deal at least necessitated a decent figure somewhat consummate to the quality we will be losing. Though being heavily fuelled on confidence brought some intermittent patchy droughts, when in form he reached borderline unplayable standards, cultivating a reputation as one of the division's most underrated finishers by clinically dispatching opportunities frequently engineered through his own blistering pace and silky footwork - a rare commodity that guarantees transferable goals across all environments hence the demand for his signature alluded to by ultimately-successful Burton Albion manager Dino Maamria - as well as service elsewhere. That he scored a repertoire of very different strikes across diverse areas further enhances the appeal: both feet, his head, tight angles, outside the box, instinctive rebounds, solo efforts and so much more.
From the very first one at Stockport County with what was his first involvement in play mere seconds upon coming off the bench for a magical debut cameo, that phenomenal moment transforming the day into one of the most memorable in ages, it was obvious we were onto something potentially very special. The sight of our new number seven firing home followed by tumbling over rows of stairs to get pitchside with the celebrating players, then upon turning around back towards the top of the away end we had the corner which Matt Robinson flicked home, is something I'll never forget in a hurry. Nor the chaos-inducing last minute winner to complete a first professional treble against former club Barnet of all teams earlier this season.
The technical standout was in the FA Cup second round against Gillingham not long ago, when he trapped a long ball with beautiful precision before sending a defender sprawling across the turf with an even better turn inside then supplying a finish to match underneath the keeper; a goal that few others in the division would have the attributes to execute, worthy of earning a lucrative tie against Premier League opposition but of course it didn't work out that way. More come to mind, like the beautifully-dispatched opener at Chesterfield, the solo run from his own half against Wealdstone, the thunderous strike outside the box at home to Dover Athletic. His highlights reel is very impressive, characterised by an aesthetic fluency, and will definitely leave a compelling impression on Burton Albion where his progress will be watched with pride, as the latest Dagger rising through the divisions. I'm sure our fanbase will be unanimous in wishing the very best of luck. We cannot dwell for too long on what is now the past, and must now look at where to go from here having lost the only player who has looked capable of scoring regularly since about November time. A huge void, but to foreshadow the derailment of our season might be slightly reactionary because the attacking personnel left in the building remains more than good enough to fire us to a top seven finish, as we will likely revert to the Junior Morias-Paul McCallum partnership that struck a cumulative 23 goals in the second half of last season to consequentially consign Walker to the bench for prolonged periods albeit both have looked comparatively unrecognisable for a worryingly long time now. Let's not forget the impending return of Ángelo Balanta either, a difference-maker whom we can hopefully begin to rely upon if - and a big if - he manages to get concurrent games under his belt without sustaining another injury. So it's not all doom and gloom, though we can't afford to wait too long for somebody to rediscover their predatory touch because a here-and-now goalscorer is needed. However, it wasn't ages ago that Walker went fifteen games scoreless yet the quality soon came to the fore again and we have to hope it is the same for the above-mentioned players, ideally from Saturday onwards at Wealdstone. How a victory would feel good after the week we've had.
2022 was the ultimate nearly year for Daryl McMahon's Daggers: one agonising point outside the targeted playoffs, devastatingly close to a lucrative FA Cup tie only to concede last minute goals in the initial match then replay, and mere seconds away from an extremely winnable Trophy semi final before giving away a clumsy last-kick penalty enroute to a heartbreaking shootout. The fine margins which went against us in all three instances constructs a narrative of extreme misfortune but in reality are all symptomatic of a tendency to capitulate just when the finishing line appears in the horizon - the common denominator being that we contrived to relinquish control over our destiny and consequently ended up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory either metaphorically or in a quite literal sense. So near, yet simultaneously so very far. Mentality, or more specifically lack thereof, is at the root of it all. Though eight months apart, those cup scenarios bore strong resemblance in that we had scarcely sustained any pressure in either game before suddenly becoming panicky at the very end. York was an explicit mistake as Yoan Zouma - all in all a fairly disastrous signing - clumsily tripped a player going away from goal when the final whistle was imminent. While unfortunate in the ensuing shootout, we still had a match point to win it but missed and crumbled in sudden death. With Gillingham more recently, it was a simple switch-off still unacceptable in the circumstances. Even in the replay, we again took the lead before being architects of our downfall by allowing two unchallenged headers from set-pieces before Harry Phipps went full self-destruct mode. Then, after somehow finding an equaliser from nowhere, we lost it from our own corner in the dying embers. Our play-off saga was a more sustained case study characterised by similar tendencies. We were obviously unlucky that Woking didn't beat a freefalling Chesterfield to make our stunning victory over Wrexham count for something on the final day, but that we were reliant upon other results in the first place told the story of a missed opportunity for which we could only blame ourselves, especially after failing to dispatch Torquay United or eventually-relegated King's Lynn Town at home in the fortnight prior. It's an irrefutable fact that those make-or-break situations in 2022 fall in the latter category but that's not to say there were not some incredible moments whatsoever, far from it. The Roots Hall episode of our triumphant Southend trilogy stands out as particularly special, even more so because they had only lost once before in the year...away at Dagenham & Redbridge in the Trophy. Another great one, incidentally, even though it ultimately alluded to that game against York at the quarter-final stage. The only performance more complete than the 3-0 win at Southend was our one by the same margin at home to Wrexham, in which we were simply phenomenal in every single department. Along with this season's victories against Solihull Moors and Chesterfield - remarkably our only ones on the road so far - it proves how we are undeniably capable of competing with the very best at this level so frustration at not fulfilling our obvious potential only intensifies as a result. That the latter of those came just three days after we were humiliatingly demolished at divisional newcomers Dorking Wanderers tells another story in itself. For we are not consistent enough, especially away from home as mentioned above. Averaging two points at Victoria Road yet less than half that elsewhere is a bizarre contrast that needs to be rectified even slightly if we are going to finally make the top seven this term. Eight from a possible 27 overall is utterly atrocious, though we admittedly haven't been on the road in the league since Solihull therefore it might be that we've already taken the necessary strides which will manifest in the new year, much like we stemmed the problem of conceding excessively in that timeframe. Indeed, Halifax is our only defeat in that capacity since the transformative turning point at Dorking so there are encouraging signs. Game management is another area of attention, as we seem to lack the ability to grind out a scrappy one-goal win without being reliant upon extreme fortune or a wonder-save from Justham, whereas the amount of times a streetwise opponent has eased over the line against us is endless. Even Maidstone on Boxing Day, which should have been straightforward, instead featured several nervy moments including a big chance at the very end. It was the same against Maidenhead at home, too, likewise Eastleigh and Gillingham, except they both scored. So often we end up conceding a late sucker-punch, often undeserved, due to simply being unable to hold our nerve - it all comes back to mentality. Consistency. An improvement in away form. Game management through an enhanced mentality, particularly when defending an especially slender lead. Those are the New Year's resolutions that have to be emphasised within the club as we approach a crucial January period that could prove hugely influential in determining where we eventually end up. Though easier said than done, even one of those factors could be the difference. Half-Term Review: Progressive improvement undermined by continual undercurrent of fragility19/12/2022 We're haven't quite reached the exact half-way stage of the season in terms of games played due to our progression in the FA Cup and the recent freezing conditions causing postponements that will consequentially create a backlog in the new year but, in the midst of our longest break between league fixtures all season spanning 23 days, it is nonetheless an opportune time to reflect upon where we are currently at. The first few months can be divided into distinct phases but the overriding assessment is: from the confounding residue of a confounding injury crisis emerged a transformed and re-energised Dagenham side, which redeemed yet far from excused an abject start that ought to have signified the end for Daryl McMahon, but we've slightly digressed since albeit aided by strong misfortune. We are still on a more positive trajectory than not, though, with pros superseding the cons. However, that we've only really succeeded in going from lower to higher mid-table without ever threatening the play-off places casts its own irrefutable aspersions over a campaign in which quality across a sustained period has been highly elusive, while admittedly not telling the whole story because we possess up to three games in hand on those above us. McMahon has always maintained that the only thing which matters is where you finish, yet we will have to improve our overall standards enormously in order to prevent another year of failure. Going back to the 1st October at Dorking, It is impressive that he somehow managed to restore us to a state of equilibrium from what was the lowest ebb in a turbulent managerial reign characterised by brief glimpses of promising brilliance interspersed within more frequent underachievement - passed off the pitch by part-time divisional newcomers for a 5-1 demolition that finally seemed to have eroded the infinite patience towards him. Worse still, it wasn't even their heaviest loss thus far, that unceremonious accolade being mercilessly inflicted in early-September by a Notts County outfit that were stratospheres ahead in every single department. Along with shipping four goals at Wrexham directly afterwards, it emphatically demonstrated how astonishingly far we were from the best at this level, compounding an underwhelming start in which other low points included conceding a last-minute equaliser at Eastleigh and handing a woeful Yeovil side their first triumph. There were some decent wins interspersed within, like back-to-back home wins against Altrincham then Barnet, but then came the Dorking debacle. As the atmosphere among supporters at that game escalated to embittered new levels of toxicity reflecting the disunity on the pitch, where visibly disinterested players had clearly stopped applying themselves fully if even at all, it was blatantly obvious that something had to give. Indeed, that miserable afternoon around a picturesque Surrey hillside would prove a turning point in a way nobody would have predicted because Daggers immediately embarked on a largely brilliant run of form, hoisting themselves from the proverbial abyss represented by one of the most embarrassing results in their recent history. An inquest-ridden three days later came a stunning ascent from that rock bottom pit as Chesterfield were sliced open 3-2 on their own patch having not long celebrated a club record start to a season, for Daggers' first away win no less. They had always been capable of unearthing an exceptional result from nowhere but this felt different, as it was such a compelling performance truly befitting a title contender let alone one struggling to get near the play-offs. Rather than merely a standalone one-off, this Derbyshire delight formed the foundation of what followed. That transformation in half a week underlined the erratic unpredictability of a team capable of freely fluctuating between extremes, who had now been dubbed one of the league's primary entertainers after a staggering forty goals featured in their seven games ending with that one at Chesterfield, yet that tag is only advantageous if it's merely a characteristic behind winning football rather than a partial saving grace from the opposite. Our next defeat, Halifax away, was nowhere near as disgraceful as the preceding example. In fact, showcasing commendable defiance instead of crumbling amid the almost impossible circumstances of suffering two severe injuries to important first team players inside the opening half an hour was somewhat encouraging in an unusual way. Their fate felt pre-determined after an astonishing eight consecutive losses at the Shay before the latest, and the bitter misfortune outlined above virtually confirmed it, but we went down fighting. Once again, the result would prompt an unlikely upturn thereafter. Through adversity, the team were galvanised. To go as far call McCallum's absence a blessing in disguise would be enormously disrespectful to a man who maintained an almost one-in-two record here, but the enforced front two of Josh Walker alongside Junior Morias undoubtedly made us more fluid. Similarly, unforeseen defensive solution Harry Phipps continued to bring the best out of Manny Onariase, so there was enhanced coherence to a previously disjointed side, which will serve us well going into the new year. However, pinning hopes on notoriously injury-prone players at either end of the pitch in Phipps and Walker respectively could be dangerous. Our next six matches in all competitions fuelled belief that we can kick on to pursuing the play-offs, as we registered four victories sandwiched inbetween two draws, among which a stunning victory at high-flying Solihull Moors. December, though, has conversely delivered two seismic blows - reverses to bottom-placed Torquay United then Gillingham in an FA Cup replay with a lucrative incentive, both unjust in many ways but signifying an untimely return of that all-familiar mental fragility. It leaves us positioned in the centre of the table ahead of the final league outing this calendar year, though ironically the very thing the team have lacked most is perhaps a middle ground, the ability to tick along nicely; we constantly seem to drastically change direction in unpredictable fashion. Successful sides at this level tend to regularly grind out unspectacular yet effective results through grit and, Scunthorpe (H) aside, I struggle to remember us demonstrating that quality so it's something we need to find within ourselves. After 20 Games: This Season v Last
Every BBC-televised FA Cup clash prior to the Third Round phase invariably elavates supporters to a praise-worthy pedestal for their immense dedication to their clubs whom it is often implied would not exist without it. The organisation strives to give them the publicity they deserve, conveying their regard for non league and those that devote their lives or at least a significant proportion to it.
Yet beyond that disingenuous facade lies the disillusioning truth that they will happily shaft these kind of people for their own minimal gain, as our fanbase will quite literally have to pay the price of. The midweek replay at Gillingham being needlessly scheduled in a bizarre Thursday evening slot has come at the expense of our longest trip of the season two days later, for which supporters have now lost considerable amounts amid the notoriously most expensive period of the year prior to Christmas. It's a disgraceful decision of logic-defying stupidity, motivated by sheer self-interest, that has a disastrous impact upon loyal supporters willing to navigate extreme lengths to follow their clubs, only to be treated with utter contempt as a result. After all, the appeal around lower league football hinges upon feeling valued in a refreshing contrast from the elite echelons where broadcasting considerations supersede those of fans.The worst thing is: it's been scheduled as such to have an exclusive spot without clashing with the World Cup on Tuesday but, without being self-deprecating to either ourselves or Gillingham, that's unlikely to make much difference whatsoever...so it's widespread inconvenience for very little gain from a BBC perspective. Certainly not proportionate to the disruption caused, anyway. Both clubs financially benefit to the tune of 30k, and us doing so from a decision that directly harms its supporters doesn't exactly sit right. However, we contractually have to comply under FA regulations so it's not fair to attribute any blame to Dagenham, who were never going to play two games within 36 hours at a mileage differential of 250 on top. This intensifies our fixture congestion, which is severe even without Oldham and now Gateshead being rearranged on Tuesday nights somewhere along the line. It ultimately means a heavier workload as we chase the play-offs, which is far from ideal for so many reasons.
Winning the replay will certainly soften the above-mentioned inconveniences, though, for we have the rarity of a Premier League opponent as an extremely lucrative incentive, namely the competition's winners the season before last in Leicester City no less. You have to delve back ages for the last time we had a top-flight team visit Victoria Road in a competitive capacity and it may be the same timeframe before we have the opportunity again, so we simply have to take advantage of this. A Premier League tie in round three is the desire of every non-league side - we could make it reality.
Knowing what we could have is a massive motivator but simultaneously could prove enormously painful if we now lose the replay, which doesn't even bear thinking about, especially when we were so close from progressing outright in the initial match. There was a dreaded feeling afterwards that we might have missed our chance, and seeing the reward we would have secured only intensifies the frustration of conceding that late equaliser against the run of play. However, that we were so dominant beforehand is a source of immense optimism - we have every reason to wholeheartedly believe that the quality in our squad can completely overwhelm Gillingham again. They're a poor side under enormous pressure, which we can exploit in the knowledge that a sloppy five minutes from them will surely reignite anger within a fanbase of growing toxicity. While still knowing what's at stake, we aren't risking any damage to reputation whereas Gills' woes would be compounded by losing to a non-league outfit so they have much more to lose. Our inferior status is no reason to harbour fear, though, as we've already seen that they're nothing special - infact arguably worse than most National League opponents we've faced this season. Whenever something promising has appeared in the horizon in recent history, we've had a tendency to scupper it: The FA Trophy capitulation against York, numerous wasted chances to take control of our play-off destiny. I just hope this isn't another, and we can dig deep into our innermost armoury of ferocious mental spirit to rise to the occasion. Whatever happens, let's leave everything on the pitch. Time to believe...COME ON DAGENHAM! |
WRITERArchives
January 2024
|