'Never too high with the highs, never too low with the lows.'
It's one of the phrases we've heard countless times from our old friend Mr John Still, usually in an attempt to soften the blow of a particularly disappointing defeat. Although it's clearly a strategy of self-preservation, he's got a point, in that a solitary result or mini run of form shouldn't characterise a manager or season, nor should there be disproportionately exaggerated reactions to either a win or defeat if you're going to dramatically fluctuate to the other extreme soon after. With that in mind, take our last couple of fixtures against Bromley then Havant & Waterlooville where we followed up our biggest win of the season with it's worst defeat, in the space of just three days. It's true that the mindset towards the team did change somewhat rapidly but rather than that being an example of hypocrisy or 'short memories', I believe it was merely two contextually appropriate reactions to what was two astonishing contrasts in performance. The Havant display was so pathetic that the enforced two-week break that followed it felt like an absolute blessing. The convincing victory against Bromley just 72 hours earlier made it all the more puzzling and while the shambolic showing three days later shouldn't discredit how pleasing we were against the Ravens, doesn't make it justifiable either. Most importantly, though, the manner in which we were brushed aside by one of the division's worst teams epitomised the Peter Taylor era so far. We're currently 15th in the league table, which nobody would've anticipated when we were frankly doomed midway through October. In that respect, it's been a fantastic accomplishment and we've not only achieved pre-season target, but completely surpassed it. However, would we have done that with the squad we started the season with? Absolutely not. We suffered from a lot of misfortune, but make no mistake that team would struggle to make the National League South play-offs. Now, though, it seems appropriate to consistently refer back to August and September. It's important to remember that time period as a not-so-fond reminder of how things can be, but to judge our current squad with that squad is complete madness - it's like comparing two different teams, differing conversely in relation to budget and quality, by exactly the same terms. Infact that's exactly what it is, because only two players who featured in August are regular starters now. Other justifications of keeping Peter Taylor are his status, contacts and the need for stability, all factors that are purely hypothetical and not backed up my much substance. That he managed England once around twenty years ago hasn't made us play any better this season, nor did his contacts bring in any world-beaters during pre-season. Signings like the unearthing of Whitely and Robson three years ago wouldn't have been impossible in our situation but instead we assembled a squad that was very limited, admittedly with many restrictions. I won't use Solihull and Macclesfield because they're not the norm, but it's possible to do well with a budget that's lower than the average of that division, much like Braintree under Cowley and Dover for several years. Taylor wants the best for the team, of that there's no doubt at all, but he makes decisions that, to the watching supporter, seem to hinder more than they help. The way we approach certain winnable games, Maidenhead and Havant for example, with five at the back and three defensive-minded central midfielders, is absolutely baffling, especially when one of our most creative players in Jack Munns sits on the bench. Munns isn't unbelievably good, he's had many off-days, but it's clear to see that our chances of winning games are bolstered with his inclusion. He's the centre-piece between defence and attack; when he doesn't play there's so often a divide between the two areas. We've only lost three games that he's started and they were all against teams in the play-off mix or above. By contrast, someone like Will Wright plays considerably more and yet we've only won twice when he's been playing. The general consensus is that Munns is easily our best midfielder, and yet it's almost inevitable that he'll randomly vanish from the entire squad once a month. That's a familiar theme. Someone like Tomi Adeloye will have a sustained run of six or seven games, then disappear from sight for three months then all of a sudden re-appear and go straight into the lineup, not even the bench. This has happened to Hoyte, Reynolds, Phipps and many others - it can't be great for morale or confidence. A player can be a mainstay for weeks and is then treated like they don't even exist - no wonder Lamar Reynolds, for example, struggles for form and consistency. Now onto his mindset. We were told about his overly-defensive nature but I never expected to see us leaving players back in the last minute at Wrexham, with us losing the game 1-0. What were we protecting? Seriously, even if it means getting caught on the counter and losing by two or even three, I'd rather that happened than us not taking risks and leaving everything we had on that Racecourse pitch. So the Daggers board have a lot to think about in the summer, and it seems as if Taylor will stay given how highly the Americans think of him. In that case, so be it, I'd love to see him do well and maybe it is a little bit unfair to judge him on a season that admittedly has been turbulent. Next season there will be more stability and he probably does deserve the chance to build a team completely of his own making, with more freedom. However, my biggest fear is that we'll have a cautiously defensive manager leading a title charge, taking no risks and that the only change will be that he'll be shoehorning better players into a defensive formation. You can't just change your mindset. No title winners ever go to places for a point, and it's no coincidence that in the games we've done that this season, we've been well and truly punished for it. He's got it right on occasion this season, albeit that is in the minority, but for example at Salford his tactics were set up to perfection for a side that were going to play on the counter-attack. If you go to the likes of Maidenhead and Havant like that, though, it's a bit different. We have to get things perfect next season, and that means having the ideal manager to suit the team. There's no point keeping a manager just for the sake of stability unless that person is the best equipped to conform to the team's needs. If that is Peter Taylor, then I wish him the best of luck.
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January 2024
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