After a lengthly spell of gloom which saw the club fall from promotion challengers to relegation strugglers amongst crippling financial struggles, there finally appears to be hope; the investment we sought has finally arrived and it offers immense promise. As we all hope to reunite in this cause, hopefully that long ordeal triggered by the exit of Glyn Hopkin, will be consigned to the history books as a negative chapter which paved the way for more successful times.
Yesterday came some incredible and frankly inconceivable news which sounds too good to be true, but after what supporters have had to contend with recently, feels like a glorious reward. A consortium made up of wealthy Americans has bought the club. These include, amazingly, a minority shareholder in one of the biggest sporting franchises in the world, New York Yankees who also tried to buy Aston Villa for 75m, and ex-premier League great Tim Howard. It's all ridiculous, truth be told. No doubt our minds will wander to a period in our history, maybe in the non-too distant future, where we are flourishing under these new owners. However, today it's back to the gristle and grind of Vanarama National League football. Never will the absurdity of this situation be better illustrated than when our new owners worth billions, who have flown in for the game, see a non-league team continue to battle relegation infront of a crowd of around 1000 people. However, hopefully we can continue to impress them with the vibe around the club, which has been significantly raised over the last few weeks. An improved situation off the pitch has coincided with an equally rapid improvement on it, as we are unbeaten in September after previously picking up just a solitary point from seven games. A battling draw against Salford preceeded narrow victories over Braintree Town and Barrow. With no goals conceded in any of those games, there are signs of optimism. We've been playing well, and as soon as that first victory came, it's no surprise that the momentum carried us through to a second. Today we will have bundles of confidence, which will suit us playing against an under-pressure side. Martin Allen's Chesterfield have mirrored our form this season, but in a negative sense. The Daggers didn't win in their first seven before being unbeaten in their last three, while Chesterfield won their first three yet, despite looking strong candidates to mount a challenge for an instant EFL return, embarked on a woeful run which saw them winless in seven, including six straight defeats. They haven't scored in five. They will need to win, and failure to do so will almost certainly result in Martin Allen being sacked. In a desperate attempt to change their fortunes, they've taken advantage of the lack of Transfer Window in this division, dipping into the NL North to sign Tom Denton. The experienced and talismanic striker has been a torment to us in the past and, as well as posing a big threat, indicates the style of football his side have now reverted to. Another player capable of causing us trouble is Zavon Hines, a very familiar face. Zav played for us for a couple of seasons but a frustrating injury not only ended his spell with us, but overshadowed one season in which he was comfortably the best player in League Two. For a while, he was absolutely unplayable and you have to wonder where he could've been, were it not for various injuries and niggles. He will be a danger, but a defence with three consecutive clean sheets should approach him with confidence. While Chesterfield signed Denton, we were also busy in the transfer market since our last home game. We made a double swoop in Liam Bellamy and Jack Munns, both of which played midweek in a friendly at Canvey Island. They should be in contention today but Peter Taylor will be wary of changing for changing sake. We have a good formula, things are clicking, it would be unnecessary to change. They do, however, offer something to the team and eventually they will prove an asset I'm sure. Elsewhere, after his national side shipped ten goals in midweek, Alex Mcqueen returns to the team but probably won't displace Gavin Hoyte, who has seized the right-back space and made it his own. Another returning player is Noel Leighton, who will be fighting with Adeloye for a place alongside Romain, who is simply undroppable at the minute. Personally I feel he'll go with Adeloye, who is gradually getting better and better, but Leighton can also do a good job if needed. So a big game for the team, but I feel we can do this today. How long has it been since we've approached a game with this much confidence?There should be a real feelgood factor around Victoria Road today and, if the players absorb it, then there's every chance we'll be out of the relegation zone by 5pm today. Up the Dags!
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January 2024
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