The much-welcomed appointment of Daryl McMahon last January signalled a change of direction from the club's hierarchy. We put our faith in youth rather than experience and it initially heralded a gradual upturn in form which, it was hoped, would lay the foundations of a long and ultimately successful managerial reign, based on the principles he managed to instil into the club within mere weeks of his arrival. Our performances between his appointment and the season's eventual curtailment in mid-March were largely characterised by intensity, energy and decent fitness levels, a defining aspect of McMahon's self-proclaimed blueprint that he had also reportedly imprinted on his Ebbsfleet and Macclesfield sides. The signs were promising; we seemed to have an identity and a clear way of playing that was implemented irrespective of whether we were facing the champions elect or relegation fodder. It was of stark contrast to the flat, passive and pessimistic tactics deployed by his predecessor. McMahon now had several months to collate a squad capable of sustaining a play-off push, a squad he could carefully fill with players that would suit his system. Another healthy budget was granted to enable him to do this, something that should've put the Daggers at more of an advantage than ever before given the comparative financial situations of their competitors, many of whom had been financially decimated by the consequences of Coronavirus. It was a big opportunity for the Daggers. But, once again, it is going so, so wrong. Hurtling towards the half-way point of the season, this new era is beginning to bear unsightly resemblance to the last one. A fragmented and largely dysfunctional Dagenham side remain slumped in the now customary position of lower mid-table, being outperformed in every department by teams fashioned with a fraction of the budget we have the luxury of. It's a theme that has persisted for three years now and there is little indication of that changing. For all the Americans have invested into the club since their emergence in September 2018, the magnitude and importance of which is recognised by everybody, we've only broken into the top half on brief and rare occasions, a fact which epitomises the indisputable truth that Dagenham's performances on the pitch are wholly disproportionate to the backing that is being supplied. That history appears to be repeating itself again is far from coincidence, but rather alludes to an ingrained, deep-rooted issue. However, with a manager whose appointment was supported by an overwhelming majority of the fanbase, and summer recruitment that didn't seem particularly poor at surface level, it's difficult to fully comprehend why. There are, however, a number of statistics that paint a concerning picture. That we've got through nearly 30 players and had three different club captains just four months into the season, for example, is neither a typical signifier of success nor something that sounds particularly healthy. Mo Sagaf is the latest addition to a bulky squad and, though he seems a reasonable recruit, it's our seventh since the beginning of the campaign which once again calls our initial summer transfer business into question. Indeed, the majority of McMahon's signings have been fairly underwhelming, dating way back to his first, Gabriel Zakuani, over a year ago. Countless new faces have arrived since then and only a select few have been particularly successful. Team news is increasingly unpredictable; to the untrained eye our strategy appears to have been reduced to stockpiling players and hoping that eleven of them eventually click. There is undoubtedly quality in the side, of that there is no doubt, but it was only truly unleashed this season with the presence of the legend that is Abu Ogogo. He returned to parent club Bristol Rovers in the new year and so too did all the cohesion and fluidity within the team.
So what is the solution? A growing number of supporters have lost faith with the manager, yet a second sacking in just over a year is far from a desirable outcome for the club. Moreover, that process would likely entail another man having to overhaul the squad with a healthy budget, and no guarantee that it would be more any more successful than our current pursuit. As much as the stop-start nature of the season is not conducive with consistency, that cannot excuse our current lowly position. Improvements need to be made quickly. I hope McMahon gets it right, as we all do, but if there's one thing our supporters have become frustratingly adept at, it's recognising when a season appears to be stagnating into depressing nothingness.
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WRITERArchives
January 2024
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