A couple of months ago, where mid-table obscurity was a luxury that seemed to be an inevitable pathway for our increasingly-developing squad and there were even brief yet realistic murmurs of a potential run towards the play-offs, the future seemed to be bright at last. Most people expected us to calmly and assuredly negotiate the rest of our campaign with unspectacular nonchalance, but you tend to find that, at Dagenham & Redbridge, things never quite unfold as you would imagine. Instead, the title-winning form that saw us beat Salford City and Leyton Orient in consecutive days has been replaced with that befitting of a team destined for the drop. That good run, in the aftermath of the hysteria generated by the arrival of our new American owners and the instant cashflow they injected to the club, was sandwiched between two terrible sequences of form but seems to be enough to keep us up. We're so hard to predict. We've shown that we can match any team in the division, but on other occasions look like we could be dragged back into the relegation scrap again. As soon as our unbeaten sequence ended at home to Barnet at the end of December, we've plummeted to the complete other extreme. All of a sudden, we lack a cutting edge in attack and are just as shaky at the other end. It feels like August again. So, it begs the question of what truly is the identity of our current squad. Are we good enough to defeat all of the top teams, or was that just the momentum of the situation carrying us through? Are we a struggling team just good enough to survive but nothing more? Is it something in-between? I firmly believe that, in Balanta and Wilkinson, we have two of the best players in the league but recently we've seen just how average we are without that duo. When Havant & Waterlooville took the lead at Fylde on Tuesday, it took us to within three points of the relegation zone, and when you look at some of the teams we have to play before the end of the campaign, it's enough to suggest that there will be a lot of looking over our shoulders between now and then. Sutton United. Harrogate Town. AFC Fylde. Ebbsfleet United. Solihull Moors. All sides firmly embroiled in the play-off race. That's before you even consider some of the teams around us who we play. Maidenhead, Bromley, Dover, Chesterfield, Havant & Waterlooville, Braintree - all huge games. Taylor speaks about earning five more wins but when every side seems to either be battling at the top or fighting for their lives at the bottom, that tally appears to be quite a difficult target. That feeling is only heightened when you look at our recent form. Only four teams have started the calendar year worse; there's not been a single game where we've looked that convincing, and that includes the victory at Maidstone. So, therefore, it's absolutely imperative for us to collect three points this weekend. If we can get back to winning ways quickly, such has been the dramatic trajectory of our season that we could be spurred on to our best form again. On the other hand, though, every defeat adds more pressure and narrows the gap between us and the relegation zone. A loss this weekend only makes next weekend even more vital, and then things start to become overwhelming. Maybe we got into a comfort zone. Maybe we just weren't that good to begin with. Maybe it's just a blip. Whatever the reason for our steep decline in form, we must snap out of it quickly. Who better to play, therefore, than a tricky play-off chasing side who you've notoriously struggled against in the past. Sutton United wouldn't be our ideal opponent but in some ways, maybe it's better to play a tougher team because a win would work wonders for our confidence. Sutton United, in a word, are frustrating. They always resemble quite an average, unspectacular team who you're always capable of beating yet never manage to. They're experienced in how they operate and, like Gateshead who we saw last week, are very effective in what they do. Going 1-0 down spells disaster against Sutton because they are physically imposing and have all the skills to time-waste in an absolutely infuriating manner. No surprise then that all but one of their victories this season have been by a single-goal margin. It's important to recognise that they're also decent on the ball. You don't get to 6th in the league purely by intimidation and annoying antics. They're a good side and have had the measure of us over the last couple of years. The job Paul Doswell is doing, to consistently defy the club's size and budget by always fighting alongside the bigger sides, goes under the radar but is worthy of immense respect. They drew 0-0 with Barnet on Tuesday, where an injury crisis meant that two wingers were deployed at full-back. Although they ultimately kept a clean-sheet so obviously didn't struggle that much, if this is a problem that persists through to this weekend, then we have to look to exploit it. The way we play is usually with 3 centre-backs and central midfielders, which means Conor Wilkinson should be up against someone who isn't even a natural defender. He should be relishing that. On the topic of our formation and tactics, I hope to see Balanta return to the lineup this weekend as we've really missed him. Reports of him aggravating his injury are concerning because when Lamar Reynolds partners Wilko up top, he simply doesn't do the job Balanta does of holding the ball up and earning space for his strike partner. So often Wilkinson is isolated, which is why he was dropping so deep to win the ball last weekend. Hopefully Munns retains his place and McQueen plays further forward, where he can flourish. Phipps deserves a recall to the team, too, because he looked like a very good player when he featured for us last year and in Doug Loft I don't see someone that brings more to the team than Phipps does. With Peter Taylor, literally anybody could be in the lineup, maybe Justham is the only certainly. Whatever your opinion of him and his suitability to lead us next season (personally I'm undecided), it's time to continue backing him and the players. We can only do so much and now it's over to the boys.
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On another day, one of our countless big opportunities would go in and we'd have taken the lead. On another day, the elbow on Reynolds and subsequent last-man foul on him could've resulted in a red card in either instance. On another day, the referee might not give such a soft penalty for Gateshead. On another day, Wilkinson scores from the spot and we go on to possibly get a point. Bemoaning our bad luck, a lot of which is self-inflicted deriving from our own mistakes, is a familiar theme at the minute. It is true that when a team has two real chances compared to your fifteen plus, and you end up losing 2-0, you're somewhat entitled to adopt the 'not our day' mentality. It's also true that we should've been five goals up by the time Gateshead even ventured in our half. We were completely in control throughout the first-half but it was painfully predictable that they would take a completely undeserved lead. Then the dynamic of the game completely changes and you're chasing it. And what better thing to do when you're chasing a game than take off your most creative and effective player? By the time Munns was inexplicably substituted, we'd succumbed again to Gateshead's perfectly-executed style of football. While we still had the time and ability to snatch a point, there was no belief. I remember the never-say-die mentality that saw us come from behind to earn superb victories against Salford, Orient and Hartlepool, but it wasn't evident here. Against Boreham Wood just a few weeks ago, even at 3-0 down, you could just sense that we still had a fighting chance. On this occasion there was nothing. No fight. No spark. No real desire to give our absolute all until that final whistle, which only the sound of would indicate that we were truly beaten. We were beaten as soon as Rigg converted his penalty! There was nobody on the pitch who looked like making something happen. That wasn't helped by the fact that we took Munns off and played McQueen at right-wing back. He's not a right-wing back, he never has been and never will be. Wilkinson had a massive off-day, but you can excuse him that after the start he's had to his stint at the club. You could see that he clearly wasn't fit, he just lacked the usual slickness and arrogant glide across the pitch. He couldn't wait to pass the ball and didn't contest much. The delays ahead of our penalty didn't help things at all. The moment Wilkinson takes the ball off McQueen, he simply has to score, and in that moment he's maximised the pressure of the kick massively. Then of course Reynolds stayed down for a bit and this only added to the nerves across the ground as Wilkinson had more time to contemplate where to put it. He's been brilliant when he relies on pure instinct and impulse, but wasn't as good when he could really ponder what to do. When he stepped up, the general consensus was, ''it's Wilko, there's no way this doesn't go in.'' but when you look at our penalty record since relegation to the National League it's really not that surprising. 22 awarded to us and exactly half of those missed doesn't make for pleasant reading and I doubt there's many teams in the top five tiers of English football with a worse success rate. So we're left with the 'what if' feeling regarding McQueen, who really looked up for it and had played quite well up until that point. Going forwards, he performed well and that's no surprise because HE'S A WINGER. Liam Gordon also barely put a foot wrong and it's amazing to think that he's 19 years old. Robinson battled well too but other that that there were few who could walk off the Victoria Road pitch satisfied with their performance. To be honest, we probably did deserve a point but that doesn't disguise the fact that we're well below par at the minute. This leaves us with two games coming up against sides around the play-off picture. We could quite conceivably, and the way we're going probably will, lose them both and that's scary because we're only five points above relegation. But not to worry, it just wasn't our day and we'll bounce back next week. Why? Because the players said so on Twitter. It is so like the Daggers to follow up title-winning form with that befitting of a relegation-chasing side. Next week is massive now and, though things aren't great at the minute, the reality is that we'll all look forward to next weekend all over again. You feel gutted for a while and then it subsides as fickle hope begins to fill everyone's heads. Let's keep backing the team and Peter Taylor; as supporters we've done our job all season but now it's time for our team to step up and prove themselves. Yes, 14th is excellent compared to where we were in August but if you judge our recent performances based on where we should be given the strength of our current team, it's not been good enough. Another week, another strange decision to scratch your head over. After the strange omission of Munns and McQueen from the lineup in North Wales last week, this time it was the substitution of Munns, our most creative player at that point, that proved baffling. That he then sarcastically applauded the supporters who rightfully voiced their pleasure over this decision wasn't particularly welcomed either as we slumped to a second straight defeat without scoring. Elsewhere, playing McQueen at right wing-back seemed confusing as two players natural to that position sat in the stands. Of course, then there's the forgotten man, Tomi Adeloye, who deserves so much better. The lineup itself was much more positive, which was pleasing, but the formation and roles didn't seem to suit us too well. Need Harry Phipps and Balanta back in that side quickly. Gateshead are an organised, well-drilled if largely unspectacular side, whose unforeseen run into the play-offs despite troubles behind the scenes is worthy of immense credit. There wasn't really one standout player of any note yet as a unit they played well, complemented eachother and worked very hard. Some of their antics were questionable, such as the cynical elbow on Reynolds, but we've come to expect that now. Thought we were more than capable of beating them and they weren't particularly special, nor did they look like a team in the play-offs, but their ability to clinically convert the only real chances that came their way illustrates why they're doing so well. Superb counter-attacking play and though they should've been three down before ten minutes had even gone, on the whole they sat back and soaked up pressure well. Not the best side to visit Victoria Road all season, not that they had to be, but definitely the most effective. Elliot JUSTHAM (6/10): Didn't have much to do, but still conceded both opportunities that he faced.
Liam GORDON (8/10): Like most weeks, didn't put a foot wrong. Ben GOODLIFFE (6/10): Largely solid, but distribution from the back wasn't the best. Kenny CLARK (7/10): A threat from our set-pieces but not as effective in the other box. Manny ONARIASE (6/10): While it was harsh, still conceded the penalty which changed the game. Alex MCQUEEN (7/10): Effective going forwards even when restricted by wing-back role. Imagine if we played him out wide. Matt ROBINSON (7/10): Gritty, battled well but tired as the game went on. Doug LOFT (5/10): If I could remember anything he did, I'd be able to comment on his performance. Jack MUNNS (6/10): Busy and energetic, he was the likeliest to make something happen. Should never have been subbed. Lamar REYNOLDS (4/10): You simply have to score those chances. So frustrating to watch. Conor WILKINSON (4/10): A rare off-day for Conor who didn't look fit and lacked his usual spark. Penalty miss was huge too. Substitutes - Ollie HARFIELD (5/10) didn't bring anything new to the table; Chike KANDI (5/10) completely ineffective. 93 minutes on the clock and somehow we've not been killed off. Despite offering little more than a handful of half-hearted forays forward, which was painfully inevitable given the bafflingly-negative mindset with which we approached the game, we manage to force a corner in the dying seconds. A tremor of excitement reverberates across the contingent of away supporters as the thought of our imposing defenders flooding the box and causing havoc offers faint hope that we can get a point that we neither deserve nor seem to want. It's at this make-or-break time where the manager has two choices really. You can throw everybody forwards, including Justham, and even if you lose, the final whistle will leave few regrets because you know you've literally given everything. Alternatively, you could do what lyou can't imagine anyone else doing in that situation and leave players back because it's absolutely vital that we hang onto that 1-0 defeat. The corner was cleared effortlessly and we went down with less than a whimper. It was a moment that absolutely epitomised the day for us. We'd beaten Salford, Fylde, Harrogate and Orient by showing them no respect and focusing purely on our own strengths, so it was ludicrous that we decided we'd treat Wrexham much better than their attributes merited. This was a team on their third manager of the season, having recorded 1 win from 5, scoring 1 goal in the process. Unfortunately a team that were very much there for the taking were regarded as posing a threat akin to Pep Guardiola's Man City. Our tactics of playing five at the back, with three non-attacking midfielders all playing deep, reminded me of when we went to Everton with the sole intention of having an enjoyable day out. Of course it was unfortunate that Wilkinson had to go off but to be fair when you leave out Munns and Balanta, the opposition are always going to surround your biggest threat. I don't want to be too harsh on Taylor because he's shown that he can be a really good manager. As I've seen mentioned online, a lot of our recent signings were down to the appeal of working under him, but this defeat illustrated the scepticism some people have towards him. It's unfair to say 'Taylor Out' when we lose and 'Taylor In' when we're victorious, but conversely it's also not right that that great run we had can now excuse the poor form we've slumped into the new year with. We've now got three really hard games and could realistically lose all three. Gateshead, Sutton and Harrogate are all decent outfits, all in the play-off picture, and all three will dismantle us if we line up the same as we did on Saturday. A team with Munns, McQueen, Wilko and Balanta, on the other hand, could blow them away. If Wilkinson is out though, as he could be after taking quite a substantial whack, then the next few weeks will be very nervous. There's been a lot of talk about the faint possibility of the playoffs and the fact that we're only six points above the drop zone has gone under the radar. ''Right - now what's the real team?'' pretty much encapsulates the feelings of most Daggers fans upon hearing about the unexplained exclusion of many players who would've been expected to trouble Wrexham. Jack Munns was omitted from the squad entirely despite giving a pre-match interview on the Thursday prior to the game, and this was only made worse by the fact that Taylor later confirmed that it was a tactical decision. Then you had Balanta, apparently fit enough to have started last week if the game wouldn't have fell victim to the heavy snowfall, but not fit enough to start a week later. Ben Nunn is in a real rut at the minute but not enough for Gavin Hoyte to be given the chance he deserves. I can understand Nathan Smith being left out because he hasn't played much football in the past year and looked very tired against Aldershot. However, playing three central midfielders whose attributes and roles are all indistinguishably similar made no sense at all, especially when attack-minded ones like Phipps, Bellamy and of course Jack Munns weren't included. The whole lineup was the source of much confusion and indeed disappointment because it certainly seemed as if we came to North Wales to grind out a point, which was supported by the mundane footballing display that followed.
Wrexham v Dagenham & Redbridge, a fixture that will be greeted with contrasting emotions from both sides in spite of the league positions, which would indicate a complete other story. For the Daggers, a trip to North Wales is synonymous with delight. When Paul Benson secured our place in the 2016/17 play-offs with a match-winning header at the Racecourse, it capped an amazing season for the boys, which the performance epitomised in every aspect. Last season, when we were at our lowest ebb, a smash-and-grab 2-1 victory was a rare moment of joy at a time when hope was in short supply for the club.
Wrexham have very different memories of our visits in the last couple of seasons, which usually mark the very peak of their capitulation. Last campaign, Wrexham were promising title-challengers who somehow slipped out of the top seven altogether, and it seems that a similar story could be unfolding at the moment with the club in turmoil following a disastrous series of events. In the week, Bryan Hughes was appointed as their third manager since August. The departure of Sam Ricketts, no longer a popular man around those parts, derailed their season somewhat, and Graham Barrow was named as his successor yet that was seemingly a decision made on impulse as he lost five games towards the start of 2019. Now he's resigned and Wrexham have made the brave choice to appoint a manager without any previous experience on a three-and-a-half year contract. So it's a good time to play Wrexham, yet these kinds of situations can galvanise a team and we have to be wary of that tomorrow. They're fifth in the table on merit so irrespective of the turbulent nature of the last few days, the team that they will name will still be strong enough to rip us to pieces if we have the kind of off-day we did against Aldershot. Cole Stockton and Ben Tollitt are both dangerous attackers, while Wrexham also boast the best defence in the division. It should be an interesting encounter and I actually think we'll fare better against Wrexham than we might've against Maidenhead last week. Our style of play is suited to the counter-attack, which is why we struggle when the pressure is on us to open up a defence, like against Halifax and Aldershot for example. When Wrexham are the home team, with a big crowd, plus the added dimension of them being desperate for crucial points, it could play right into our hands. We come into the game having had an enforced two-week break after last week's unfortunate postponement. The decision to call the game off was disappointing yet at least it gave us an extra weeks' rest, which can be used to get Balanta ready to return to the team. We missed him against Aldershot and his presence up front with Wilkinson is something which we'd be absolutely lost without. It's such an effective duo. That's just one of the conundrums for Peter Taylor. He's switched between three and four at the back recently and had to sacrifice Liam Gordon for the Aldershot game, which did seem to limit us somewhat. Now we have a fully-fit squad, with so many options, which is a massive strength. This will be a really tough clash, but with the attitude we've displayed against other sides towards the top of the division, we'll be fine. We've beaten Salford, Fylde, Harrogate and Leyton Orient by performing a certain way so if we can emulate that against Wrexham, then there's no reason we shouldn't claim all three points. Hughes will be looking to get off to a strong start in his new role - it's our job to completely spoil that. Up the Dags |
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January 2024
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