It was abundantly clear that McMahon is a man that lives and breathes the finer intricacies of the beautiful game and, just as he had at the previous evening's Fans' Forum, he spoke with a refreshing sense of honesty and realism. While to a large extent the 36 year-old mirrors the excitement of our fanbase following a string of seemingly astute additions, he also recognised the fact that there are a number of sides besides ourselves that will also have both the ambition and quality to compete towards the summit of the division. In his own words, names on a piece of paper do not automatically acquaint to a great team, but he would not have taken on the challenge without believing that we are capable of becoming one. The interview is available both as an audio link at the very bottom of this post, or in the form of a written transcript. In this, the first of two parts, McMahon discusses the challenges of transforming us from a 17th-placed side to one capable of leading an assault on the promotion places, plus gives his thoughts on our summer recruitment so far. The retained list was released a couple of weeks ago. There were a few decisions that may have surprised supporters. How difficult was this process and how much deliberation was involved?DM: It's always tough when players leave the club. As you have alluded to, when I came into the club, we weren't playing very well. I want to turn the team, as quickly as I can, to one that can challenge towards the top end of the table. When you're trying to do that, you have to make tough decisions. I have to bring in players to make the team better, and I think our signings so far are good ones. Only on paper, though, because they still have to go out and perform. Will Wright is a terrific lad and will be back in pre-season training with us because I do like him a lot. However, it's not just those two (Wright and Kandi), because Bagasan Graham and Alex McQueen are both talented players and there are others too. Sometimes you have to let some players go in order to move the team forward. I want to turn the team, as quickly as I can, to one that can challenge towards the top end of the table. When you're trying to do that, you have to make tough decisions. Aside from those not retained by the club, we also said goodbye to defenders Liam Gordon and Manny Onariase. It must have been damaging to lose two players as well-regarded by supporters as those were.DM: It was difficult. When I came in, Liam was on loan at Dartford and the very first thing I did, after signing my contract, was recall him. He's a very good player who will do well in the Football League without doubt, and the same can be said for Manny. They were both terrific lads; good in the changing room, good characters, good athletes and players I hope to see do very well in the future. They were both terrific lads; good in the changing room, good characters, good athletes and players I hope to see do very well in the future. You've mentioned that our current crop of signings are impressive on paper, but by far the most exciting one - The marquee signing - is Paul McCallum. Was he the primary target from day one?DM: Yes, but it's one thing to pinpoint a player and another to convince him to want to be here next year. There were other teams in for players we signed, so we had to try and convince them of the project we've got here. You have to convince them how we're going to work, train and play, and how they're going to fit into all of that. It's certainly not just as simple as pinpointing someone and then getting them - there is a lot of work that has to go into that. It's one thing to pinpoint a player and another to convince him to want to be here next year. There were other teams in for players we signed, so we had to try and convince them of the project we've got here. The recent addition of Dean Rance makes it four players here that you have also managed at previous clubs. How much easier does it make it when you have players who have proven to you before that they can be relied upon to perform a decent job.DM: When you manage a football team, you want that reliability factor without a doubt. The four lads you mentioned are top characters as well as very good players. I'm a big believer in having the best people in the changing room as well as the best footballers - people who put the team's structure and goals above themselves and understand that it's not about egos. Those four (Clark, Deering, Rance, Weston) I have worked with and know very well, plus the ones we have retained from last season I believe to be the same. I'm a big believer in having the best people in the changing room as well as the best footballers - people who put the team's structure and goals above themselves and understand that it's not about egos. As well as ourselves there are a whole host of other sides who have done some good business at this early stage, Stockport, Solihull and Hartlepool to name a few. Are you confident that we will have enough to eclipse these calibre of teams?DM: It's far too early to say. We haven't even started pre-season yet and have no idea who is going to sign who in the coming weeks, or who is going to get injured. We don't know what is going to happen. It's too early to say we're going to be finishing above 'X/Y/Z' when we haven't kicked a ball or gone to training yet. The team finished 17th last season for a reason and it's a long jump from there to the top seven. Even if it's ten places to jump, that is big. We've done some business but lost thirteen players this summer. We've signed five so far and are still building; I'm still trying to put across my philosophy as my time here has been stop-start, with seven league games before COVID-19 happened. We're hoping to get back into training next week and then continue to build and aim to make up ground on those teams above us. There are a lot of strong teams that you mentioned plus the likes of Boreham Wood, Notts County, Torquay, Yeovil etc - very good sides who all finished way above us and who have all made their teams better as well. It's a big gap to make up but I believe we can do it, otherwise I wouldn't be here nor would I have signed the players I have. We need to go out and work hard because at the moment it's just names on a piece of paper. We can go through the whole team and say 'this player is good, that player is good' but we have to make it a good team as quickly as we can and start winning games. The quicker we do that, the better. At the moment it's just names on a piece of paper. We can go through the whole team and say 'this player is good, that player is good' but we have to make it a good team as quickly as we can. It is true that good players don't automatically make it a good team. After all, Fylde seemed to have assembled a tidy side last season and ultimately ended up going down.DM: Yep, Kosylo, Ryan Croasdale, Neill Byrne, Danny Rowe - they had a fantastic team. I don't want to put water on the fire because I am looking forward to next season and can't wait to get back on the training ground, but with 46 league games, cup competitions, injuries and up's and down's, it's a long way to get to where we want to get to. We have to take it one game at a time and, first and foremost, be better than we were last season. It's a long way to get to where we want to get to. We have to take it one game at a time and, first and foremost, be better than we were last season. The 2020/21 season will be incredibly congested, so much so the Daggers will be opting out of the Essex Senior Cup. With that in mind, how crucial is it to have players that are capable of playing a lot of games in a short space of time?DM: You look for players with the character to go from game to game, players that have done it before. You go from Saturday to Tuesday and it's not easy, especially in this league where you can be at Hartlepool away on the weekend then be back here for a midweek game. It's a grind and sometimes it's not about having the best players but rather having the best mentalities. I think in regard to the players we've signed so far, we've brought in some really good men. Good personalities, good leaders, people who know how to go to a tough place on a Tuesday night and grind out a win. Do your job, get on the bus, go home. I think it'll be really important this season to have players with that mentality but also a club with that mentality. Training will come into that as well, it'll be important in pre-season to nail down how we're going to play really quickly. We could be going from Saturday to Tuesday 20 weeks out of 38, that's what's been pencilled in already but I would personally add at least five more onto that because of cancellations, cup fixtures, postponements etc. We're going to need to be robust and tough, mentally and physically. We've brought in some really good men. Good personalities, good leaders, people who know how to go to a tough place on a Tuesday night and grind out a win. Do your job, get on the bus, go home. You led Ebbsfleet to consecutive play-off campaigns so have experience of managing a team that were fighting at the top end of the division. How much could that come in useful, given that our owners have pinpointed a similar target for us next season?DM: Yes, but the club has been aiming for play-offs for two years and nearly been relegated twice. Our owners are unbelievable, I think they're terrific owners who really want the best for the football club just as we all do, but it's one thing saying that and another thing delivering it on the pitch. Like we've said, it's just names on a bit of paper. I could sit here and say 'I'd love to get promotion' but unless we get things right on the training ground, in pre-season and in games, then we won't. What I've seen with me already, at Ebbsfleet, Macclesfield and even here so far, is that my teams tend to mirror me as a person in terms of my enthusiasm, commitment and desire. Add quality to that and you have a good team, but we have to go and prove that now. My target is for us to be better than we were last year, it's as simple as that. There's no point in me saying 'we can do this/that' , we have to bring the right players in, train and work hard to do that. What I've seen with me already, at Ebbsfleet, Macclesfield and even here so far, is that my teams tend to mirror me as a person in terms of my enthusiasm, commitment and desire.
2 Comments
Peter King
23/8/2020 02:21:53 pm
Hi Joel
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Joel
31/8/2020 09:45:28 pm
Thanks Peter, going to work on an overview of players etc but waiting on further signings and pre-season sightings first! Starting tomorrow night against Wakering
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