Just around the time when increasingly disillusioned Daggers supporters would have preparing to wind down for the proverbial calm before an almighty storm unleashed upon us by rampant table-toppers Notts County the next day, came some news as spontaneously shocking as it was wholly relieving.
A club statement announcing the much-heralded departure of Daryl McMahon amid the latest wave of amplified pressure towards him, generated more through desperation than legitimate belief that it would eventually yield the desired outcome. Such had been the inescapable cycle which every supporter could anticipate the repetitive trajectory of, that this moment seemed like it would never arrive. Let alone at near enough 10pm on the eve of a game he has had time to prepare for, having just overseen the very kind of victory invariably unearthed to punctuate a dismal run and consequentially buy a stay of execution under the misguided illusion that something had or was on the verge of improving. The whole saga was extremely disillusioning, guaranteeing the club would stagnate in its own mediocrity further still. I discussed that very notion in a piece about the necessity to part company with McMahon less than a fortnight ago, which now serves to retrospectively foreshadow his long overdue departure due to the unaddressed problems explored within. Yet, for all the supporter clamour for him to go, crucially the owners have finally reached the same point of having no faith that one mere victory following prolonged atrocity would be the catalyst for a run towards where we ought to be. Watching another underwhelming season dissipate into nothingness, before a belated but unsuccessful run invariably creates the misguided illusion there is a platform to build on as next year will finally be ours, is something they do not wish to go through the emotional torture of experiencing again. After all, doing the same thing over and over is a famous definition of insanity. Make no mistake, they would have found it equally frustrating to us fans, especially having given the club nothing but wholehearted backing since taking over. Their persistence with who they thought was the right man is far from a negative trait, in fact admirable in many ways within a footballing ecosystem that so often the opposite, but exceeded logic on this occasion because there was little to suggest anything would come from it. Albeit belatedly, at least action has finally been taken at a period where it is still possible to resurrect our season in proportion to its pre-established ambitions. Pleasurable though it would have been for this side fulfil their potential under Daryl - supporters would have loved nothing more than to be proven wrong - we had seen more than enough to realise that was simply never going to happen, certainly not in a time frame consummate to the financial investment provided anyway. Thus, the only way to punctuate the cycle was by dispensing with the man perpetuating it. While this decision should not evoke too much celebration due to ultimately being a reflection upon our persistent failure, there certainly feels a renewed sense of hope following the news. For it feels like we have a new lease of life now, which may not manifest at Meadow Lane but promises a better future beyond so long as we can get the replacement right. After not seeing the desired progress during three years so far, the upcoming decision becomes the biggest they have made here so extreme diligence is required. That's not to say McMahon was a bad appointment at the time, as supporters were certainly optimistic, however this one cannot afford to go the same way. To not mention the fleeting good times would be remiss; he masterminded some phenomenal performances like the ones that comfortably dismantled last season's top two in Stockport County and Wrexham respectively, the former a truly memorable day following the football club. Chesterfield away a few months ago was fantastic, too, although that it came after a horrendous battering at the hands of Dorking Wanderers underlined the chronic inconsistency which overall undermined us from fulfilling the potential demonstrated on those standout days. So now we look to the future and, while waiting for its next leader to be unveiled, shall ferociously get behind the team in the meantime.
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January 2024
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