The Daggers have had a vast plethora of strikers turn out for the club since we returned to non-league football in 2016, a significant proportion of whom will have evaded supporter's memories, such was their lack of meaningful contribution for the club. You can count on one hand the quantity of genuine quality forwards we've been blessed with in recent years, and even most of those weren't around long enough to leave a lasting impression. You would have to go as far back as 2006/07 to find the last Daggers striker to hit 20 league goals, which is the general benchmark for a terrific individual season. Jamie Cureton and Oliver Hawkins have come precariously close but it was club icon Paul Benson who last reached that tally when he bagged 28 goals to help the Daggers to none other than the National League title. Hopefully, that will be an omen. In Paul McCallum we have a highly sought-after hitman who is very capable of cementing his name in the same category as those above. Two years ago his 25 goals almost single-handedly fired Eastleigh into the top seven. Last season he admitted things didn't 'work out' yet he still accumulated a respectable 13 from 27 games, nearly double the amount of our highest scorer. The fact he managed roughly a one in two record despite an unsettled campaign demonstrates the kind of player we have on our hands. His appeal is enhanced by the prospect of Ángelo Balanta playing alongside him. The Colombian was our best player by a country mile last season and quite simply was on a different wavelength to anybody else in a Dagenham shirt. His excellent range of passing and intricate movement was impressive enough and that was without a top striker to support him. A Balanta-McCallum combination is a truly mouth-watering thought. The last player of this calibre that Balanta played alongide was Conor Wilkinson, and that link-up play worked to very good effect. Add to that our new winger, George Saunders with 45 assists in the past two years, and a real blueprint for success is emerging. It has been a long time since we were regarded as a dangerous attacking team, but with the reported crossing ability of Saunders, the heading ability of McCallum and the overall ability of Balanta, we're going to have a lot more about us. It's too early to say whether we will be capable of challenging at the top of the division from October onwards, but this signing is an excellent indicator that we intend to. There are still many gaps in the squad that need to be plugged, a decent left-back to replace Gordon surely our biggest priority, but already this summer's recruitment has severely eclipsed last year's in terms of quality. That's the difference with Daryl McMahon. Huge credit must be afforded to those who managed to get this deal over the line, especially the American ownership group whose investment has enabled us to make signings of this magnitude. In terms of infrastructure and aesthetics we are in a much better position than when they arrived, and now hopefully that can be reflected on the pitch.
History tells you that a 20 goal-a-season frontman is required if a team has designs on promotion. Well, we've got one.
1 Comment
Richard Ball
9/9/2020 11:18:47 pm
Good reporting Joel. Now I have found your web site I will have to read it more often.
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