Saturday 25th April was supposed to be the last day of the season, an iconic date in the football calendar during which nine months of unparalleled drama winds to a halt in one final crescendo of nerve-jangling entertainment. Ambitions are fulfilled and, for some, nightmares are realised. For other teams embroiled in mid-table obscurity, it simply represents a chance to play with unrestricted freedom. All of this is invariably played out against a backdrop of glorious heat that makes freezing wintry afternoons in Chorley, Barrow and Hartlepool seem a million miles away. Yet this year the hectic end-of-season schedule never came to fruition, as football diminished into an insignificant afterthought amidst a global pandemic that drastically altered the entire landscape of society. Unbeknownst to us at the time, our last game of the season was that gut-wrenching night against Fylde where, in spite of our much-improved form under Daryl McMahon, we suffered a last-minute defeat to a team who hadn't experienced a victory for three months. There's a massive dissatisfaction with the manner in which our campaign ultimately ended, even if events in the subsequent weeks rendered it inconsequential. Now that the National League have confirmed that 2019/20 is officially over, though, it's time to reflect on a campaign that proved hectic on the pitch and equally turbulent off it. Here is my assessment on every player to have made a league start for the Daggers in the past nine months, ranked in order of how impressive they were, while I also give my take on who would've been in contention for Player of the Year had the annual awards taken place. PLAYER RATINGS 2019/20Elliot JUSTHAM (9) 37 Appearances; 9 Clean Sheets, 2/3 Penalties Saved
The sheer brilliance of Justham means it is almost guaranteed that he'd have earned this accolade for the second season running, which is not only a reflection of his importance to us but also of which area in the pitch our problems lie. His logic-defying saves proved a shining light in a season where the majority of his teammates failed to match his contribution. Ángelo BALANTA (9) 22 Appearances (1 Sub); 8 Goals, 4 Assists It doesn't feel right putting Balanta so high given the proportion of the season he missed, yet he still made a crucial contribution and without him we could have finished so much lower. A player with outstanding intelligence on the ball, he is one of the most talented in the entire division and is rightfully adored by the fanbase. Luke CROLL (8) 30 Appearances (1 Sub); 9 Clean Sheets, 0 Goals, 0 Assists Although he wasn't helped by Taylor's desire to deploy him as a left-back, in my opinion Croll is undoubtedly the best defender we have and someone whose performances have gone under the radar. At this level there aren't too many centre halves capable of playing out from the back as assuredly and calmly as Croll. He's a real asset to us. Matt ROBINSON (8) 33 Appearances (1 Sub); 0 Goals, 0 Assists A reliable source of grit and energy in the midfield, Matt Robinson is one of very few players who could hold their heads up high after this season. He's dependable, rarely misses a game through injury and is never afraid to put his body on the line or get stuck in. Mitch BRUNDLE (7) 27 Appearances; 6 Goals, 0 Assists After joining from Dover, where he was captain and frequently contributed to the attack, it's fair to say more was expected from Brundle than we saw in the opening weeks of the season. However, his performances under McMahon were outstanding and he demonstrated a brilliant ability to arrive in the box at the right time. When he's scoring, you simply can't fault him. Sam DEERING (7) 9 Appearances (1 Sub); 0 Goals, 3 Assists Had Deering played a full season for us at the same standard as he's performed in his spell so far, he'd undoubtedly be in the top three. He's been a revelation for us, his relentless running and energy a key reason for our upturn in form under Daryl McMahon. I can see Deering being a big asset for us next season. Manny ONARIASE (7) 27 Appearances (1 Sub); 9 Clean Sheets, 2 Goals, 1 Assist There's a lot of hype around Manny, much of it originating from his initial loan spell when he made a great impact. I feel he's had a solid if unspectacular season for us, but there's definitely been enough in his performance to constitute an extension of his contract. Alex REID (7) 6 Appearances (1 Sub), 3 Goals, 0 Assists I don't think Reid is the kind of 20 goal-a-season striker we're going to need next season, but he came in and did a good job for us in his relatively short loan spell. He has a decent eye for goal, and demonstrated this with his debut brace against Notts County and goal at Barrow. Liam GORDON (7) 14 Appearances (2 Sub); 8 Clean Sheets, 0 Goals, 1 Assist After being shafted by Peter Taylor, it was so satisfying to see Gordon return from his unnecessary loan spell and produce the kind of performances that have established him as a fans' favourite. He didn't play as many games as anybody would've liked, but there's no doubt he has a big part in McMahon's plans. Will WRIGHT (6) 27 Appearances (6 Sub); 5 Clean Sheets, 2 Goals, 1 Assist When Wright was moved from midfield to right-back at the end of last season, it made him a different player and he subsequently enjoyed a good battle with Eleftheriou for that position this term. As well as being an effective right-back, Wright proved something of a set-piece specialist, conjuring up one particularly excellent free-kick in the demolition of Aldershot. Harry PHIPPS (6) 9 Appearances (3 Sub); 0 Goals, 0 Assists While Balanta's absence has been pinpointed as the primary reason for our dramatic descent down the division, losing Harry Phipps was also a big blow. His untimely injury at Torquay came at a time where he was in decent form, and we certainly missed his presence in midfield afterwards. Chike KANDI (6) 23 Appearances (8 Sub); 4 Goals, 4 Assists Kandi has the energy and skill to beat the majority of the defenders in the division yet what invariably lets him down is the finish. Despite this, he has been a useful player for us this season and seems to have more maturity about him. Under McMahon he has primarily been used as an impact sub who can stretch tired legs. Andrew ELEFTHERIOU (6) 19 Appearances (1 Sub); 4 Clean Sheets, 0 Goals, 0 Assists Due to his excellent stamina and athleticism, Eleftheriou is the perfect wing-back, and I feel that's why he is McMahon's preferred option. Although he was occasionally caught out of position, his crossing ability and energy made him a good asset for us going forwards. Ben HOUSE (6) 9 Appearances (1 Sub); 2 Goals, 2 Assists On his debut, House looked the real deal so it was a surprise that he didn't register another goal for us again. Although that was rightfully used against him, he still looked dangerous and threatening. There's no disputing that House is a good footballer, with decent close control and a great work rate, but he didn't find the net enough for us. Myles WESTON (5) 4 Appearances (1 Sub); 0 Goals, 1 Assists Weston was clearly brought to the club with a view to next season more than this one. We've seen a mixed side of him so far, his well-weighted and beautifully-timed assist against Aldershot was impressive, but in his first start against Fylde three days later he was quite wasteful. He's definitely a big part of McMahon's plans. Toby STEVENSON (5) 10 Appearances; 0 Goals, 0 Assists An unnecessary signing who I thought didn't exhibit any characteristics that Liam Gordon was lacking. He wasn't a bad player for us by any means and was far from the most culpable for our struggles during the back end of 2019, but he didn't really improve us as a unit. Kenny CLARK (5) 33 Appearances; 8 Clean Sheets, 0 Goals, 0 Assists Our captain made a marginal improvement under McMahon but during the final months of Taylor's reign was stuck in a rut of really poor form that he couldn't shake: conceding penalties, making reckless challenges and frequently losing his man at corners. A good talker and organiser, yes, but he'll need to show more next season. Joan LUQUE (5) 28 Appearances (5 Sub); 3 Goals, 7 Assists Luque had certain games and certain moments where he looked really good, however they were far too infrequent and he was prone to going missing at times. Quite simply, he wasn't good enough on a consistent basis, and his inability to track back meant he was exiled from the first team after McMahon arrived. It's likely he's played his last game for the club. Alex MCQUEEN (5) 23 Appearances (5 Sub); 1 Goal, 6 Assists McQueen made a great impact for us last season so it's difficult to understand why he was unable to replicate it this term. Only registering one goal was disappointing, as was his overall level of performance compared to what we'd seen in the previous campaign. He hasn't done himself justice, and will probably find himself out the door this summer. Harold ODAMETEY (5) 6 Appearances (3 Sub); 0 Goals, 0 Assists Ironically, despite barely missing a single game for Maidenhead in the two years prior to joining us, Odametey sustained a season-ending injury almost as soon as he pitched up at Victoria Road. As such, it is difficult to give him any sort of rating. However, in the very few games he played, he seemed a decent midfielder with a good engine. Alex MCQUEEN (5) 23 Appearances (5 Sub); 1 Goal, 6 Assists McQueen made a great impact for us last season so it's difficult to understand why he was unable to replicate it this term. Only registering one goal was disappointing, as was his overall level of performance compared to what we'd seen in the previous campaign. He hasn't done himself justice, and will probably find himself out the door this summer. James DOBSON (4) 22 Appearances (10 Sub); 2 Goals, 2 Assists Whenever you sign someone for a fee at this level, there is a certain expectation placed on their shoulders. Unfortunately, with Dobson, it didn't really materialise. He obviously possesses quality, evidenced by his brilliant goal at Sutton and beautifully-measured assist against Bromley, but it wasn't demonstrated nearly as much as it should've been. Will WOOD (4) 4 Appearances (1 Sub); 0 Clean Sheets, 0 Goals, 1 Assists I feel a bit sorry for Wood because he wasn't given much of a chance, despite never looking a particularly bad player. However, it's impossible to look past the fact that he only started three games for us, often coming into the lineup then being exiled from the squad for weeks on end. I imagine both parties will reflect on this season as a waste. Gabriel ZAKUANI (4) 1 Appearance; 0 Clean Sheets, 0 Goals, 0 Assists Daryl McMahon's first permanent signing for the club wasn't a great one, with Zakuani playing a grand total of 40 minutes of National League football before sustaining an injury that left supporters not knowing whether to laugh or cry. In fairness he'd played quite well up until that point, with Notts County unable to breach our backline. Joe QUIGLEY (3) 30 Appearances (9 Sub); 5 Goals, 1 Assist Anyone who thought it was possible that Taylor could bring anyone as bad as Mullings to the club would've been dealt quite the surprise when Quigley arrived. He should be capped at three, a generous three, after 'that' miss against Halifax and the miss against Notts County in the FA Trophy. However, he did deliver one of the best moments of the season with the Yeovil winner. Reece GRANT (3) 26 Appearances (20 Sub); 2 Goals, 0 Assists The fact that we signed this player for a fee then eventually loaned him back to the same club from which he'd arrived says all you need to know about the success of this signing. Alongside Quigley he was supposed to provide the goals in the absence of Wilkinson, but managed just two for us in total. Bagasan GRAHAM (3) 21 Appearances (11 Sub); 0 Goals, 1 Assists For many towards the bottom of this list, there were moments of quality integrated within the far more prominent moments of ineptness. For Bagasan Graham I can't even really say that, even if he did improve slightly when the new manager came in. Graham has bundles of energy but not much substance.
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