Last Saturday's mauling at the hands of Notts County will solemnly hang over us for a little while longer after this weekend's fixtures were spontaneously postponed. It was wholly unacceptable in every single way, yet accepted is sadly the very thing it will be. Peter Freund's late-night statement cemented as such, our principal owner asserting that we were nonetheless still 'positioned for play-offs and challenging for promotion'. His optimism has been admirable in recent years but proved badly misplaced on this occasion and, rather than having the reassuring effect it intended, only succeeded in making the fanbase all the more disconcerted after the worst afternoon at Victoria Road since the consortium he spearheads took over the club almost four years ago. After all, the Daggers had been brutally dominated by a side they possess the budget to compete with yet were clearly lightyears behind in every single department. If anything, they seem as far away from their ambition as they've ever been, a damning indictment on manager Daryl McMahon towards whom toxicity amongst supporters is steadily intensifying with every passing week. A woeful performance fuelled it worse than ever before, signifying a clear impasse in his tenure were it not at that stage already, similar to the dark period directly before the axe finally fell on predecessor Peter Taylor. The parallels are clear, Taylor having steered us clear of relegation initially before proving unable to take that next step, not to mention the turgid, safety-first football he oversaw. McMahon is very different in his approach but is experiencing the same problem of the task being beyond him, so it seems time for somebody else to seize the baton and deliver the achievements proportionate to the budget available. Notts County (H) was the point of no return, even in the minds of many who still clung onto hope that McMahon is the man for us - a disaster we had been teetering on the precipice of for a while much worse than was dreaded. Other performances this season have contained phases just as poor, Bromley the only exception, but the difference was our opponents this time were diligent and ruthless enough to administer the thrashing we deserved. In doing so, mercilessly exposing the flaws of a system the personnel at our disposal simply cannot enact, which hinges upon a positionally-sloppy Mauro Vilhete and ageing Myles Weston - the latter being our one-dimensional source of creativity - as the wing-backs either side of a really poor centre half trio. Talking of which, putting three full-backs there was a epitomised our tactical ineptitude. Admittedly Elliott Johnson has played on the left side for a long while now so isn't anywhere near as unfamiliar to his respective position as Sam Ling and Josh Hare, but the fact there was a genuine centre-half in Yoan Zouma sat on the bench while another (Nikola Tavares) featured in defensive midfield frames our narrative of depletion as somewhat hyperbolic. McMahon had options but, for reasons only he can possibly rationalise, chose to start without a natural central defender on the pitch. Making things unnecessarily complicated, an apt microcosm for his reign. It was always going to backfire spectacularly against a genuinely good side, worryingly the first we'd really come up against, and so it proved from the very first whistle as Notts predictably targeted the region in-between Vilhete and Johnson for their balls in behind, thus foreshadowing the massacre which soon began manifesting. Even when it had reached maximum damage at 0-5, we still did nothing to mitigate that problem area, to absolutely nobody's surprise given it has been a blatant weakness since opening day against Gateshead - once again indicative of a manager either incapable or unwilling to adapt even when we are clearly sleepwalking into sheer peril. Essentially, we are even worse defensively than last season without the frequency of goals at the other end to mask our deficiencies. Manny Onariase makes as many mistakes as the departed Callum Reynolds did but lacks the same ability to establish the tempo by bringing the ball out from deep. Similarly, Josh Hare is no better nor worse a defender than Will Wright however doesn't provide the set-pieces so his purpose in the team is unclear. Quite why we are even attempting to convert him into a wide centre-half after conceding so often last campaign under that square-pegs-in-round-holes mentality is another issue that frankly beggars belief in itself. If we have to use this formation, then players in their right position would be a positive step. Wright's departure, while undeniably a loss, provided an opportunity to restructure the backline. Instead, we're doing exactly the same thing with lesser-able personnel.
Yet there are problems in this team that go beyond structure. It took just twelve minutes of the new campaign, at which point we were 2-0 down, to prove our recurring issue of giving ourselves a mountain to climb remained unaddressed despite it being over a year since that first manifested as a major concern. Though we salvaged a draw in the last minute that day just over a month ago, it set the tone for most that has followed since. Conceding a last-gasp equaliser in the chaos of Eastleigh's keeper coming up for a corner against us in the dying seconds, then the very same thing almost happening again (only a superb Justham save preventing it so) against Maidenhead days later only provide further proof to how vulnerable we are. While players have to shoulder some responsibility for individual lapses the manager cannot legislate for, ultimately they embody him and therefore that's where it all must stem from. Even last season, we were our own worst enemy and constantly lost the crucial battles against top-seven rivals, with the exception of games in the first month when we caught everybody cold, a home clash against a then-freefalling Grimsby Town and the last game at home to Wrexham, which came too late to haul us into the play-offs as we missed out by the narrowest of margins despite a 3-0 victory, in itself vindicating the frustration of many supporters because it proved how capable a side we are on our day. It's true we were just a point short of achieving our target under McMahon but that in itself, coupled with the fact we contrived to lose an FA Trophy quarter-final tie in which we were ahead in the 96th minute, cannot be a coincidence, rather self-destructive tendencies stemming from a collectively weak mentality. As Peter Freund also mentioned in his statement, it is early days and football can change in a month let alone the eight we have left. That we were top this time last year (with pro-McMahon chants proving a buoyant soundtrack to our magnificent, goal-laden start which it would be unfair not to mention) showcases how everything can change, as we went from looking genuine title contenders to missing out altogether. Conversely, if that start was deemed sufficient to ill-advisably and very prematurely reward him with a new contract then this one should jeopardise his tenure altogether presuming there is a consistent approach applied. However, there is nothing to indicate that the Daggers will ever reach the required standard under the current stewardship or the problems that have plagued it ever being addressed if they haven't in over two years now. The definition of insanity is theorised by Albert Einstein as doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. Daryl McMahon's Dagenham & Redbridge are very much trapped in that monotonous cycle, so something desperately has to give.
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Fulfilling Play-Off Potential a non-negotiable necessity for Daggers - 2022/23 Season Preview3/8/2022 It's the calm before an impending ten-month storm of unparalleled entertainment from the most gloriously chaotic division within England. The Vanarama National League is agonisingly close again, ready to deliver a high-octane rollercoaster encompassing every emotion imaginable from euphoric explosions to devastating blows as it pits fallen giants, meteoric risers, medium-range stragglers and various other profiled clubs, all of immensely contrasting stature, against one another in a unique cauldron defined by it's trademark unpredictability - the end result being another two teams ascending into the unanimously-sought Football League. Stockport County and Grimsby Town did so just a few months ago, with the latter achieving the enormously difficult task of managing it at the first attempt via a pulsating play-off campaign in which they struck last-minute extra time winners at Notts County then Wrexham enroute to defeating Solihull Moors at the London Stadium final. That defeated trio are all in exemplary shape to go again, especially the Dragons who have assembled the most expensive squad in non-league history by some distance under their Hollywood ownership, to such a staggering extent that anything less than the title at an absolute canter would constitute underachievement. Among the others well-equipped to compete are Chesterfield, having now stabilised from the immensely unfortunate crisis' that derailed what was a very convincing title challenge, ultimately culminating in them crawling over the line to the play-offs where they somewhat surprisingly defeated FC Halifax Town before losing out at the aforementioned Solihull. Speaking of the Shaymen, they've had a summer of transition triggered by their manager departing for Barrow alongside two key players, but have recruited sensibly in an attempt to continue defying the odds by making the top seven. There are several southern-based outfits who will back themselves to achieve that, though, including Southend United, Woking, Boreham Wood, Bromley and - worryingly perhaps the most objectively fancied of the lot - Dagenham & Redbridge... Seamlessly onto ourselves, then, whom this preview naturally focuses, and the general consensus among supporters is that the play-offs are an absolute must. In truth, that should be the minimum requirement considering our budget, epitomised by the amount of undisclosed fees we've paid throughout the past three years, yet our comparative underachievement in that time has ultimately quelled expectations. Finishing one point adrift last time out, failing to beat King's Lynn and Torquay United before ironically demolishing Wrexham in our final three home games, aptly encapsulated our entirely self-inflicted fortunes. In the end, a Dagenham team that had seemed so refreshingly different fell to the same fate of the predecessors beforehand. It was a devastatingly anti-climactic ending to a campaign that had begun with such promise during those goal-laden opening few weeks, but problems soon arrived when the defence-related cracks that had always hidden beneath the surface suddenly escalated in magnitude. A naïve failure to still be proactive when things were going well kick-started our demise, the rosy façade soon collapsing beneath itself, and a late resurgence appeared too late to resurrect the issues until Chesterfield's freefall created an unexpected opening we nonetheless typically couldn't capitalise upon. Overall, a side undeniably with the quality in abundance, though not the mental strength or resilience, to do what was asked of them. So what have we done in the transfer market to mitigate the above-mentioned frailties? 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Quality over quantity has been the mantra of another low-key summer. The Daggers have once again made a league-low three signings in a drastic change of direction from the large-scale rebuilds that were commonplace beforehand. However, that doesn't quite tell the full story because Daryl McMahon tends to put out fires as they ignite rather than anticipating them by making several additions throughout the season, which, while definitely reactive on his part, also allows players to be fully integrated for the following season like Manny Onariase is now. One would therefore expect more after the campaign gets underway, perhaps most importantly up front, where we now don't have that necessary depth following Ángelo Balanta's untimely long-term injury. Undeniably, though, the emphasis has been on supplementing the existing squad core with little yet massively effective injections of quality. Outgoing first-team trio Callum Reynolds, Will Wright and Brandon Comley have all seemingly been replaced adequately. In many ways, forcibly losing the majority of our backline was exactly what we needed to prompt a much-needed restructure, despite Reynolds and Wright definitely possessing attributes we will miss. Conversely, the defence was our overwhelming weakness and that duo were complicit in that because Wright's driving forward masked his poor marking/one-on-one skills, while Reynolds was prone to clumsy unforced errors. Both depart with the fanbase's best wishes but we're probably better off, especially having recruited well in response. Nik Tavares arrives from Wealdstone highly-rated, having forged a decent reputation while representing Crystal Palace and Croatia internationally at youth level. Then there's David Longe-King, a somewhat enigmatic player whose spell at Grimsby Town last season continued the trend of him not playing much football for his virtually peak-years age. Both factors there would allude to a concerning signing, though he fared well on loan at Woking during the back end of last season and has looked impressive for us in the pre-season friendlies. It's one of those 'wait and see' ones which could really go either way, yet we've been in desperate need of a towering, no-nonsense centre-half so it's certainly the environment for him to stamp his mark. Moving onto our marquee acquisition now, that prompted widespread praise from non-league statisticians and opposing supporters alike, namely Omar Mussa, whose imposing physique plus astounding maturity on the ball belies the fact he is only 21. I don't recall being as excited about a midfielder for absolutely ages, such has been the Belgian's impression already. We could have a real player on our hands here. 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 Dagenham recorded an unbeaten pre-season whereby they nurtured their credentials against a diverse variety of opponents including from the lower-league English pyramid, a Premier League development squad and overseas, each of which posed beneficial tests for differing reasons. There were wins at Aveley and Bishop's Stortford either side of a week's training camp in Portugal, which also featured a victorious game against regional outfit L.G.C Moncarapachense, before the challenges became exponentially harder with clashes versus Leyton Orient, Concord Rangers and West Ham U23s, all seeing the Daggers come from behind to draw. There were inevitably some injuries along the way, with Ansu Janneh and Harry Phipps sidelined with minor infractions while Ángelo Balanta suffered a far more severe meniscus tear. While you'd naturally rather win than not, results are largely meaningless throughout the preparation period and as such supporters have been more interested in the patterns/trends underpinning them. One observation that could be made is that Josh Hare often featured on the right of the centre-half trio, potentially indicating that McMahon wants to mould him there like he did with the recently-departed Will Wright. Another player possibly moving position is Nik Tavares, as the Croatian apparently demonstrated competence in a defensive midfield role. If that does prove the case permanently then he'll almost certainly partner Omar Mussa, who has sparked a wave of excitement within the fanbase, especially by netting a couple of goals in the warm-up friendlies despite it never having really been in his nature to do so previously. 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆? Furthermore on Mussa, there is a genuine case for his presence alongside Matt Robinson and Mo Sagaf giving us the best midfield in the division. It has everything: goals (primarily through Robbo), energy, creativity, strength, tactical awareness - most importantly they have the potential to compliment one another beautifully. There's not much fault you would pick with our strikeforce, either, which features three prolific names in Paul McCallum, Josh Walker and Junior Morias, the only problem being that our system only allows for two of them to start. We were among the highest scorers last season and few would back against that happening again, especially now Morias will be here for it's entirety. There remains question marks over whether the Jamaican can emulate the extraordinary form he demonstrated, though the luxury of this team is that there will always be an able replacement occupying the bench whenever one is having an off-day. Already, this should be enough to guarantee a lofty finish but elsewhere on the pitch is where everything becomes somewhat cloudy. The wing-backs are a fascinating talking point for us as, despite all being very good footballers in their own right, none who play there really suit the position completely - Vilhete, Saunders and Weston seem like reclassified wingers, likewise Ling and Hare full-backs. Often we paid the price for having attacking-minded players perform defensive tasks, thus can't really afford to start Weston and Vilhete because that skews the team's balance. Ling on the right side is probably our best option, and also gives us the possibility of reverting to a back four when the situation demands. On the defence itself, it's an unknown quantity but I feel we're stronger there than last year, plus can always rely on Justham to get us out of jail. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗫𝗜? It's testament to our vast range of options that the only guaranteed starters are probably Elliot Justham and Paul McCallum. It's a toss up as to who starts alongside the latter up front, with Josh Walker and Junior Morias both staking a convincing claim for that role. Our strongest midfield three is widely agreed upon as Omar Mussa, Mo Sagaf, Matt Robinson but it is viable that Dean Rance will displace one of them on opening day, or even Nik Tavares be deployed in a deeper role there instead of in defence, which is equally tough to predict. Elliott Johnson and Manny Onariase should start, the main question being who occupies the other spot. On the flanks, we'll primarily alternate between Mauro Vilhete and Myles Weston on the left, with Josh Hare and Sam Ling the opposite side. Overall, my strongest XI: Justham; Weston, Johnson, Onariase, Longe-King, Ling; Mussa, Sagaf, Robinson; McCallum, Morias A palatable sequence of August fixtures, coupled with our pre-gelled squad, provides us the platform to explode into life again except this time we need to be prepared for a marathon and not just a sprint. This team has hugely high ceiling and simply needs to justify it now. Let the games begin... Exactly one month before the next Vanarama National League campaign kicks off came the eagerly-awaited fixtures announcement; it generates the first real widespread wave of anticipation amongst playing staff and supporters alike, both of whom can now plan their respective schedules accordingly.
Despite only being in the initial phase within our preparations, the starting line has emerged in the horizon now and the virtual countdown has begun ticking towards the all important date of August 6th, which we now know will deliver a home curtain-raiser against recent NL North champions Gateshead. There's not much that would have been overly unnerving given how we dismantled title favourites Stockport last season and this is a indeed very decent fixture overall, although we'll have to be extremely vigilant to the enormous momentum that typically remains after promotion, as was the case when Woking outclassed us in 2017/18's curtain raiser. It sets the tone for a favourable opening month whereby we will realistically be targeting fifteen points from eighteen as an absolute minimum, albeit very much in the knowledge that every fixture at this level can prove hugely problematic irrespective of how it might be perceived beforehand. Woking (A) and Bromley (H) are the most challenging amongst them but a team harbouring our ambitions should still navigate them with maximum efficiency. Gateshead (H), Eastleigh (A), Maidenhead (H) and Yeovil (A), meanwhile, are complete non-negotiables...on paper, at least. Realism however dictates that things will likely turn out differently one way or another - because that's football - much like last season when the most difficult forecasted games throughout the first few weeks were actually the ones we won most convincingly. This time it's much easier on the surface, thus a really good opportunity for us to explode in similar fashion, which would provide an important platform to build upon. Having a settled squad could be very conducive to that aspiration, while others will be tentatively gelling together having undergone large-scale rebuilds. Shifting focus to a solely scheduling standpoint now, the league have customarily thrown in some ludicrous midweek trips across the board including for ourselves to Wrexham and Chesterfield in consecutive months. Sometimes circumstances render this unavoidable but, with several local clashes given Saturday slots, you naturally wonder whether more could be done to maximise convenience for travelling supporters by giving them shorter evening journeys. That said, such away trips are often amongst the most enjoyable and the sight of 50 Daggers bunched together in the spacious away end at the otherwise packed Racecourse will be one to behold. Logistical question marks are also posed towards our Boxing Day billing, though at least on home soil, being against Maidstone United rather than desired opposition Southend United who incidentally face Bromley to only amplify the confusion - logic dictates the Essex and Kent outfits be paired together though once again we're not privy to the overlapping stipulations that must be adhered to. Indeed, we'll have to wait quite a while before venturing to Roots Hall as it's the penultimate away game inbetween trips to Boreham Wood and Barnet, meaning a very tasty finale especially if we're in the promotion hunt as is hoped. That's the main talking points covered, now it's all about readying our troops for that deadline, with several pre-season friendlies interspersed within a rigourous training programme over the coming weeks. In a vibrant clubhouse hall defying the widespread disappointment towards Dagenham once again falling short on their ambitions, albeit by a fractional margin of just a solitary point this time after their belated yet nonetheless still satisfying final day victory over Wrexham, owner Peter Freund seized the microphone to deliver an impassioned speech that nonetheless portrayed the season as an encouraging platform on which the club could further build after the summer. Epitomising the commendable optimism he has instilled ever since the consortium's arrival alleviated our financial crisis beforehand, there was just one problem: it was essentially the same message stated after each of the previous two campaigns. Therein lies the issue around a club where lesser extents of failure are consistently misconstrued as success. Improvement is undeniably there, but it's rate remains disproportionate to the healthy budget underpinning a project that has an end goal yet no urgent timescale to get there. Things don't develop anywhere near quick enough. Tough though it may be to digest the annual excuses for underachievement, there is still undeniable credibility to the narrative that Dagenham are edging closer, as substantiated by the significantly enhanced goal and points tallies accumulated during a campaign whereby the lowest league position occupied at any point still exceeded their highest in the preceding two; the armoury was well equipped enough to lock horns with the very best around the summit of the division, however it was actually during these crucial head-to-head battles that the characteristic ingrained fragility resurfaced to undermine their quality in abundance. The bigger the stage, the more Dagenham buckled under it's weight. Coupled with the clumsy points dropped in more routine games elsewhere, this catalysed the recurring fate of familiar disappointment - just delayed by some false dawns along the way. Though it was a sustained underachievement, three distinct weeks throughout the season carry more retrospective regret than others. Early October is the first, when the late collapse at home to Altrincham proceeded further reverses against Woking and Boreham Wood within quick succession. Fast forward to the end of the subsequent month and there was another three-defeat week, as Yeovil and Eastleigh both left Victoria Road with maximum points before a further loss infront of the BT Sport cameras at Notts County. More recently, the latter phase in February, came a disastrous few days during which we somehow conspired to gift ten-man Woking a point then produced our worst performance of the season at Altrincham, yielding the comfortable outcome in their favour that it deserved. Those results contextualise our disappointment, however just a couple of goals across those instances might have altered our fate unrecognisably. Upholding the earlier cyclical theme, there was a distinct symmetry about their latest promotion pursuit both beginning and ending with a convincing victory against a big-spending Northern powerhouse however, as has already been alluded to, the prolonged inconsistency inbetween has ultimately culminated in Daryl McMahon's side not fulfilling the potential underlined on both occasions. That they are highly capable, with exceptionally talented players littered throughout a strong squad, only amplifies the frustration to levels which vastly exceed if they were merely not good enough in the first place. After all, it's the hope that truly kills...and rarely has it been more palpable than the briefly aforementioned afternoon of Saturday 21st August 2021, where this analytical deconstruction commences. At the home of eventual champions Stockport County, unanimously regarded as the most daunting opening day assignment conceivable, the stars simply aligned to manifest an unforgettable day that catalysed into euphoric joy Daggers supporters' pent-up frustration around not being able to watch their side away on the road for an entire seventeen months beforehand, as the team produced a phenomenal display characterised by high-octane intensity. Despite falling to an early deficit through the division's 'Player of the Year' twice running John Rooney, they roared back with goals from Will Wright, Josh Walker (whose introduction for the injured Ángelo Balanta was massive) and Matt Robinson to seal a magnificent victory that actually merited a more comfortable margin of victory, such was the staggering level of domination exerted. Even more seismic than the statement this signified, though, was the precedent it consequently set towards Dagenham almost exclusively occupying top spot until October after a goal-laden few weeks put them on nineteen points from eight games, the only dropped ones being against Wealdstone (2-2 draw) and Wrexham (narrow 1-0 defeat). Bromley, Barnet, King's Lynn, Weymouth and Solihull Moors were all beaten along the way - mostly under the rapidly recurring scenario of them going behind, usually very quickly, before fighting back. Yet these undeniable cracks soon descended into full-blown structural damage when they could no longer be concealed by sheer attacking firepower alone, and thus came seven losses from the next ten games including three in a row. The first in that barren rut was a stoppage time collapse against Altrincham which proved something of a negative turning point, immediately followed by scoreless reverses at Woking and Boreham Wood. This left the Essex outfit sixth at the quarter-way mark having scored more than anybody else yet simultaneously only kept a solitary clean sheet, therein underlining the double-edged sword of Daggers' naïve methodology. Nonetheless, they soon found solace in the FA Cup as Balanta single-handedly staged a semi-miraculous late turnaround at Wealdstone despite his side having being reduced to ten men inside the very first minute; while undoubtedly one of, if not the, campaign's best moment it however carried long-term consequences because their two primary goalscorers, strike partners Josh Walker and Paul McCallum, would then spend costly time away from action for various cumulative reasons. There was still enough in the armoury to enact the first of three batterings upon rivals Southend the following weekend, however the squad depletion soon proved prohibitive, a midweek loss at notorious unhappy hunting ground Halifax proceeding two dropped points against Chesterfield in which they threw away a comfortable advantage by catastrophically conceding twice in as many second-half minutes. November would disastrously see them plummet into mid-table while also suffering a televised FA Cup exit to Salford City of the division higher. The deterioration in weather was almost becoming a microcosm for their season, the gloomy skies and biting wind an aptly sombre backdrop around consecutive dreadful home defeats to Yeovil Town and Eastleigh in particular, both justifiably generating boos from the home contingent. Performances were much better on their travels, though, with Maidenhead dismantled and Notts County being pushed all the way a fortnight later, however ultimately still claiming the spoils. After the turgid tripe that had came before it, this was actually somewhat encouraging, especially going into a gentler streak of fixtures where they would face a double-header against rock-bottom Dover Athletic interspersed within games against Truro City (FA Trophy) and Aldershot Town - all were triumphs, albeit not convincing, and everything felt fine again.
Back into the play-offs and only five points beneath top spot altogether, was it a true new year renaissance or simply down to the generous opposition? The next five Saturdays would surely answer that, as the fixture difficulty fluctuated to the other extreme, with the Daggers pitted against two resurgent outfits - Torquay and Southend (FA Trophy) - then all of the top three as it stood. It began in the worst manner imaginable as McMahon's side sleepwalked into a 2-0 deficit within a quarter-hour in the English Riviera, the opener inexplicably after just twelve seconds, yet in true Dagenham style they deservedly salvaged a point through sheer brilliance after customarily getting that absurdity out of their system. Picking up where they left off, they then secured another memorable victory over Southend to step closer towards Wembley, although a reality check was soon in store courtesy of that sequence against title-chasing trio Stockport, Halifax and Chesterfield, plus a midweek trip to Weymouth embedded within, which would prove the only positive result despite still posing more difficulty than it should have. The three defeats unfolded differently but alluded to the same mentality deficiency - Stockport was over almost as soon as it began with them two up inside four minutes, Chesterfield was a highly competitive game swung in their favour by two ineptly-gifted penalties and Halifax were far more streetwise in every area. Despite solace once again being provided by the Trophy, Spennymoor Town gradually worn down in RM10, the triumph would be soured by a devastating season-ending injury to George Saunders and that unsavoury feeling would stay with the club throughout their final two games that month, in which supporter aggression crescendo'd to extreme levels. Justifiably so, too, because the team inexcusably surrendered all three points against ten-man Woking before, even worse, being destroyed by an Altrincham outfit who were without a home win for five months beforehand. The lack of reaction between those two games only fuelled a growing belief that the players were no longer behind McMahon. However, often teams need to teeter on the edge of the precipice to re-emerge stronger (even superficially), and on that note came the chaotic, multi-stranded month of March in which the Daggers would win four straight midweek clashes while doubling their entire campaign's clean sheet tally in the process, however simultaneously suffered some hugely damaging losses too. Indeed, Dagenham under natural and flood lighting would, likely through coincidence than anything else, be two entirely different beasts. Maidenhead United, Yeovil Town, Southend United (all 3-0) and Eastleigh (1-0) would all be beaten in consecutive midweeks, with McCallum and Junior Morias integral by registering the vast majority of those goals between them. The most enjoyable of those by far was that unforgettable night at Roots Hall, not only further bragging rights but also signifying an ideal pick-me-up after the harrowing Trophy exit to York City days before; Yoan Zouma clumsily conceded a last-kick penalty that Clayton Donaldson panenka'd home to add insult to injury, then we lost the ensuing shootout at sudden death stage. The subsequent two Saturdays were equally glum as the recurring trend of falling short against sides around them proved very costly once again, with valuable ground lost on very catchable sides in Grimsby Town and Notts County, each of whom defeated the Daggers 2-1. One step forward, two back left them a lot to do but a seven game unbeaten run through to early May was an exceptional way to start, albeit there were too many draws involved - namely Boreham Wood, who were there for the taking, alongside King's Lynn Town and Torquay United a few weeks later where sustained late onslaughts failed to yield the desperately-required outcome. Ironically, the goals flowed in other games, no more so than a bizarre 7-3 thriller at home to Barnet when Morias stole the show with a hat-trick. He was also on target in wins over Bromley, Aldershot (both 2-0) and Wealdstone (2-1) to deservedly win the league's 'Player of the Month' award, though McCallum bagged his fair share too as his side somehow took the top-seven battle to the final fortnight. It seemed over several times beforehand but palatable results elsewhere, mostly involving free-falling Chesterfield in seventh place, kept them alive against the odds. Even after being outclassed 3-1 on the penultimate day by a Solihull outfit reduced to ten men from the 23rd minute, there was still a very outside chance when the curtain came down against Wrexham at a scintillating Victoria Road the following weekend. The Dragons still harboured title hopes themselves, so both sides shared the mutual permutation of needing to win and hope for a favour to occur up north. Despite seeming like passive antagonists in the visitors' story rather than vice-versa, especially given their dreadful record versus promotion contenders, the Daggers delivered an absolutely magnificent performance from nowhere to emerge 3-0 victors, though it unfortunately wasn't enough because Chesterfield scraped the point they needed to make it at our expense An apt way to end, because nothing epitomised this Dagenham side and their inconsistent campaign more.
The excessively long wait before the club's eagerly-awaited Retained List was finally published on Wednesday morning, especially in relation to other sides whose campaigns also didn't extend into the play-off phase, at least gave supporters ample time to deliberate upon which players would remain at Victoria Road beyond the summer. Yet, even given the club's notorious lack of ruthlessness in such situations, surely nobody would have anticipated the extent to which lenience has been shown to those deemed surplus to requirements as we ultimately failed in our ambitions last term, many of whom have either been awarded new contracts or are currently involved in conversations towards that conclusion. Primarily Yoan Zouma and Harry Phipps, both having struggled here albeit for very different reasons. The latter has been an unmitigated disaster on and off the pitch, bringing the club's moral image into temporary disrepute with his complicity in the animal abuse scandal, before then denying us a realistic chance of getting to Wembley on his return by clumsily giving a last-second penalty away in the FA Trophy Quarter Final against York, who then triumphed via a penalty shootout at our expense. The enhanced spotlight now projected onto us as a result of this decision is simply not worth it for a player not good enough to make our best centre half combination last season, let alone when we look to improve this time around. It doesn't exactly equip the fanbase with significant belief, either, that we'll learn from the mistakes made in the last few months, especially with other prominent defenders rumoured to be departing. Moving onto Phipps now, a hugely talented player we really root for because of his age-defying maturity showcased during the financial crisis of 2018 and the devastating misfortune he has suffered through a series of severe injuries thereafter. However, there reaches a period where common sense has to supersede sentiment and we've long surpassed that point to be honest. It felt like the end when he ruptured an ACL during pre-season two years ago, yet he's somehow still here having only made four appearances for us since. There's not many players I'm more desperate to succeed here, but it feels like another Zavon Hines. Conversely, the other two players whose options have been triggered are Mo Sagaf and Myles Weston, which are comparitively far more sensible decisions as they have have been absolutely integral to us. They are crucial to our fast-paced attacking style, shouldering a huge creative burden too having registered a combined seventeen assists last season, and are very rarely injured. We simply don't look the same team whenever one, let alone both, so it is really brilliant news. The above-mentioned quartet join the following players - already under contract - as our initial 2022/23 squad pending inevitable signings: Ángelo Balanta, Josh Hare, Ansu Janneh, Elliott Johnson, Elliot Justham, Sam Ling, Paul McCallum, Junior Morias, Manny Onariase, Matt Robinson, Ryley Scott, Mauro Vilhete and Josh Walker. It's a strong core but lacks in defensive solidity, which simply has to be our primarily area of targeted improvement.
Trimmed from that squad are five departing players, none being a particular surprise. Mr Intensity himself, Joey Jones, is the only one who will leave without any real well wishes from anybody after burning bridges here, which undermined the fact he was occasionally a quality midfielder capable of completely running the show. Grimsby Town, for whom he spent the last few weeks of the season, also seemingly worked out very quickly that he was an inconsistent maverick not worth the hassle. Another whose loan foreshadowed the end of the road was Kenny Clark, a previous mainstay gradually phased out in his final year but he still filled in commendably on the rare occasion he was utilised. Probably never quite good enough for where we wanted to be, however still a very good servant and absolute gent too. Whether he retires or joins someone else, it will be with the genuine regard of us all. Then there's three strikers moving on, namely Darren McQueen, Scott Wilson and Ibby Akanbi. Unlike the other two whose goal records were nowhere near satisfactory, Akanbi's case is slightly different because he was an impressive stopgap player simply disadvantaged by the quality and depth he was competing with. Despite registering two goals and four assists from just three starts around late November/early December, he didn't make another but could now prove a real asset elsewhere in this division. Finally, it has since been announced that Will Wright has joined Gillingham upon the expiry of his contract here. You cannot begrudge any player seizing an opportunity higher up the pyramid, let alone one who has been at the club for four years, during which we've watched him evolve into a ball-playing defender that regularly contributes at the other end too, particularly through set-pieces. Over ten assists two seasons running underlines his ability, but in truth the whole backline needed restructuring regardless and he was complicit in it's leakiness. There could be further outgoings yet amongst the others still involved in current negotiations, so our predicament remains somewhat unclear as the amount of those who eventually leave will consequently shape how extensive our summer recruitment needs to be. |
WRITERArchives
January 2024
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