Divided by ownership, finances, quality and ambition, this may seem like a mismatch on and off the pitch. However, boosted by the news of a promising potential takeover by an American consortium, the Daggers will be looking to continue their positive performances recently by finally making one of them count, and relieving the pressure already mounting on the bottom two, who are at risk of being cut adrift.
Monday's narrow reverse at Barnet marked their fourth consecutive 2-1 defeat in a row, which tells a story in itself. Every mistake or slight lapse in concentration usually gets punished this season but hopefully we can turn things around and the first three points will be crucial to that. For as long as this winless run persists, more and more strain is put on the players yet they all know that the fans are completely behind them. At this level, Salford City need no introduction. The unknown little outfit have embarked on a meteoric rise through the divisions, seeing their once Sunday league-esque ground transform into a stylish, modern stadium. This is no AFC Wimbledon or Burton Albion however, and the rise of the Ammies has been a direct consequence of the money pumped into the club by the Class of 92. Over the summer, they've made some very notable and slightly unfair signings. The main coup, which has caused controversy, was Adam Rooney from Aberdeen, who has already began to flourish in the National League with five goals from seven games. Such was the shock evoked by this signing, rumoured to be on a staggering 4k a week, that other equally brilliant arrivals went under the radar. Danny Lloyd was highly thought of at Peterborough while Nathan Pond established himself as a regular goalscorer in League 1 from defence. Both got off the mark in their recent win over Barrow. Salford may be a big side in this division, but they haven't enjoyed an electric start to the season. They've been solid if unspectacular, but the fact that they've drawn against teams such as Havant offers the Daggers hope for today. Salford have been much better at home than on the road, where they are yet to taste victory. They've been beaten by Sutton United and Gateshead, which gave them an enlightening wake-up call about the quality of this division. Today there's absolutely no disgrace in losing; Salford should be blowing sides such as us away with all the cash that they've invested into the club. A well-organised outfit, with a good manager in Graham Alexander at the helm, should be blitzing an inexperienced team of youngsters. However, this is the National League and that's not how things work. Anybody can beat anybody and there's no reason why we can't nick something today. Hopefully we can do what teams have done to us so far, by doing nothing before striking a deadly blow. Taylor has a good variety of options to select from including Harry Donovan, who was recalled by Millwall only to sit on their bench in the Carabao Cup, and then rejoin us two days later. Taylor could opt for the team who lost to Hartlepool, or the one who were defeated at Barnet, or merge the two. Noel Leighton played well at the Hive and I'd love to see us somehow accommodate him, Adeloye and Romain. When nothing is expected of the Daggers, that's when we can can cause the shocks. The pressure is off us today and the emphasis will be on the away side to win. In reality, though, anything could happen and as long as we see a dedicated and passionte performance, I'll be happy.
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January 2024
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