Published:
9:11 PM October 7, 2022
Will there ever be one, just one, normal week at this football club?
I can’t see it after another hectic week at the Daggers which saw a humiliating 5-1 defeat on the road to newly-promoted Dorking followed up with a 3-2 victory over promotion challengers Chesterfield.
From Saturday, admittedly, it couldn’t get any worse but to think it would get that much better in Chesterfield – 3-0 up at half-time was a surprise to everyone.
Saturday’s defeat was, yet again, a new low for Daryl McMahon’s Daggers who were devoid of any character or fighting spirit, let alone quality – as the boss put it, ‘a lack of urgency, character and togetherness’.
In saying that the team were ‘outplayed, outworked and outfought’ in a brutally honest interview that you couldn’t disagree with, Daryl only puzzled supporters more I think. Considering, this is the team that he has assembled after the near three years he has had in charge.
I’ve not been one for the perpetual ‘McMahon out’ debate that will inevitably rumble on until his eventual departure, but that performance and annihilation at the hands of Dorking Wanderers was the epitome of the argument.
That defeat, too, condemned the Daggers to the foot of the table as far as the defensive record is concerned, having conceded 26 goals in just 11 games.
This is undeniably the urgent issue that needs to be addressed, conceding now an average of 2.5 goals a game, and then expecting to reach the play-offs? It’s not gonna happen.
The absolute craziness of this league, that only gets crazier and more competitive every year – anybody capable of beating anyone – is that after all of the turmoil in the last week, the Daggers are just three points off the play-offs!
One thing that everybody is in search of but few can seem to find is consistency, only the Daggers are an extreme example, the pictures of the recent results taking football Twitter by storm.
It certainly isn’t boring as a Dagger but isn’t it the most frustrating, on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller and then the right, begging the question – why couldn’t you do that three days ago?
One change that made all the difference this week seemed to be the return of Junior Morias, the attacker always seeming to deliver and lift those around him to achieve their full potential.
It appears when he is on form then so is Paul McCallum, and vice versa. The dynamism of the attack tore apart the Spireites defence and really was beautiful to see.
That half-time scoreline I think few saw coming, and thankfully the Daggers managed to hold on and get the result that the performance warranted, putting us in a good position going into this weekend’s crunch match.
As Southend visit Victoria Road, it is a huge opportunity for McMahon’s men to record another victory which would make it four wins from five – a stat I couldn’t believe when I saw it.
The Blues are a different side to when they were last battered here, however a performance like Tuesday’s and the Daggers should be capable of victory.
Hopefully we see an assured defensive display today and go into Tuesday’s rearranged fixture with York in some fine form. Who knows what this week’s got in store for this Dagenham & Redbridge side, only one thing’s for sure, there won’t be a dull moment!
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