The Spine Is Fine!!

I have always seen myself as an optimistic sort,  but I don’t even think I thought at the start of this season, that come November, the Daggers would be playing as well we are and basically challenging for the title.  Don’t get me wrong I thought there was an outside chance of promotion and after seeing the new recruits we made in the Summer, a play-off place was always a likely outcome at the end of the season.  I didn’t think for a minute though that we would become the team we have become so far, considering that we virtually started this campaign with a completely new squad.

I know it is early days still, but each week that I watch us or hear us play, I can’t help but think we have the makings of real title contenders.  On paper our October fixture list looked a tough one, but after picking up 12 points and only losing one game away to Torquay in that period, the overall performances of our slightly inexperienced team has got me believing that come the end of April, a return to the promised land may well be on the cards.

I would say that over the last month we have definitely not been at our best, but what we have managed to do is grind out results and pick up points.  We have showed a lot of resilience in recent games, something that had been unfortunately missing over the past few seasons.  This was typified by the way our young side came back from 1-0 down at the weekend away to top of the table Forest Green.  I read somewhere that this was the first time we had been behind in a game and actually equalised.  That says to me that this young and mostly inexperienced squad is starting to come together at just the right time.

John Still deserves a lot of credit for the work he has done this season, to rebuild a team they way he has done on yet again limited resources, in my opinion this puts some of these high profile managers of the Premier League to shame.  Still has looked at it in the close season, decided what shape he wants to play, how he wants his team to play, he has then picked the best formation to fit the players he has brought in.  The thing he has done though that stands out above all else is the way he has constructed the teams spine.

It is no secret that successful football teams have strong spines.  If you look over the years at some of the greatest teams they have all been strong through the middle of the team from keeper, central defender, central midfielder to striker.  The Liverpool teams of the 70’s and 80’s had that kind of spine, the Manchester United side of the 90’s did, the invincible Arsenal team had the same.  If you have that sort of back bone that keeps the team together as well as a goalscorer, then any team that finishes the season above you, are going to be extremely high up in the league.

I would say this is the first time since maybe Roberts, Arber, Thurgood and Benson, that we have had such an impressive spine to a Dagenham and Redbridge squad.  I would even go as far to say that possibly, this time it is even stronger.

In Elliot Justham, we don’t just have one of the best keepers in the League, but for the first time in all the 30 odd years I have been going to Victoria Road, we actually have a goalkeeper who can kick the ball without it going straight out for a throw.  Tony Roberts is a living legend and will always be my favourite of all Daggers keepers but Justham has the ability and the time to become even better than “Big Tone”.  At just 26 years old he is still to reach his peak, I just hope we get to see a lot more of him over the next few years.  Another thing we have been lacking in recent times from a keeper is command of the box.  What I have also noticed is that Justham has an almost telepathic understanding with his captain Scott Doe.

When Scotty came back from Boreham Wood in close season, I have to say I was beside myself with happiness.  What Doe gives you isn’t just great pace or that last ditch tackle like the one at the weekend, he gives you everything he has and then just a little bit more.  We all know, just like with Tony Roberts that once or twice in a season Doey will make an error that costs us a goal.  The thing is during that season he will save us so many more points.  I will always say that if he was here last year we wouldn’t have gone down.  He could have played with anyone of the defenders we had last year and improved them, and I even include Nosworthy in that.  Nosworthy’s brain and Does pace would have been a great combination.

Andre Boucaud has been nothing short of sensational this season, I have always said that if you play him in a three in midfield he will have the time on the ball to hurt the opposition.  Andre is quite obviously a talented footballer but this season I have seen a different side of him, at times he is the man who is chasing down and putting the pressure on the last defender.  When he has been on international duty we have missed his invention in the middle of the pitch.  Boucaud has to put some of his success this season down to the help he has had in midfield from Matt Robinson.  Robinson on his day can be one of the best midfielders around.  He is still only young and learning the game but he just looks so assured for someone of just 22, he has been a massive part of the midfield this season.

Luke Gutteridge is John Stills General on the pitch.  when he plays he gives us another dimension to our play.  He seems to be able to occupy the defence so that other attacking players have more freedom.  We have missed Luke, however the emergence of Corey Whitely has numbed the pain slightly and yet again we have another player who is capable of changing a game and making something happen.

At the summit of all this of course we Oliver Hawkins.  Last season a number of fans didn’t think he was much cop, and to be fair he did struggle to find his feet.  It was obvious to a lot of people though that he was, in John Stills eyes the next Paul Benson.  Hawks has been on fire this season and what I love about him is that because he is a striker he wants to take the penalties.  I hope we can keep him for the season at least.  I also hope that now there has been some investment into the club, that when we do actually sell him on we don’t just settle for a packet of fags or a bag of chips for him.

So that is the spine, add to that players like Staunton who gives absolutely everything and will play absolutely anywhere.  Raymond who has become a better left back than our own left back, Widdowson who has been a revelation at right back.  Maguire-Drew and Okenabirhie for their craft and goals, and of course Craig Robson who is another one who oozes class for someone of such little experience.

I still think we are going to add a little to the squad before the season is out maybe another a winger and a central defender, but I would say pound for pound we have probably the strongest squad in this league.   I am not saying we are the finished article and I am not silly enough to believe just because we have a very strong squad we will steamroll our way to the title.  The signs are very promising though, and I can’t help thinking it has a similar feeling at the moment as it did ten years ago.

Anyway hopefully we can continue in this vein starting with a victory in the FA Cup first round proper against FC Halifax.

I reckon just as we did at the weekend we will go a goal down, however we will equalise before half time and then go on to win quite comfortably.

4-1 Daggers

Maguire-Drew 2, Hawkins, Robinson.

Up the Daggers!!