Dagenham

I’ve had quite a bit of feedback on this column. Mostly positive stuff but some think it’s all a bit too long. Yup, I can see that, but part of the reason for me doing this stuff is it gives me a chance to vent my spleen. I always feel a bit better afterwards. So, best jump off now or hang on for a long bumpy ride. I write more when we lose. That’s the depressive nature of addicted football fans. I think I could now write a War & Peace length piece, but it would probably be 600 pages of expletives. That’s how I feel now. On Wednesday morning I didn’t have to get up for work until 7 o’clock but I woke up at 6, angry about what I’d had the misfortune to witness the previous evening.

I had concerns about this one. For all the predictable talk about never underestimating the opposition, I’m pretty sure the players & fans alike thought that this would be a walkover. Given the backdrop of no away fans, the atmosphere in our soulless stadium had great potential to induce severe depression. And that was even before we knew the result.

Our recent decent performances and wins against teams in the lower half of this league, whilst welcomed, had not convinced me that all should be forgotten of our collapse at the back end of last season & 6 game losing streak this campaign. Beating such teams is the bare minimum requirement before I’ll start believing again. I’ll need to see us give the best teams in this league a good game and start to beat them on a regular basis. Nothing less will do.

So what happens? We lose to a side that are no great shakes. I understand that Chris Wilder said we’d taken three steps forward and one step back. No Chris, our recent form was half a step forward that didn’t get us anywhere near the base camp we should have long ago established ourselves at. The 3 pts dropped against the Daggers sent us toppling backwards a couple of steps towards the dreaded relegation trap door.

The game started but we didn’t. It was a match with no life and we were the team with no life that made it so.

Early on the ball found its way to the right wing. It landed at Adam Chapman’s feet. He did nothing with it. We went nowhere. Alfie Potter would most likely have carried the ball into Daggers territory and at worst won a throw in. With Alfie in the team I reckon we’d have played the game 30 yards further up field instead of sitting back in clueless fashion as if we were the away side. In the first half we hardly got into their half – well that’s how it seemed.

Our midfield was a massive disappointment. Chappers has been off form for a while now, burnt nip or not, and even on form he’s no wide player. He was awful; he lacked sharpness and half the time looked to be dozing. In the interest of balance I will say that towards the end he came up with a well hit shot that forced their keeper to pull off an excellent save. Lee Cox was hardly any better. No wonder you couldn’t tell that we ended up with a man advantage. And don’t get me started on Peter Leven. I love the quality he brings – at times worth the admission money alone – but however skilled a player is, if they are not willing to get themselves fit and shed the extra pounds (or in some cases, stones) I do not want them at my football club. A player without the ball should be able to run faster than one with it, shouldn’t they?

For the last of our midfield four I’ve only got praise. Sean Rigg was my man of the match. His close dribbling skills meant he hardly lost the ball and it was classic wing play that saw him get to the by line and pull the ball back for Tommy Craddock’s first goal. At last we have a striker striking. Both of Tommy’s goals were superb finishes. I love it. We’ve been crying out for this for ages. Other than that he did little else. I’m trying to work out if this is a problem. Beano didn’t score but did a lot else. He’s now looking to be a very good footballer and for all of our crapness, he nearly got a couple. He wasn’t to blame when thwarted by a good save and a block, but he should have connected in the second half and salvaged a point.

And then there’s the defence – three goals conceded, two from corners. The fans were expecting John Mullins, footballer that he is, to come straight back in. He can read the game and would have helped our cause of getting our game going. Michael Raynes has at times looked quite good in the air and it would be unfair to make him the scapegoat but he is less skilled when the ball gets near his feet and this time his headers lacked distance. Andy Whing had a torrid time, going back to not looking like a right back. And where was the evidence of Tony Capaldi’s experience and Jake Wright’s captaincy when it was needed?

We’re scoring goals now but our once reliable defence is like a sieve. With 30 goals conceded, only AFC have a worse record. When, oh when, will we get it right on a regular basis at both ends (and in the middle) of the pitch?

Torquay

I really thought that we would win this one. We had to produce something special to make up for the debacle of four days earlier. Torquay were without Rene Howe, the only guy who scores for them and they had lost their previous two matches without scoring, to Harrogate Town of the Blue Square Bet North, and Barnet (the first team). And for good measure they were without their first choice keeper having to make do with a replacement who is shorter than the obligatory 6’.

In truth this was an improvement on the previous display but not having seen that, my son’s view of proceedings was rather apposite. Such was the nature of the game that at one time he thought we were losing. His views were that we were “awful”, and “playing without thought”. It was “tedious” and at the end he was “happy that it was over”.

He’s not alone. Here are a few quotes from the Yellows Forum:

-But yesterday I was bored, £40 spent and bored. Couldn’t raise any enthusiasm, never thought I would say that. Can’t see me coming again until something changes.

– There is no buzz for me going to home games anymore. This reflects on to the rest of the crowd as well as there is no atmosphere. I want that feeling of excitement restored at the club!

– Rather watch Oxford away than at home. If the Kassam Stadium burnt down tomorrow I wouldn’t shed a tear!

– I was in two minds whether to go or not yesterday, first time I’ve ever done that.

The club must take note of such opinion and the noticeable decline in gates and hence revenue.

There are still plenty however who don’t think that we should change the manager. Fair enough, but what do they think should be changed then? Because if there is no improvement the (league) season will be all but over in a few weeks, save for a possible relegation battle. Or do they think it will, all of a sudden, as if by magic, come right. Wouldn’t it be great to have such belief?

The Gulls were very solid at the back and the fact that we had marginally the better chances counted for nothing as we never gave their fluorescent guardian much to do. By the same token with the Devonians not offering much attacking wise and with Mullins back alongside Wright we had little difficulty in keeping them out at the other end. So perhaps there are some positives to be had. Oh, and Liam Davis lasting 90 minutes.

But nowhere near enough for me to clap the players off. Some seem to do this every game as a matter of course. I don’t understand this. It becomes meaningless, like players being forced to shake hands. And the players might just get it into their heads that what they have produced is good enough. Which it isn’t.

Depressed? Yes. Will I be at Proact Stadium next Saturday? Of course. Will I be supporting the manager and the team? Absolutely, yes (well that’s my intention) throughout the 90 + minutes but once that final whistle has gone it could well be a different story. Here’s hoping I’ll just be writing a very short piece.

COYY