It’s safe to say that ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ Dagenham & Redbridge are well and truly back - the inconsistencies that marred much of last campaign are creeping back in this time round.
Following the somewhat uninspiring display in Yeovil on Saturday - ending in a 1-0 defeat - a transformed Daggers side swept Bromley away at Victoria Road just two days later.
It was a fantastic reaction to Saturday’s defeat and you can’t moan about a 4-1 win, but this inconsistency (if it persists) will see us fall short once again.
However, focusing on the positives from last time out and the Daggers were excellent from start to finish, being defensively-assured and offensively-clinical.
I hoped in last week’s column that Junior Morias would appear on the scoresheet over the Bank Holiday weekend and what a response he made, scoring two (arguably three) against Bromley.
This is what had been absent for a while - just one win in five before Monday - but the recent display has alleviated some pressure from Daryl McMahon’s shoulders.
That pressure continued to mount after last Saturday’s defeat, which by all accounts was uninspiring and raised more concerns about how we couldn’t defeat a poor Yeovil side, looking ahead with even greater concern to a tough run of fixtures ahead.
The two games this week perfectly illustrate the tests McMahon’s men face in turning up and being at their very best to get the desired results, the first being a return to Victoria Road to face Notts County, who sit in fifth place going after back-to-back victories.
There will be interesting selections at the back as Manny Onariase misses out through suspension and David Longe-King missed the last game through injury. It’s these inconsistent team selections, forced or unforced, that some have pointed to in orde to explain the equally inconsistent results.
I believe McMahon was right in experimenting with the side at the start of the campaign, especially as the results warranted change, but now he must settle on a preferred side and system.
The back three of Josh Hare, Onariase and Sam Ling last time out proved a formidable force; no mean feat against an experienced and reputable Bromley attack. However, as is the root of McMahon’s frustration, Onariase is suspended and Ling a doubt meaning he will have to revise that defence for Notts County at least.
Nonetheless, I’ve confidence in the depth and quality of the squad to halt Notts County in their tracks, whether they can replicate that performance on the trip to Wrexham on Tuesday night will I think be a bigger challenge.
So, iron out the inconsistencies and we’ll be fine, a lot easier said than done and there will be easier circumstances than games against Notts County and Wrexham in which to do this.
Ultimately, this is a big week for Dagenham either way - ending it with six or zero points - I’d take two good performances and see what happens from there.
Until next week, Come On You Daggers!
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