Daggers Already Out For Burnett's Boys

With Football League hostilities set to resume this weekend, we test the readiness of each of the Capital’s representatives ahead of the new campaign.

Our latest offering takes us to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium to check in with Dagenham and Redbridge’s progress as they seek to overcome the odds by staving off relegation from the Football League for a second year running.

2013/14 Preview: Dagenham and Redbridge

Beginning any new venture as the favourite to fail is a daunting enough task, but when a manager enters his first full season in charge at a club who survived by the skin of their teeth two short months ago and is then beaten by the man from whom he has taken over, even before pre-season is out, the portents become increasingly ominous.

Odds-on bankers for the drop with the bookies, Dagenham and Redbridge and their manager Wayne Burnett go into 2013-14 with expectations in the gutter but pressures as high as ever.

The new man in the hot-seat has only been in charge since 26 February and, having lost to former boss John Still’s Luton Town 0-3 on Saturday, he will be hoping for a much-improved performance in his side’s first League Two outing at Fleetwood Town this coming weekend if they are to the silence the naysayers and doom-mongers predicting non-league knockabouts this time next year in East London.

An academy graduate of local rivals Leyton Orient, Burnett was assistant to Still at Victoria Road until February when he became caretaker manager and steered the ship towards safety by virtue of superior goal difference on the final day. At 41, Burnett heads a youthful coaching setup comprising his deputy, Tottenham Hotspur youth product Warren Hackett, also 41, and 38-year-old player-coach Darren Currie, once of West Ham United.

Burnett once featured as an extra in football soap Dream Team but his summer preparations descended into the realms of nightmare as the Daggers were turned over by Luton as well as fellow Londoners Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic, not to mention Dulwich Hamlet of the Ryman Premier, which is particularly worrying with a visit to League One Brentford’s Griffin Park in the Capital One Cup on the horizon. There were, however, reasons to fantasise as Whitstable Town, Dover Athletic, Great Yarmouth Town and Thurrock were dispatched while a draw was claimed at Skrill Premier new-comers Dartford.

New life has been breathed into an ailing squad with the acquisitions of strikers Afolabi Obafemi, 18, following his release from Orient, and Rhys Murphy, 22, who signed a  two-year deal (subject to international clearance) after being released by Dutch side SC Telstar, for whom he registered 8 goals in 24 appearances last term.

Murphy adds to the former Arsenal contingent at Dagenham, where he will meet up with Gavin Hoyte and captain Abu Ogogo who both, like Murphy, moved to Arsenal following the demise of Wimbledon in 2004. He will hope to provide a cutting edge to a youthful frontline that includes the teenage Obafemi as well as Jake Reed, 22, who managed just 1 goal in 24 games last year, 20-year-old Louis Dennis, Sean Shields, 21, who only made his professional debut in January, and the more experienced Josh Scott, 28.

When speaking about Murphy’s potential, Burnett declared: "He's still only young and has a lot of ability, experience and talent.

"Hopefully we can bring out the best in him and I'm really excited about working with him.

"I also think the fans will love watching him play; he has a lot of energy and it really shows on the pitch.

“I thought he has looked sharp in all the games he has played in pre-season and he gives us something different to what we currently have.

The side was desperately in need of extra firepower up front after 8-goal Sam Williams was one of six released in the summer following a season in which Dwight Gayle was sold to Peterborough before moving to the Premier League and Luke Howell top-scored from centre midfield with nine, especially as, judging from the former full-back’s track record, he is unlikely to repeat the feat. Unfortunately, the club were unable to bring in tricky winger Zavon Hines after he impressed as a triallist against Crystal Palace recently following his departure from Bradford City and the one-time West Ham youth is now on trial at Coventry City.

There may be cause for greater trust in a rearguard that was previously much-maligned, as teenage left-back Jack Connors has agreed a new deal and, along with Hoyte and 21-year-old right back Luke Wilkinson, will add dynamism on the flanks in the upcoming campaign.

On top of that, what could be a key addition has been made at centre back with the signing of Brian Saah from Torquay United to play at the heart of Daggers’ defence along with Scott Doe, having represented Leyton Orient earlier in his career.

Burnett said of Saah: "I'm delighted to have signed Brian. He comes with experience and, at 26, is in the prime of his career.

"He has a lot to give and having played 200 league games he adds vital competition to our squad. The squad is now coming together."

With a new manager come new ideas and, with a few months under his belt, Burnett is beginning to make his mark on the side, experimenting with a new 4-3-3 formation in pre-season to complement the expansive passing style which he aims to employ.

One player who certainly seemed to thrive in such circumstances was Billy Bingham, who excelled alongside Howell with his range of passing from the middle. If the 23-year-old former Crystal Palace man can learn to use his talents to dictate the tempo of games while simultaneously supplying the link between an improved backline and an attack with a great deal of potential, Daggers should be able to aim higher than mere survival this season, despite the pundits’ early predictions.