The Opposition View – The Daggers

Following yesterday’s 3-0 defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge at Victoria Road, here is the view of the two managers.

Daggers boss John Still said: ‘It’s been a really pleasing win, really pleasing. It’s been a long wait for the fans but thankfully we’ve gone and done the business for them now. Hopefully this will send them home happy now with a spring in their step.’

‘I understand their frustrations, I really do, but the lads have put the effort in this season. I can’t fault them for that. Commitment and desire has never been in question. It’s about building on this result now of course. Can we use it as a platform and ease up that table a little bit? We need to.’

‘I feel the squad we’ve got here is too strong to be down there scratching around for points. There’s plenty of talent at our club, and it’s about channeling that talent into a team that will win more games.’

Wanderers caretaker boss Gareth Ainsworth told the press afterwards: ‘We need to defend set plays better. You take them out of it and it’s a 1-0, and I’m not even sure it’s a 1-0 because we wouldn’t have committed that many men going forward.’

‘Dagenham are known for their set plays. We knew what was coming and we practised it on Thursday and Friday, but two set plays have cost us again.’

‘We’d probably have four or five points more if we could defend set plays. It’s not individuals, it’s as a team. The application and the commitment is back, but we have to tighten up on set plays, without a shadow of a doubt. If I have to work morning and afternoon on set plays then that’s going to be it.’

Ainsworth was then asked about the vacancy at Adams Park. He replied: ‘The board know I want to be a manager one day and if it comes quicker than expected then it does. If it doesn’t then I still want to be a manager one day. They know where I stand.’

‘Whether I’m caretaker manager or kit man, it doesn’t matter. I still want to give 100 per cent for Wycombe to get the points and get this club back where it should be.’

‘I’d probably feel more pressure if I was manager. As caretaker, you just give your best and they’ll judge you on that. That’s fair enough. It’s a results game and you get judged on results. We’ll see what happens in the next week. It can only go upwards though, after this result.’

‘It was very tough. It was always going to be and the lads are on the floor at the moment. It’s not a nice place to be and we have to try and change this mentality and get winning again.’

‘The result doesn’t tell the whole tale. A 3-0 loss at Dagenham is a hard one to take, but if you’d been at the game and seen the battling qualities of the team – that has definitely improved.’


The Daggers fans were delighted with their first league win of the campaign. It would be fair to say however that they weren’t impressed with what they saw from the Wanderers.

Sussex Daggers wrote:
‘Just after you thought you had seen the worst of this division then along come Wycombe Wanderers who were absolutely dire. In all honesty I found the game absolutely tedious and the only highlight for me was the passage of play just before half time.`

‘Good result but the performance was not up to much and it is a good job it did not need to be. Not for the first time this season I have left the ground thinking you will not see a worse team then that.`

Michael wrote:
‘Perhaps the worst football league team in recent seasons to visit Victoria Road. Thanks for the points but if they had been at Bridge Avenue (home of Hornchurch F.C.) today they would have suffered a similar result.`

Chris Purnell ‏ wrote:
‘The John Still assembly line produces yet another band of warriors. Wycombe were awful.`

Matt Lees wrote:
‘Well done the Wycombe fans who made the journey, but with just over 300, it does make your moaning about space laughable!`

Nick Murphy wrote:
‘Wycombe’s only saving grace was Dean Morgan who was having a good game. Olly Taylor also looked decent up front. You wouldn’t have been able to tell it was Junior Morais` professional debut as the 17 year old took the game in his stride.`

‘As for Wycombe, it was just poor really. They lack fight in the midfield and were very poor at the back. I lost count of how many times Femi beat Danny Foster, whilst we were equally as damaging on the other flank.`

‘My final word goes to the 323 Chairboys in the crowd this afternoon – a massive well done to you. I know it’s only a short trip, but when your team are in a slump it can feel like forever.`

Next Match – Wycombe Wanderers v Plymouth Argyle –
League Two – Tuesday 2nd October 2012 – Kick-off 7.45pm