The underdog spirit

[dagger4eva]

When I 1st started supporting the daggers back in 1998 we were always the underdog. Some 17 years on and we're still that same underdog - just at a slightly higher level.

In the past we just used to kinda get on with it - were very rarely fazed about who we were playing be it a league game against a 'bigger' club or be it a cup game against a bigger club in a higher division.

Nowadays however and for some time now I feel our old underdog - we are Dagenham and don't give a flying you know what attitude / spark is missing.

As a club in the RYMAN League we took then Premiership Charlton to a draw at the Valley and only lost in the return game in Extra Time.
We competed highly against then Premiership Ipswich (also competing in the UEFA Cup that year)
Same goes for a game against then Championship Norwich losing out only to a last minute spawn of a goal.
We had good runs in the LDV / Paint Pot trophy - often beating higher ranked teams than ourselves.
And all the time we achieved the above I think our supporters and most importantly team believed anything was possible.

Look at our cup records in the last 8 years though since becoming a football league club - something our MD confesses is vital in raising much needed funds for the club.

Football League Cup - 8 seasons - NEVER made it past the 1st round.
FA Cup - 5 exits at the 1st round stage, once out in the 2nd round and twice in the 3rd.
Football League Trophy - our record reads ever so slightly better with only 3 1st round exits, two in the 2nd round and three in the 3rd.

Obviously times change and the underdog will only win so many times but the rather piss poor and even more unsurprising defeat on Saturday paired with the equally more inevitable defeat tomorrow night got me thinking about it this dull lunchtime.

So why do we fair so badly these days in the cup? What's missing? Have our managers'/players' (past & present) attitude's towards these games changed? Our players used to thrive on the big occasion but now we seem to adopt a 'lucky to even be there in the 1st place' attitude.
Even when we're the favourites now (a VERY rare occurrence) we still couldn't score a goal against, let alone turn over struggling Southport over two games.

Where is our Tony Roberts, Paul Terry, Mark Janney & Junior McDougald now?? These guys weren't fazed by playing superior opposition were they!?

Love our players to prove me wrong and go and turn over Charlton tomorrow - but if we're honest, it's really not going to happen is it.

Anyway, best get back to work - ciao ciao ;)

[Chigwellian]

I totally agree with everything that dagger4eva has said..... Im not going to add anything else :)

[SUSSEX DAGGER]

Have we not shown that in the last three years of the League cup , in all three games we have held a positive result going into the last minute only for fate to strike a kick in the proverbials. All against higher opposition and losing out to an injury time goal over two games against a team that nearly made the Premiership don't read half as bad as it looks

To this day that was never a penalty against Coventry and last two years I could not question the commitment or desire, so come on Lady Luck my cat is getting to old to be kicked.

[stanton101]

it'll be interesting to see what happens if we go a goal down at Charlton. I just hope we give it a right good go. I'd rather we went out fighting than lay down like we did at Pompey. I'm sure we'll have a fair support at the valley, like we did on Saturday and for that we as fans deserve 100% effort.

[admin]

Can't criticise the team that gave Brentford a run for their money the last two years but I doubt we'll get much out of tonight. I reckon 2-0, 3-0 to Charlton

[dagger4eva]

And yeah .... as I was saying!!

[Lcbdagger]

Only from a couple of people who went, it sounded a very decent Charlton performance... Not much we could have done unless they underperformed given their weekend result

[dagger4eva]

Wait until you see the pathetic ease in which they LITERALLY waltzed through our defence on 4 occasions completely un-challenged!!

Charlton didnt have to bust a gut or get out 1st gear the entire night.

2 games played - 7 goals conceded

Triffic

[stanton101]

It was an easy night for Charlton in fairness, but then again they are two leagues higher than us. Five of our team who will undoubtedly start against orient were on the bench. Doidge must start on Saturday, he showed more in twenty minutes than McClure has in two matches!
Jodi was once again our stand out player imo.

[shoreyda2nd]

It was an easy night for Charlton in fairness, but then again they are two leagues higher than us. Five of our team who will undoubtedly start against orient were on the bench. Doidge must start on Saturday, he showed more in twenty minutes than McClure has in two matches!
Jodi was once again our stand out player imo.

Agree on Doidge, but do we have the legs in midfield to play 442?
Disagree on Jodie, he struggled today far more than at Portsmouth as they knew he'd cut in every time. Chambers had arguably his best game for us, hard to drop him after that.

[matt_drfc]

****** it, all out attack on Saturday, front 5 of Jones, Chambers, Hemmings, Cureton, Doidge

[daggersjeff]

First game of season for me last night...pretty poor performance on the pitch....we got suckered in to the centre cause Charlton dont play wide...every time we turned inside their midfield just took control.....shame we couldn't join the ranks of lower league teams that beat Championship opponents last night!!!

Fans were in great voice though......so funny when all the old player songs came out and the part time supporters didn't have a clue what was going on!!!....took me back to days of Conference passed.

Most entertaining away trip for many a year!!

[Diggerthedog]

Quote from the Charlton forum

Felt a bit like a friendly. We seemed very comfortable, not having to get out of third gear passing crisply. They didn't seem up for it in an in your face way which surprised me. I picked out their 17 and 10 (17 was Jones) being a bit above the rest of their team.