Views from the Sieve

We've had a brilliant campaign so far this season. A real chance of the daggers reclaiming top spot in the conference. But do you think our squad is better now than ten years ago or would you agree that our Nationwide winning boys will still be our best non-league squad? Discuss...

Our 2001/2 squad was better than both. Just my opinion.

It makes sense to me that today's players would be fitter, have better diets and training methods.Nostalgia will blind some and a futile argument will follow shortly. Even I want me to be wrong but I don't think so. It was far more exciting for us back then and that 2001 squad were probably as motivated if not more so. Fitness would be the ultimate difference.

Nothing to do with fitness some of the players we had then were better players technically. Mark Stein for example was better than anything we've ever had up front. Obviously it's about opinion and who was actually watching there squads?

Although it is difficult to compare players from different era's as opposition would have been different. Take the current league it's bloody awful, I don't remember too many fat players like Tranmere's Mcnaulty or that humongous defender that Chester had last week. Also the teams at the bottom of this current league are beyond bad.

Burnetts team would have beat that lot. You're comparing apples with lemons. Nostalgia has clouded any chance of reason from you mr dog. What you mean is you were more wrapped up in the emotion and excitement of the time than now.
Our best team was probably the one that won the playoff final in 2010, They'd give our cure to team a game and a half.

ARNU wrote:Burnetts team would have beat that lot. You're comparing apples with lemons. Nostalgia has clouded any chance of reason from you mr dog. What you mean is you were more wrapped up in the emotion and excitement of the time than now.
Our best team was probably the one that won the playoff final in 2010, They'd give our cure to team a game and a half.

Burnett's team couldn't beat an egg mate. Not because they weren't better some footballers in general, but because they had no heart and no tactical plan.

You are right that you can't directly compare a team that was part time playing in the Conference with one that was full time in the Football League. It isn't all about skill though, its about having a plan and some spirit, and about having a connection with the fans.

I believe the best team we ever had was the one that finished 8th in League Two with Matt Ritchie in it.

The best time to watch the Daggers was 2000/03, the team that scared the bejesus out of Charlton, kept having FA Cup runs and should have won the Conference & play off final, closely followed by the 2006/07 Conference winners. The team that won the League Two play off and went up to League One was pretty good too.

ARNU wrote:Burnetts team would have beat that lot. You're comparing apples with lemons. Nostalgia has clouded any chance of reason from you mr dog. What you mean is you were more wrapped up in the emotion and excitement of the time than now.
Our best team was probably the one that won the playoff final in 2010, They'd give our cure to team a game and a half.

And were is he now?

Mike the Dagger wrote:

ARNU wrote:Burnetts team would have beat that lot. You're comparing apples with lemons. Nostalgia has clouded any chance of reason from you mr dog. What you mean is you were more wrapped up in the emotion and excitement of the time than now.
Our best team was probably the one that won the playoff final in 2010, They'd give our cure to team a game and a half.

Burnett's team couldn't beat an egg mate. Not because they weren't better some footballers in general, but because they had no heart and no tactical plan.

You are right that you can't directly compare a team that was part time playing in the Conference with one that was full time in the Football League. It isn't all about skill though, its about having a plan and some spirit, and about having a connection with the fans.

I believe the best team we ever had was the one that finished 8th in League Two with Matt Ritchie in it.

The best time to watch the Daggers was 2000/03, the team that scared the bejesus out of Charlton, kept having FA Cup runs and should have won the Conference & play off final, closely followed by the 2006/07 Conference winners. The team that won the League Two play off and went up to League One was pretty good too.

Depends what Burnett team too.Murphy Hines etc weren't bad and would have pissed this league as well.Like you say difficult to compare really.

ARNU wrote:Burnetts team would have beat that lot. You're comparing apples with lemons. Nostalgia has clouded any chance of reason from you mr dog. What you mean is you were more wrapped up in the emotion and excitement of the time than now.
Our best team was probably the one that won the playoff final in 2010, They'd give our cure to team a game and a half.

If you ate a few more apples you would not be so fat. Run along troll it's boring now.

Yeah cos you're so skinny podge boy lol !!

There were plenty of shite teams around in the past at conference level - and fatties too. Who was that really fat centre back who played in the conference and we couldn't get the ball past no matter what we did? Mike, you will know - was it Matt Redmile?

Matt Redmile certainly was a lump! But as you say, he always played pretty well against us. To suggest that there are crap teams in the league this season and not previously is laughable - there have always been pretty damn poor teams in the Conference!

Alan wrote:There were plenty of shite teams around in the past at conference level - and fatties too. Who was that really fat centre back who played in the conference and we couldn't get the ball past no matter what we did? Mike, you will know - was it Matt Redmile?

Sounds right.

There were a few big enough they seemed to create their own gravitational field... at least we always seemed to manage to kick it straight at them.

As everyone has said, is so hard to judge era against era. Not sure the Conference is any better or worse now than it was around 01/02 or 06/07?? Really hard to judge. Based on size of clubs etc I would say the few years after we won it were probably the strongest looking time of last 20 years??

Personal opinion is that our best side was the 08/09 team. Robbo in goal, Arbs, Fozzy and Scott Griffiths at back, Saunders and Richie on wings, Gainy in the middle Strevs and Benno up top. Very good side for me. The play off team of the year after was obviously a good side with many of the above, plus Danny Green, Vincelot and Abs in there, plus the legend that was John Nurse!!!

My favourite sides would probably be the 00/01-02/03 side with so many characters and then the 06/07 side who had a lot of characters as well, and also got us promoted!! The very first side back in 92/93-93-94 was a pretty good team as well. Must be remembered that the Conf was nearly all part time then, but Yeovil and Wycome and Kidderminster were all strong teams in that era and we finished third in 92/93.