With the tragic passing of Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield earlier this month, and the subsequent postponement of our game with the Grecians, it will be Tranmere Rovers who make up the first contest.

The Daggers have yet to pick up a point from their opening two league fixtures and still seek their first goal. How that will be celebrated when it arrives! In fairness though, it’s been something of a baptism of fire for the Reds; away games against title favourites Sheffield Wednesday and League 2 champions Notts County, are more than a little tricky.

Yet all three encounters, including the 2-1 reverse at MK Dons in the League Cup, have been close-run affairs, showing the players are certainly not out of their depth at this level.

So to Saturday’s game, and if we pay much attention to the early league table, the pundits would have this down as a relegation six-pointer! With ourselves and Rovers 24th and 23rd respectively, both teams will sense a chance of grabbing all three points.

So, what of our opponents? Well, Tranmere have had a mixed start to this campaign. An opening day defeat to Oldham Athletic was followed up with a commendable point at Huddersfield Town. Since then a 1-0 victory at League 1 rivals Walsall in the first round of the League Cup preceded Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, who were without Bristol City-bound Brett Pitman. Rovers’ most recent result was defeat to Swansea City on Tuesday night, ending their interest in this year’s League Cup.

That Tranmere are still competing at this level this season owes largely to the work of Les Parry; physio-cum-manager who guided the team to safety following the calamitous reign of John Barnes and assistant Jason McAteer at the start of last season.

It’s a far cry from the all-conquering Cup giantkillers from the early noughties. Who will ever forget their “bouncebackability” in overcoming Premier League Southampton at Prenton Park in 2001? Three goals down they went on to famously win 4-3.

Those days are some way off for now but boss Parry has attempted to strengthen his squad in the close season. He fought to get Andy Robinson back at the club following a successful spell on loan from Leeds Utd at the end of last season, but high wages proved a stumbling block for the Merseysiders.

One signing that does look imminent though is that of Northern Ireland striker Sam Morrow. Currently at Coleraine (former club of a certain Mr Shipp), Morrow previously had spells at Ipswich Town and Hibernian. He is thought to be a replacement for Ian Thomas-Moore who seems likely to join his father at Rotherham before the transfer window closes.

Fingers crossed Thomas-Moore gets a move on as Tranmere minus last season’s top goalscorer will certainly be a less potent threat!

Similar to the Thomas-Moore saga, the Daggers have a mini soap opera going on themselves right now. The main protagonist is Paul Benson who looks all but certain to be on his way to Charlton Athletic. The timing is of course not ideal but given Benno’s loyalty and incredible service to the club over the past five years, many fans will surely not begrudge him his big move.

Yet it leaves the forward line in disarray. With Tomlin an injury doubt and allegations surrounding Scott’s personal life, other players will have to carry the can going forward. Scannell came on a substitute at Meadow Lane last Saturday and could offer an option in a more advanced role and we could see Jon Nurse deployed more centrally than we’ve become accustomed to.

With these concerns up top, a lot of emphasis must be placed on keeping things tight at the back. The sloppy errors that led to the two goals conceded at Hillsborough on the opening day will no doubt have been addressed. But for a Craig Westcarr goal last time out, which had a hint of offside to it, the Daggers would have notched up their first clean sheet of the season. So progress is certainly being made.

Saturday promises to be an emotional day all round at Victoria Road. It’s likely to be a tight affair between two sides yet to hit their stride. Needless to say, a scrappy 1-0 win will do very nicely.

Of course the manager has attracted criticism. Fabio was supposed to be the one, the man who could finally lead us to glory, and he came with a sparkling CV sporting trophies from Spain and Italy. The main problem with Capello though, is a lack of plan B. We played 4-4-2, we stuck to it rigidly, and when we needed to change the game he could only muster like-for-like substitutions. And in those situations it seemed he was bent on choosing the man least likely. Shaun Wright-Phillips over Lennon? Emile Heskey over Crouch? Do me a favour. Whilst other teams pick formations which suit the players, or pick players which suit the formation, we do neither.

We are still facing the same problem as 6 years ago, trying to cram Lampard and Gerrard into our side. They have never managed to work together effectively, partly because it isn’t natural to them, and partly because they seem completely unwilling to adapt. So, you either allow both to play off a single striker and sacrifice your width, or you drop one.

Still, Capello can’t shoulder the blame for a group that qualified so emphatically and then failed so dismally at the main event. We put 9 past Croatia in 2 matches who are certainly no mugs, but we barely fashioned a chance against Algeria. We conceded just 6 goals in 10 games, but then defended against Germany like a park side. If Dagenham conceded those goals I’d be absolutely livid. Against better sides we leave ourselves exposed because our full-backs and most of the midfield go forwards, leaving only 2 or 3 players to stop counter-attacks when we inevitably give the ball away with a typically rash pass. And worryingly, the rest never seem to have the legs or inclination to get back and recover.

Does our constant failure at the big tournaments point to deeper issues? Many people say our players play too many matches, but actually the number is comparable to other top sides at the World Cup. Perhaps the fact that our entire squad plays in England is an issue – the demands on the body are clear given the pace and physicality of our game compared to the rest of the world. It isn’t just the English players – how many of this year’s stars have come from the Premiership? Most of the teams with English-based players are out.

This physicality is quite relevant. It is something that is built into our game from an early age. I’m sure many of you will have played youth football and will remember how it is dominated by strength and power. If you’re big you are automatically a defender regardless of skill, the game is about getting it forwards into attacking positions and dominated by the kids who grew faster and can kick it further. 11-a-side games on full-size pitches are the norm even at 10 years old. Players are regularly released by pro clubs for being too small. Everything is geared towards winning, and whilst this mentality is worth having, it is not more important than developing skill.

Compare this to Barcelona’s “La Masia” training centre where, according to Messi, “we trained every day with the ball, I hardly ever ran without a ball at my feet”. Or the Dutch, who play 4-a-side until 9 and 7-a-side until 13. Holland were doing this in the 80s from the ideas of Rinus Michels, and they have continued to evolve. There is a youth coaching diploma, and a star-rating system for academies; training is focussed on the ball. When former Barcelona youth coach Rodolfo Borrell took a job with Liverpool’s academy last year he had a simple verdict on the quality he found upon his arrival: “Unacceptable”.

After our 2nd-round exit at the 1998 World Cup, Howard Wilkinson conducted a review of English football and produced the Charter for Quality, with the aim of improving the technical ability of our young players. The key was that youth development should focus on ability and not results. Clubs had to recruit from their local area, not from all over the country, and coaches from different clubs would meet to discuss training methods, focussing on skill and technique and not putting too much emphasis on strength and stamina. Wilkinson is clearly bitter that his blueprint was chipped away at by the FA and never implemented as he envisaged. He was not replaced when he left in 2002. Sir Trevor Brooking is the closest we have now, but he too is fighting a losing battle as the only real football man at the FA.

The National Football Centre to be built at Burton is another key part of the long-term plan which the FA haven’t delivered. It was first mooted in 2001, and is still not finished. If you look at France with its famed Clairefontaine facility, or Italy and the equally impressive Coverciano, the top footballing nations have a centre which trains the best coaches, and the best young players. Whilst both countries failed at this World Cup, both have recent success we can only dream of. Spain (14,860), Germany (6,570) and France (2,588) all have far more UEFA ‘A’ licence coaches than us (1,010), even though in Spain it requires over 700 hours of work as opposed to 245 in England. The quality of coaching is absolutely key in teaching young players the right habits and the most important aspects of the game.

Having said all that, we should still be doing better with what we have. Whilst our top flight is about fast-paced action, putting teams under constant pressure and exerting physical power, we seem to get caught playing some kind of half-baked continental game at international level. It isn’t as slow as the Spanish, but neither is it as fast as club football. We attempt to keep the ball, then get itchy feet and attempt a 50 yard through-ball. We don’t seem to get people forward as quickly as our club sides, and we don’t seem to work as hard to win it back. If we can’t match the other teams for skill, at least get in their face and force them back.

Looking past the doom and gloom, there does appear to be a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. Our U17 side won the European Championships this year, beating Spain in the final. Hopefully we can turn this generation into one which is fit to carry the hopes of the country. In the meantime, this should be the last time we see the likes of Lampard, Heskey, SWP, Upson, James, Green, Johnson, Carragher. The time has come to start planning for 2014, and that means players like Joe Hart, Jack Rodwell and Adam Johnson.

The close season saw Daggers coach Robbie Garvey take a management role at Braintree Town, and he wasted no time in recruiting two of his former charges for the The Iron’s promotion push in the Conference South. Tommy Tejan-Sie was the first to sign and went on to make 7 appearances, scoring a goal in the 2-0 win over Maidenhead United from his position on the left wing. His excellent performances led to him getting his chance in the Daggers first team upon his return, making 4 appearances.

Harlee Dean joined up with Tommy later in August, spending a two-month period which brought 8 league appearances. Playing mainly in the middle of midfield, he started well but by all accounts faded towards the end of his spell. The experience stood him in good stead though as he made a very accomplished Daggers debut from the bench in the 1-1 draw with Port Vale. He was soon on the move again and spent the rest of the season at Grays Athletic, where he captained the side despite being just 18 years old. It is difficult to impress in a side in such dire straits but he put in some decent displays in his 19 appearances. Tipped as a good prospect not so long ago, he has surprisingly been transfer listed by the Daggers.

Another player to join struggling Grays was Billy Bingham who completed a one-month spell just before Christmas. He played 6 times mainly in midfield but actually made his Daggers debut before his loan move, as a sub in the 3-0 win over Lincoln. The club obviously have high hopes for the former Crystal Palace youngster, having extended his contract until the summer of 2012.

One player who won’t ever get to make his debut in a Dagenham shirt is defender Alex Bentley. He was signed from Fisher last summer and spent time on loan at Ryman League Aveley in December, playing 3 matches in a disjointed spell which saw him in and out of the side. He then stepped up to Conference South Bishop’s Stortford, making 8 appearances, but has now been named as one of three released players along with Hakeem Araba and Mark Nwokeji. Both of these players have suffered with injury throughout the season; Araba in particular missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury, before making a scoring return in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Charlton.

The most recent academy graduate, Stephen Demetriou, was another sent to Aveley in search of his first taste of senior football. Having impressed for the youth side and in behind-closed-doors games against the likes of Spurs, he was handed a contract early in the season and made 3 appearances for The Millers. Further loan spells would be expected next season but don’t bet against Stilly giving yet another youngster a chance at League football, even if it won’t be against his brother Jason who has recently left Leyton Orient.

Whilst never being announced as a Dagenham player by our club, Femi Ilesanmi has been widely regarded as a loan signing from ourselves during his time at Ashford Town (Middx) this season. The lanky defender, who can play either centrally or at left-back, was formerly with AFC Wimbledon before earning a stint with QPR U18s and made 14 league appearances for the Tangeries scoring 2 goals. It remains to be seen whether he ever makes it back to Dagenham after several reserve outings in the first half of last season.

Other players to have been loaned out this season are Mark Nwokeji, who was in and out of Luton’s side over 5 months playing 9 times and scoring once, and Wes Thomas who didn’t actually make it onto the pitch for Rushden after sustaining an injury the day after his arrival!

The most notable first-team player to have a loan spell though was club captain Anwar Uddin. His battle for recovery against a knee injury saw him make 13 appearances for Grays, scoring 1 goal, before injury again robbed him of another 3 months of the season. Battling back to fitness once again, he had a key part to play when injury to Mark Arber, Scott Doe and long-term victim Will Antwi struck in April. His performances belied his lack of matches, and with recent news of his departure to Barnet, it was fitting that he could play a part in our promotion to League One. Good luck Anwar, a Dagenham & Redbridge legend.

GK. Chris Dunn (Northampton Town)
The Cobblers stopper is an imposing figure at 6ft 4in, and surely has a big future in the game at only 22. He managed to shut the Daggers out in both matches between the two sides this season, with the highlight being a fabulous save from a Peter Gain volley. He made plenty of other saves though and looked consistently assured under the barrage of crosses we put into the area. Easily the best opposing keeper we’ve seen.

RB. John Johnson (Northampton Town)
It was perhaps obvious in both matches against the Cobblers that their right-back was on loan from a higher level. Indeed 21-year-old John Johnson signed for Northampton on loan in September and played in both matches against the Daggers. Solid defensively and more than capable of making attacking forays, he capped his performance in the 1-0 victory at Victoria Road with a superb curled finish after cutting in from the right flank. He is back at Middlesbrough in an attempt to catch the eye of Gordon Strachan in pre-season and he has every chance of doing so.

LB. Tom Kennedy (Rochdale)
Our first player in agreement with the PFA’s team, Kennedy is an obvious choice. He oozes class with a wand of a left foot which sees him take most of Dale’s set plays, and is more than capable as a defender. He came through the ranks at hometown club Bury before joining Dale, and it is no surprise that Championship side Leicester have nabbed him on a free transfer for next season.

CB. John Thompson (Notts County)
Whilst star names such as Kasper Schmeichel, Ben Davies and Lee Hughes took all the plaudits at County this season, John Thompson was quietly and effectively contributing to them being the meanest defence in the entire division. Very few defenders have dealt with the raw power of Josh Scott this season, but in both matches against ourselves, Thompson was calmness personified as they successfully shut us out. He has made well over 100 appearances for city rivals Nottingham Forest, and also has 3 full Republic of Ireland caps. Still only 28, don’t bet against him adding to those.

CB. Jason Pearce (Bournemouth)
The Cherries’ player of the season last time around was a steadying influence throughout the season with many assured performances at the back. Not the tallest but still only 22, he has now become Bournemouth’s captain. The Cherries only conceded a single goal to the Daggers this season, a Mark Arber penalty, and were otherwise largely subdued by the no-nonsense efforts of Pearce.

RM. Ben Davies (Notts County)
Another player we agree with the PFA about, and another from Notts County, Ben is probably the best player in the division that we have seen. The previous season he had impressed greatly for Shrewsbury, and showed no signs of letting up after his move to the Magpies. Capable of playing anywhere in midfield, he set up County’s first goal for Hughes in our 3-0 drubbing at Meadow Lane, and also scored the first goal in the return match with a superb curling effort from the edge of the box. He should also claim the 2nd goal, a deep free kick which seemed to evade everybody despite Hughes claiming a touch.

LM. Anthony Straker (Aldershot Town)
Straker was one of the biggest reasons behind the Shots claiming a 5-2 win at Victoria Road this season. Up against rookie right-back Nana Ofori-Twumasi, he tore the Chelsea loanee to shreds with raw pace and trickery. He provided the assist for fellow Barbadian Louis Soares to complete the scoring, and although he didn’t have any other direct impact on the result, his constant availability as an outlet provided attacking impetus throughout the match. He also played in the return match and looked impressive as the Shots built a 2-0 lead, only for the Daggers to come back and win 3-2.

CM. Gary Jones (Rochdale)
Rochdale’s record appearance holder only actually managed one outing against the Daggers this season, but his performance in this match along with other televised matches means he is a shoe-in for a central midfield berth. Cool, calm and collected, he rarely gives the ball away and matches that with a tremendous ability to get around the pitch. He scored what proved to be the winner at Spotland against us with a low drive into the bottom corner.

CM. Marvin Bartley (Bournemouth)
Aged just 23, Bartley actually played at centre back in the second game against Dagenham due to injury problems. He could do little about our penalty in a 1-0 win, but otherwise was resolute in denying further goalscoring opportunities typified by a goalline clearance from a Montgomery header. He also provided a tenacious midfield display at Dean Court in the first meeting between the sides, a 0-0 draw, and has quite rightly earned himself a new 2-year contract. He has played for the likes of Hayes and Hampton but the Cherries certainly spotted a gem when they picked him up.

ST. Marvin Morgan (Aldershot Town)
The towering Morgan hit 16 goals this season as Aldershot marched to the playoffs. Like Straker, he was a constant menace in the Shots’ victory at Victoria Road and capped his performance with a goal. He also set up a goal for Jackson and created numerous other chances for his side. He spent his early career in non-league but was recruited by the Shots upon their promotion to the Football League, and is certainly one of the toughest forwards we faced all season.

ST. Adam Le Fondre (Rotherham United)
Le Fondre is a typical goalscorer. He will do nothing for 89 minutes, but as soon as you drop your guard, he will score. The Millers scored 3 goals against us in the League this season, and the boy they call Alfie got them all. He scored a typical poacher’s goal before adding a carefully dispatched penalty in the match at the Don Valley, and then followed it up with the only goal at Victoria Road. Although largely subdued in the playoff final, he has scored 27 league goals and you simply can’t argue with that.

Subs:

Tom Heaton (Rochdale)
Although only playing once against us whilst on loan from Manchester United, Heaton almost single-handedly kept Dale in the match at Victoria Road before we ran out of steam and were beaten.

Lee Collins (Port Vale)
A key member of Vale’s miserly defence, Collins turned in a great performance at Victoria Road before unfortunately making a mistake which led to Scott’s equaliser. He created Haldane’s goal in the return game in another good performance.

Lee Hughes (Notts County)
As painful as it is to admit it, Hughes looked a quality player in both matches against the Daggers. He helped himself to two goals as well as playing the target-man role superbly.

Yannick Bolasie (Barnet)
Another who only played against us once, but Bolasie did more in that one match than most do in two. He ripped makeshift right-back Doe apart in the Bees’ 2-0 win against us at Underhell.

Michael Townsend (Cheltenham Town)
Probably a bit of a surprise selection given Cheltenham’s terrible defensive record this season, but the tall 24-year-old was the key man in a defence that only conceded once against the Daggers, and he made up for that by scoring a guided header at the other end.

Is there anybody you think I’ve missed? Feel free to comment below!

Grimsby Town
Predicted: 18th, Finished: 23rd
We had predicted the Mariners would be slightly less rubbish this season, and technically we were right. Despite amassing 44 points, 3 more than the previous season, they were consigned to the Conference as others around them disgracefully avoided points deductions. They spent the entire season down the wrong end of the table, and just fell short in their attempts to overhaul Barnet at the death.

Hereford United
Predicted: 20th, Finished: 16th
The Bulls were always going to be a bottom-half side after a summer of uninspiring transfer activity upon their relegation from League One. They picked up a bit towards the end of the season to finish safe in 16th, as they once again went loan-crazy with an incredible 11 loan signings through the course of the season. Most of these players actually played very few games, which makes you wonder why they bother. The main success was irritating little scrote Marc Pugh, who unfortunately will be playing against us again next season, this time for Bournemouth.

Lincoln City
Predicted: 15th, Finished: 20th
A poor start was inevitable for the Imps after they were robbed of their best players in the close-season. They acted fast to sack Peter Jackson in September, the club reportedly unhappy with his other work as a film director. Former England B lump Chris Sutton took over the reigns, keeping the club ticking over until the transfer window re-opened. A number of loan signings came into the side, the most successful being Davide Somma who hit 9 goals in 14 games to keep them well out of harm’s way.

Macclesfield Town
Predicted: 24th, Finished: 19th
This season will always be remembered for events off the pitch than those on it. On 3rd March 2010, Silkmen manager Keith Alexander tragically died aged just 53. On the pitch, the club battled hard against the drop and managed to stay well clear despite their small budget. Gary Simpson did a very good job as caretaker but has been unfairly penalised for his success by being handed the job on a full-time basis. Next season will be yet another struggle.

Morecambe
Predicted: 6th, Finished: 4th
We turned out to be pretty much bang on with our predictions for Morecambe’s season, but early on it seemed as if that faith was misplaced. Fourteen games in and with just one win registered, it seemed like the Shrimps could be shock candidates for the drop. However, if the season had started at that point, Morecambe would have been automatically promoted such was their superb form. A playoff place was just reward for their efforts, although everybody knows what happened next at the hands of the Daggers. With a touch more defensive steel (even Barnet in 21st conceded less), they could be challengers next time around.

Northampton Town
Predicted: 4th, Finished: 11th
The only relegated side we placed anywhere near the promotion picture, the Cobblers were indeed the closest but fell just short in a 5-way scramble for the final playoff spot. Manager Ian Sampson had them playing some decent stuff despite having roly-poly striker Akinfenwa to aim at should they have wished, and indeed they were one of the few sides to dispatch the Daggers twice. Big Bayo has left now, taking 17 goals with him, but exciting young forward Billy McKay could fire them into League One next season. They will need to keep the pies away from Dean Beckwith though.

Notts County
Predicted: 3rd, Finished: 1st
Despite the circus that surrounded County, including the arrival and departure of Sol and Sven, they managed to secure the title when Steve Cotterill’s arrival as manager signalled a prolific run of form. After we had written they were a couple of players short of winning the title, they went and signed Kasper Schmeichel, Johnnie Jackson and Matt Ritchie. Job done. When it transpired that Munto Finance was all smoke and mirrors, it was left to new chairmen Peter Trembling and then Ray Trew to bail them out financially. It seems unlikely the club can actually afford the outlay it has made to purchase promotion and, to top it off, one of our most hated men Jim Rodwell is also involved behind the scenes.

Port Vale
Predicted: 16th, Finished: 10th
Vale defied expectations to mount a serious playoff push, and it was in no small part down to Marc Richards’ most prolific season to date. 20 league goals was easily enough to make him one of the most feared strikers in the division, and not just because he looks like a brute. At the other end the defence was as tight as a nun’s one, meaning they were beaten only 12 times all season, the second-lowest in the division.

Rochdale
Predicted: 5th, Finished: 3rd
It will still wrankle with most Daggers fans that Dale’s win over ourselves in November saw them leapfrog us into top spot and sent us spiralling down the table. Thankfully, we recovered suitably and although Rochdale then went on a run crushing all in their path, they ultimately faltered. At one point around March they were 12 points clear (albeit having played more games), and ended up a whopping 11 points off the top. Automatic promotion was still the end result, but it was a quite spectacular implosion. Still, Keith Hill has them playing attractive, attacking football at their best and they played most sides off the pitch in the middle part of the season. Sadly they are already losing their good young players and with a small budget like ourselves, we could again be battling each other next year.

Rotherham United
Predicted: 1st, Finished: 5th
The Millers did indeed replace striker Reuben Reid – with £100,000, 27-goal hitman Adam Le Fondre. It wasn’t enough – despite a Rolls Royce side on paper, they couldn’t get into the automatic promotion slots and failed in the playoffs. Some key players such as Ellison and Mills had slight dips and they weren’t helped by the absolute cabbage patch they play on in a stadium which swallows the atmosphere. In the end home form let them down with nobody other than the exotically named one scoring any goals.

Shrewsbury Town
Predicted: 8th, Finished: 12th
Mind-bogglingly average. That is the one way to describe a season where home record mirrored away record, and their goal difference was +1. Slapped right in the middle of the table, there isn’t really a lot else to say. Oh, Paul Simpson lost his job.

Torquay United
Predicted: 14th, Finished: 17th
The Gulls took a while to adjust to League Two and spent the first few months of the season flirting with relegation, the saucy minx. Once they’d stopped cocking around, they spent December onwards in top-half form and settled safely in 17th. Substantial financial (ooh, a rhyme!) losses in recent seasons may eventually catch up with them, but for now they look a decent bet to push for the playoffs next time.

Even if I do say so myself, most of these predictions weren’t bad!

Accrington Stanley
Predicted: 22nd, Finished: 15th
The only danger Stanley faced this season was from the tax man, as they twice paid off huge tax bills with moments to spare before they were wound up. A £308,000 bill in November and a £78,000 bill in February shows just how much little Accy have managed to overstretch themselves and serves as a warning to all clubs. On the pitch, Symes and Scunthorpe-bound teenage sensation Bobby Grant knocked the goals in to lead them to a comfortable mid-table placing.

Aldershot Town
Predicted: 17th, Finished: 6th
Despite losing manager Gary Waddock mid-season, who stupidly jumped ship to doomed Wycombe, the Shots had an unexpectedly excellent season to make the playoffs. Kevin Dillon continued the good work with Ben Herd making an immediate impact in his first season with the club, and the excellent Marvin Morgan finding his goalscoring touch. Without too much difference from the previous campaign, it seems everything just clicked this time around.

Barnet
Predicted: 11th, Finished: 21st
Bees fans were very optimistic that this would be a good season for them. Adding good players to a seemingly decent squad should’ve meant they were a top-half team. Indeed, at the end of October they were as high as 6th, before descending faster than the slope on their Underhell pitch. O’Flynn continued to score goals but age finally caught up with Furlong who went from last season’s class act to this season’s carthorse. Ian Hendon’s managerial inexperience didn’t help, and neither did Gary Breen’s injury problems, but it didn’t stop them from turning us over 2-0 on their own patch. Bastards.

Bournemouth
Predicted: 13th, Finished: 2nd
We were a whopping 11 places out with our predictions for this one. Perhaps it is because the Cherries have never looked anything other than average in games against us – we took 4 points off them this campaign and last time around they twice beat us by a single goal without ever looking particularly dangerous. Brett Pitman scored 26 league goals in between mincing around the pitch like he’s just shit himself (seriously, watch the way he jogs), they remained solid at the back, and without being able to make any signings you have to say Eddie Howe did a wonderful job.

Bradford City
Predicted: 9th, Finished: 14th
This is a season everybody at Valley Parade will want to forget. As predicted, Stuart McCall couldn’t turn the Bantams into challengers and he was eventually relieved of his duties in February. 22-year-old James Hanson was the bright light in his debut season as a professional, netting 12 league goals, but new manager Peter Taylor has quite a job on his hands to meet expectations next time around.

Burton Albion
Predicted: 23rd, Finished: 13th
After falling over the winning line in the Conference it seemed menswear chain Burton would be in for a season of struggle, but they performed admirably in their first season as a League club. Luckily for the Brewers, rookie manager Paul Peschisolido took to the job like a WAG to bling, and Shaun Harrad’s excellent season along with sensible loan signings such as Cleveland Taylor and Artur Krysiak meant their status was never in doubt. Plus, they found it in their hearts to donate 6 points to our cause, bless ‘em.

Bury
Predicted: 2nd, Finished: 9th
The Shakers spent almost the whole season in the promotion places – until it really mattered. In 2008/09 they couldn’t quite get into the automatic places and lost in the playoffs, and this time they stumbled from 2nd in February to out of the picture in May. It was perhaps a case of one season too far for an ageing defence, and with only Lowe hitting double figures, there wasn’t quite enough in the tank this time around. It seems Alan Knill will have a rebuilding job to do this summer.

Cheltenham Town
Predicted: 19th, Finished: 22nd
We were pretty much on the money with this one. Despite only being relegated to this division the previous season there was never any danger of seeing any bouncebackability and, with Mad Dog Martin Allen being placed on gardening leave for an alledged nightclub altercation, it wasn’t ideal off the pitch either. Justin Richards contributed 15 goals but the weary legs of Hayles and Alsop only netted 11 times between them. New manager Mark Yates kept them hovering just above the relegation zone and has already released 8 as he begins the mammoth task of turning around the Robins’ fortunes.

Chesterfield
Predicted: 10th, Finished: 8th
Ooh two close ones in a row, we’re getting good at this. The Spireites had a similar season to ourselves in hanging around the promotion picture, but ultimately fell agonisingly short. Top scorer Lester’s injury-hit season yielded a paltry 11 goals and with the likes of Rob Page exhibiting the art of static defending, it was a case of being marginally short at both ends of the pitch. It seems, like many managers in the division, John Sheridan will be overseeing a large turnover of players this summer as he leads them into a new era in their purpose-built 10,000 capacity stadium.

Crewe Alexandra
Predicted: 7th, Finished: 18th
An opening day defeat at our hands immediately put a downer on Crewe’s season and, try as they might, they couldn’t break into the top half. Whenever they got close, another defeat beckoned and their season effectively finished in March. They will be disappointed to have drifted down as far as they did, the main contributing factor being the concession of far too many bad goals. Finishing with the third-worst goals against column of any side in the division, they’ve already lost key defender Brayford this summer so Dario Gradi will be up against it again next time. Former Chelsea striker Zola got 15 goals this time around and will be key to any hopes.

Dagenham & Redbridge
Predicted: 12th, Finished: 7th
We’ve covered our own fortunes in much detail throughout the season, and will produce an overall review separately. For now, let’s just say this season was absolutely brilliant.

Darlington
Predicted: 21st, Finished: 24th
Everybody knew Darlo were poised to have a terrible season, but this probably exceeded all expectations. Rock bottom and 18 points adrift, the Quakers will spend next season in the Conference under new manager Simon Davey. Steve Staunton managed only 4 wins from 23 matches before his inevitable sacking, and he didn’t help himself by playing the likes of an overweight Noel Whelan in their visit to Victoria Road. Things look brighter for next season with some decent signings already and, they will hope, an increase in attendances which have decreased by 1,000 in each of the last 2 seasons.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.
Nobody will be surprised by the three names selected in the goalkeeping department, with James and Green being the picks for most of Capello’s reign and Joe Hart playing himself into the squad after a superb season. Perhaps some will have expected a 4th keeper in the initial squad but really only Paul Robinson could put up any challenge for this place, with Ben Foster’s loss of form and first-team place ruling him out. The only worry is the form of the two main men – James was out of Pompey’s side for almost 3 months and has been sporadic since, whilst Green couldn’t make the squad when he was enjoying his best season but has found himself England number 1 during this very average campaign.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.
Whatever his injury concerns, there is no way we could’ve left Rio out of the squad and he rightly takes his place. His season has been decimated but crucially he is now fit again and an obvious choice. The boss will want to monitor him in the friendlies to see if he can get back to top form, but Ledley King is waiting in the wings to take his place. When he isn’t falling out of nightclubs or nursing his knee-knack, Ledley is a top player and could slot into England’s back 4 with ease. And it is only fair that his Spurs partner, Michael Dawson, also makes the squad. Anybody who watched this duo shut out Man City a couple of weeks ago will know exactly why.

Perhaps slightly surprising is that Warnock and Baines both get the nod. I would have expected Fab to make a choice between the two but it seems he still hasn’t decided which is the best back-up for Ashley Cole. Warnock has all the ability you could want but has suffered a dip in form and lacks the pace to get up and down the wing. At least neither of them is Wayne Bridge, who should never have worn an England shirt again after the single worst performance I have ever seen in our 3-2 defeat by Croatia at Wembley in 2007. God bless Brave JT’s love rod.

The biggest surprise in the defence is Jamie Carragher’s recall. To be honest, I think it is a bit rich of him to come out of retirement for the World Cup after leaving others to deal with qualifiers and friendlies, and on principle would leave him on Merseyside. Ok that’s a bit harsh, perhaps in London. But, he can cover at right-back and in the centre so will surely make the final 23, hopefully meaning Matthew Upson won’t. Upson recently declared he feels he is 3rd pick after Rio and JT, which is laughable given his lack of effort and form for his stricken club. He simply can’t be relied on at a World Cup but, if John Terry’s injury proves to be too severe, he will probably go. Non-alternatives that didn’t make it are Bolton’s Gary Cahill, who probably suffers from being Bolton’s, or Man City’s Joleon Lescott, who suffers from being Lescott.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Just when you thought SWP would finally be consigned to the international scrap-heap, he goes and scores in a friendly against Egypt. This seems to have caused Fabio to give him one last chance, but in reality there is no way he can command a place above the other names here. He can’t even get into his club side half the time, partly because of Adam Johnson who receives a first call-up. Johnson must surely go to the World Cup as this year’s surprise package. He can dribble with skill, not just relying on pace, and can produce something from nothing. Time will tell whether he can make an impact at the top level, but this is the sort of player that could win you a game from the bench.

Scott Parker is rightly rewarded for a good season with a place, spending most of his time battling lost causes on his own in a West Ham shirt. If there are any doubts over Barry’s fitness, Parker is the obvious replacement. Whilst Huddlestone and Carrick can look a million dollars pinging 40 yard passes, neither of them have the guile or tenacity required to protect the defence. One or perhaps both should miss the cut, especially considering that Milner could also do a job in the middle. On the subject of Milner, there are actually more than enough reasons why he deserves a starting role over Gerrard, but that is very unlikely to happen.

It is vital that Lennon rediscovers top gear and there were some promising signs towards the end of the season. Joe Cole could also push for a place on the right, and Walcott might find himself surplus to requirements if he can’t make an impact in one of the friendlies. It would be very difficult to include all of Cole, Johnson, Walcott and Lennon so Capello will almost certainly have to make a very tough decision here. With such a plethora of wide players, it isn’t particularly surprising that Ashley Young or a recently lethargic Stuart Downing missed out.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.
Darren Bent gets another go after continuing a fine goalscoring season at Sunderland. He will probably start one of the friendlies, but anything other than a good performance and a goal will see him left at home. Crouch and Rooney are certainties after consistently proving their international ability, whilst Capello likes Heskey despite his lack of first-team football. Big Emile was a feature of our successful qualifying campaign and this is unlikely to be forgotten by the manager, even though it perhaps should be.

Jermain Defoe has done himself no favours with his recent club form, which has lacked goals and lacked sharpness. However, he had to be included following impressive showings for his country at the end of 2009 which yielded 5 goals. He is one of the few natural goalscorers we have, and must go to South Africa. Notable absentees are Bobby Zamora, who apparently turned down a place due to his injury problem, and Carlton Cole who has been regularly included by Capello but hasn’t rediscovered his form since returning from injury. I very much doubt either of these will be missed, although it would’ve been interesting to see Zamora at the top level.

Daggers 3 Brentford 1, 21/04/09

Going into the game, the Bees were 5 clear at the top and we found ourselves down in 8th place. However, the Daggers turned in one of their best displays of the season to roar into the playoff positions and leave their opponents sweating on securing the title. Sam Saunders all but finalised his close-season move to Griffin Park with the opener, calmly slotting into the corner from a Benson lay-off. Only a superb clearance denied the equally Brentford-bound Strevens, but the lead was extended through an absolutely magnificent Solomon Taiwo volley. Arber put the cherry on the top when he met Saunders’ corner, with Spencer netting a late consolation.

Daggers 2 Barnet 0, 10/10/08

Dagenham put Barnet to the sword with a classy home win courtesy of Ritchie and Strevens. Matt Ritchie scored the opener early in the game, heading home his 2nd goal in his 2nd match for the club from a Saunders cross. Barnet barely registered a shot on goal and a mixture of wasteful finishing and good keeping prevented the score from growing with Taiwo and Gain going close, Taiwo again rattling the frame of the goal, and visiting custodian Harrison making a superb double save to deny Saunders and Ritchie. The second goal, when it came, was a scrappy bundled effort from Strevens but it didn’t matter as the Daggers wrapped up a fine home victory.

Wycombe 0 Daggers 1, 29/01/08

An absolutely vital away win was secured as the Daggers battled to stave off relegation in their first Football League season. Peter Gain came in for his debut as part of a 3-man midfield but, despite a good performance, the plaudits went to a heroic defence which kept out wave after wave of attack. The only goal of the game came from the spot, Leon Johnson’s handball allowing the nerveless Rainford to score the winner.

Brentford 2 Daggers 3, 02/10/07

Dagenham followed up their first ever away win in the Football League by immediately adding a second. For an hour the performance was nothing short of brilliant as we went into a 3-goal lead. An inventive overhead effort from Strevens was saved and Huke spanked a shot against the post before Strevens gave us the lead after good work from Moore and Saunders. Early in the second half, Chris Moore again was involved as he played Rainford in only for the midfield man to get upended. He dusted himself down to net the penalty. Moore, who had been signed by Brentford from the Daggers only to be released months later, was most definitely in the mood to show the Bees what they were missing. He scored the goal his performance had so richly deserved to make it 3-0, shrugging off Pettigrew before slotting home. Mousinho quickly reduced the deficit, and Charles made things nervy with a header on 75 minutes, but this was Moore’s night and Daggers held firm to secure all three points.

Full record in London derbies since promotion: P20 W9 D3 L8 F33 A26
League only: P16 W6 D3 L7 F24 A22

Using the BBC Predictor, we’ve tried to see how things might pan out. The first thing you’ll notice is that we have Rochdale and Notts County cruising through their remaining games to secure the title and 2nd place respectively. Despite Rochdale having to visit Meadow Lane (where we think they’ll lose), there doesn’t appear to be much standing in their way and they should have it sewn up before their final-day trip to Underhell to play the Barnet Hill Game.

The final automatic place looks to be a straight duel between Bournemouth and Rotherham, and we’ve sided with the Millers. They’ve got tough-looking trips to Aldershot and Morecambe, but after this they should be looking at big points through to the end of the season. This one could well go down to the final day with Bournemouth travelling to Chesterfield who, we believe, will also have all to play for.

Bury can’t buy a goal at the moment and will surely lose at Notts County next weekend, but after this they can bounce back with a streaky win at home to Burton. Some very favourable fixtures then follow and we reckon this will see them cement their place in the playoff positions. Despite Aldershot only hitting the top 7 this weekend, they also have some very winnable games other than the Rotherham fixture we’ve already mentioned. Their form is good and they shouldn’t have much trouble keeping themselves in the picture.

At the bottom of the table, Darlington are certainly down but have a part to play in the fate of others, with games against promotion hopefuls Accrington, Rochdale, Bournemouth, Notts County and ourselves, as well as relegation-threatened Cheltenham and Grimsby. In fact, we think they could help consign Cheltenham to the Conference with a narrow win. It is hard to see where another Robins win is coming from, whilst the Mariners were showing signs of recovery until their hammering at Rochdale. We think there’s a good chance of it going down to the last day with Grimsby visiting Burton who should have nothing to play for, and Cheltenham hosting Accrington who may be on the verge of the playoffs.

Saving the final playoff place til last, we had to back the Daggers didn’t we? We reckon we could find ourselves even further adrift after the next two matches, but our best bet is to pip fading Chesterfield. If we can nick a narrow win at Saltergate, it will send us into a more favourable run of fixtures in good form and set up some more last-day drama at Darlington. Whilst the Spireites could very well turn Bournemouth over in a last-ditch bid for 7th, Accrington should have an epic battle on their hands at Cheltenham by our calculations, paving the way for us to climb back into the playoffs for the first time since January.

Apparently, said young actor is the latest teenage fantasy, Robert Pattinson. Upon further research, it seems he was in Harry Potter and some other fantasy bollocks called Twilight, which probably explains why we had very little idea who he was until now. Also, he regularly features on ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ polls. A cheque will do fine, Scotty.