Dagenham & Redbridge in positive mood for Chesterfield trip

Daggers made it three National League wins in a row with a 3-1 success over AFC Fylde last weekend, after beating Barnet and Wealdstone during the August Bank Holiday period.

And they have been able to focus on their next test for several days, without a midweek fixture.

“Positive week again following a good day on Saturday,” Strevens told the club website.

“That breeds into a positive feeling in and around the training pitch.

“It’s just making sure we keep the standards high and realise it’s only another win on the belt.

“We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing, working hard and realising what’s getting us positive performances.

“All of us would’ve had a free week now so realising the threats Chesterfield have and talking about that but trying to focus on ourselves and what we can do better and be better at.

“I’m sure that’s what they’ve been doing as well, concentrating on themselves and covering little bits about us as well.”

With Tom Eastman, David Longe-King, Elliott Johnson, Josh Hare and Inih Effiong all sidelined, Strevens has been able to integrate loanees Flynn Clarke, Keenan Appiah-Forson and Aidan Francis-Clarke into training this week.

And he has been impressed by the young trio, adding: “Flynn was the only one that had met the boys before last Saturday and he’s brought an energy, playing him in attacking areas, other options for us up there.

“Keenan and Aidan have had their first full week training with the boys, getting to know them better. They’re both really good lads, have got lots to learn in terms of their development but both come from real good clubs with good upbringing and standards.

“With them three adding to the boys we’ve got we’re certainly seeing a lift in training, real competitiveness which we want to try and improve.

“All three have come across as really good lads who want to be part of what we’re trying to do here.”

Chesterfield sit in second place behind Barnet on goal difference and Strevens is aware of the threats they pose.

But he feels his Daggers side, on their day, are a match for any in the division.

“I’m incredibly respectful of the players they’ve got, they’ve got some fantastic players, and Cooky [Paul Cook] is probably one of the best managers at this level, what he has done in his career and the success he has had,” he said.

“They’re a real good team, where they are in the league at the moment deservedly so and I expect them, like I did last year, to be right up there fighting come the end of the year.

“But also, knowing who we are, going into the game and hopefully causing them problems. We feel if we play at our best we will cause problems for anyone.

“If we’re on an off-day going to Chesterfield, it’s going to be a long afternoon for us. But if we can play at our maximum, have a real good day, go there positively and know the threats we have and what we can try and do against them, we can cause them problems.

“But [we must] be respectful of the attacking prowess they’ve got as well, they’ve scored a lot of goals, they’re very good going forward, excellent in fact, so we know we’ve got to be aware of that but how can we try and hurt them or implement our game onto them.

“If we go there and be open and expansive from the first minute, with the attacking threats they have, they’re going to pick us off.

“We’ll be going with a game plan, to try our best to get a good performance that leads to a victory, but more than anything we’ve got to concentrate on us, realise what we’ve been doing well, be humble enough to know we can get better at what we’ve been doing, know it’s got to be a real collective effort.”

After a difficult start to the 2023-24 campaign, which saw Daggers snatch a point at Altrincham on the opening day but then lose to Southend, Gateshead and Maidenhead, Strevens feels his squad are gelling much better.

And he also senses a better connection between players and supporters, adding: “I really feel that, as a team, we are a real collective.

“Yes we have individuals within the group that can pull out special moments, that we’ve seen, but any success or wins we have is going to come down to the starting XI and the boys impacting off the bench.

“We’re not a team where it’s individuals doing moments upon moments in games, it is a collective effort. As a group we’ve got to be at our best on Saturday to try and get a positive result.

“The collective feeling around the club is something I spoke about when I came in. We’ve not achieved anything yet but it certainly feels better and the only way that gets better is us performing on the pitch.

“Even when we had a tough start to the season, I felt they were still really with us.

“I know they were probably disappointed like we all was and they wanted to see things more to be positive about and get behind and I feel like we’ve given them that the last three games.

“If we go there on Saturday and try to be the best version of Dagenham that we can be, I think they’ll really get behind that.

“Whatever numbers come to support or them being in the clubhouse, we’re really grateful for it. Even if they’re not there, the support we still feel it. All the boys feel it at the moment.

“The more positive things we can do on the pitch gives people in and around the club something to feel good about – everyone working at the club to all the supporters being really proud of the group they have.”

The Spireites are clear favourites to take all three points this weekend – Soccerbase make them 9-4 on, with Daggers 5-1 – but Strevens says his side are looking to upset those odds.

“It’s a tough test going to Chesterfield but if it’s a team effort. If we get anything out of the game it’s going to be the players being right on it and our fans getting behind us in the moments we’re going to need them,” he said.

“There’s probably going to be some tough moments in the game and hopefully we’re fighting for that feeling we’ve had the last three games at the end when everyone is celebrating together and you can see smiles on faces, that’s what we’re trying to do.”