Rance’s absence told for the Fleet this season

Before I go into further detail, I should emphasise that this is not a hagiographic article on the unassailable brilliance of Dean Rance. 

Many player-centric articles involve the somewhat overblown heralding of ex-players, particularly when it comes to the big six. How often have we seen Arsenal bemoan the irreplaceability of Patrick Vieira, likewise with Manchester United and their beloved hardman Roy Keane?

The generally held view is that Dean Rance was and is a very good National League player but, like 99% of players (a cynic may say 100%), certainly not in the indispensable category. However, he had a clear role in the Ebbsfleet United team as a tough-tackling holding midfielder whose job was to protect the defence and break up attacks. 

To add a bit of background, Dean Rance joined the Fleet in 2013 as a replacement for club legend Ram Marwa before being released in 2019, his social media making it clear that the press release announcing his departure was the first he had heard on the matter of his contract. 

A tenacious holding midfielder, Rance was impressive in the National League South where the Fleet played until 2017 although the need for a tough-tackling midfielder was debatable; in most games Fleet would dominate possession as most opposing teams played with ten behind the ball. Because of this level of dominance, having a holding midfielder who was there to primarily break up attacks was more often than not non-essential. 

However, Fleet’s promotion to the far more competitive National League in 2017 meant that Dean Rance’s swashbuckling midfield play was not just necessary but an absolute asset; the Fleet went from playing part-time teams every week where they would commonly have more than 70% possession to playing predominantly full-time outfits where they would have less than 50% of the ball. 

Rance’s development in the highest division of non-league made it even more of a surprise when he was released last summer, albeit a rather mild surprise considering much of the squad was released at the end of the 2018/19 season, and the rest of the squad subsequently transfer-listed. 

Of course, whilst supporters were sad to see a club servant leave, there was no doubt amongst supporters that the immensely experienced Garry Hill would recruit a suitable replacement and, alongside a certain sadness about the mass exodus of players, there was eager anticipation regarding what kind of squad the ex-Woking manager would put together. 

Unfortunately the players that were recruited in the summer didn’t quite cut the mustard in terms of effectively replacing Rance. Alex Lawless, who had previously won the National League with Luton and Leyton Orient, was a cool head in midfield but at 35 was not nearly as mobile as Rance and, in any case, missed a large majority of the season through injury 

The recruitment of ex-Maidenhead player Ayo Obileye was seen as a positive signing however Hill’s insistence on playing him in a holding midfield role bewildered supporters. A well-built, powerful centre-half, the decision to play the ex-Sheffield Wednesday player in a holding role seemed a highly unusual decision considering his strengths didn’t seem to be compatible with being a successful defensive midfielder. 

Indeed, when Watson came in as manager he quickly moved Obileye to a centre-half role, a position where he performed solidly for the rest of the season. Whilst this strengthened the defence, this did not solve the defensive midfield issue. 

The lack of a mobile, tough-tackling midfielder provided several issues; there was the obvious lack of protection for the back four, particularly the full-backs where Rance would often assist so the Fleet could double-up so to speak on the opposing wingers and of course help break up opposition attacks. 

However, in addition to this, Rance’s presence in a holding midfield role allowed creative midfielders to attack without really having any defensive responsibilities. For example, Daryl McMahon managed to cultivate a near legendary status at the club as a player (before winning promotion as manager) but only because Rance’s holding midfield role allowed him to gallivant up the field to showcase his creative flair. 

Similar testimony could be offered for other players Rance played with such as Jordan Parkes and Sam Deering who were able to spearhead the midfield without worrying too much about what was happening behind them. 

However, this season there was no such dynamic midfield partnership as even mid-season arrivals such as Frankie Sutherland and Josh Payne struggled to make a serious impact (albeit the latter did score some memorable goals in his time at the club.  

Of course, the reasons for Fleet’s poor defensive record over the course of the season are multifaceted but a lack of a proper holding midfielder has no doubt contributed to the Fleet’s defensive vulnerability this campaign. 

As for Rance, he moved to Aldershot Town and was appointed club captain so his release from the club certainly did no harm to his career. 

With Watson’s recent departure from the Fleet, it will likely be Steve Lovell who takes up all recruiting matters and, when the time comes for perusing the transfer market, a dynamic holding midfielder must be near the top of the list. 

Follow Henry on Twitter @Fleetontoast