Cod Almighty | Diary

Sticky sticky stick stick

19 December 2017

If Max Wright or Tom Bolarinwa force their way into Russell Slade's plans it will be an almighty shock. Akwasi Asante as the new Bogle is probably not going to happen. Chris Clements is not expected to be seen in a black and white shirt again, and Sean McAllister's reappearance in the GTFC set-up is a similarly long shot. Long shots bring us neatly to Jamey Osborne, who scored with one last night and also counts among Slade's legions of loaned-out Mariners.

For now your original/regular Diary is taking on faith the assertion that Osborne's loan is not like all the others and he's just gone back to Solihull to build up a bit of fitness. But if the player's propensity for eye-catching 35-yard goals has a touch of Le Tissier about it, so too does the question of how and where he'll fit in to an otherwise more pragmatic team.

I'm a bit worried, in other words, as to how Russ will accommodate Jamey when he comes back in a couple of weeks' time. In fact when our nearly-but-never-promoted manager returned earlier this year, my first reaction was a bit of worry as to the role of Osborne – simultaneously the most creative and least Slade-like player in the squad. Who'll make way for him in the team? Will Osborne's first misplaced pass result in a longer-term move back to Solihull and clear the way for a Berrett-powered midfield to see the season out to a nice, secure 16th place?

I wasn't surprised that, in his first spell at Blundell Park, Slade gave the cold shoulder to another creative midfielder in Thomas Pinault. Looking back, I was surprised that he signed him in the first place. Hey ho.

Never one to be left behind in any kind of media revolution, the Grimsby Telegraph has done a bit of that data journalism that the young people in the newsroom have now. We know that when Town last exited the top flight, they'd been the worst supported team in that league for years because general misery or trawlers or something. But the Telewag's James Findlater has been looking at the margin between the worst and second worst. He's discovered that in 1947-48 Town were the worst supported top-flight team by absolute bloody miles and there was no bigger margin until now because Bournemouth have only got a little ground. Festive quirky stat fact! Hooray!

Third today – and finally, because I need to go out and eat something wrapped in pastry very soon – the trip to Yeovil has been rescheduled. Postponed because of the Glovers' rather inconsiderate ongoing concern with this season's FA Cup, the match will now take place on Tuesday 30 January. Could be worse – a 14,500-mile round trip in midweek is never ideal, but at least there are home games on the two Saturdays either side. T'ra for now.