Cod Almighty | Article

by Dave Chambers

15 September 2004

Browsing through the letters in today's Grimsby Evening Telegraph, it is hard to believe that we are only nine competitive games into Russell Slade's reign as Town's manager. Already, like a vicious gang of pickpockets, a selection of fans have their knives unsheathed and finely sharpened, ready to be flashed threateningly.

One nonsensical correspondent draws comparisons between Saturday's game at Macclesfield and events a year ago when Town were mauled 8-1 at Hartlepool. "In many ways the Macclesfield defeat has alarming similarities to that at Hartlepool. For those who were there, it represented absolute proof that a change of manager was necessary. Those who were at Macclesfield will be as baffled as I was by the current manager's performance." Nonsense. I wonder if the writer was even at either of these games. I can think of no other similarities than that Town were defeated on both occasions.

The game at Hartlepool saw the Mariners annihilated, every attack from the home side eerily reaping a goal, aided by Town's irrefutably spineless display. At Macclesfield, after weathering a ropey first 10 minutes, Town took advantage of a massive piece of good fortune to score, and built the rest of their first-half performance on that. The second-half capitulation was down to some astute tactical decisions by a shrewd and overlooked manager, Brian Horton, who had the advantages of knowing his almost fully fit squad better and playing at home. Where is the comparison? There is none.

In an interview on this site, Slade made it clear that it will take the club - the players and the fans - "ten to twelve games" to become accustomed to life in their new surroundings. We're about to play our tenth game. The players, one could argue, should be used to it by now. But could the manager have been prepared for the number of injuries that have depleted his defensive options? It seems Slade had a shopping list of players, and after sorting his defence out, was working his way down the striker list before he had to go back to the defence again.

People are arguing that the strikers Slade has brought in aren't up to the job, aren't any better than Darren Mansaram. I believe the time was right for Mansaram to be loaned out to Halifax. The lad - beleaguered by the constant heckling at Blundell Park - needed a break, and is finally finding some consistency and form with his new club.

And what of the other forward options available to Slade? With limited funds, Michael Reddy, Andy Parkinson, and Ashley Sestanovich were brought in to the club but Slade has never stopped looking for another frontman and he hasn't hidden that fact. Add into this rabble of free transfers and loans the other players acquired in the summer on similar terms (Terry Fleming, Simon Ramsden and so on) and you have the team that, until the last home game against Rochdale, had one three times and drawn one at Blundell Park. Two of those games were the sound beatings of Bury and Wigan.

After all, Slade is still recruiting so that his squad can tackle the rigours ahead, in the short-term future at least. Again, with his hands tied, Slade has, with a hint of desperation, captured another footballer with clear talent: Terrell Forbes. This is a signing that is bound to cause yet further consternation - this time among the 'guilty until proven innocent' brigade - and will provide an easy afternoon for the Telegraph's hacks as they fill up their column inches with letters from the likes of "Outraged Main Stand Season Ticket Holder of 30 years, Waltham".

Will a win, or even a hard-earned draw against the team perched third in the division bring a little more balance to this over-reactionary debate? Of course it will. There will always be a Mr and Mrs Shouty on the streets, ready to overreact and leap out at the first minor stumble. Another miserablist in today's paper notes: "Grimsby was always a football town, you couldn't cycle home down Fiveways, Welholme Avenue or Bargate without people calling out 'How did Town get on', every Saturday evening they played at home. People cared then. I imagine few care now." If the letters in today's paper are anything to go by then they do care, but they should keep their emotions in check and use their heads a little more before spouting off.

Maybe Slade was wrong with his prediction that it would take ten to twelve games for Town to get used to the division. The fans are going to need much longer than that.