Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Friday 19 September 2008
19 September 2008
Your Guest Diarist returns, the bearer of good news. Mr Watkiss(es), the new Town manager, has instigated a new training regime: Monday through Wednesday the lads work on what to do if they have the ball, and what to do when they haven't (no smart comments from the back please). But Thursday has been designated the day on which to 'rest their brains'. Mariners World interviewer Dale had obviously witnessed this brain-resting stuff and curiously asked in that deferential way of his what the hell had been going on. Sadly, we do not get to find out quite what brain-resting entails in any more detail. I'll leave you, gentle reader, to make your own fantasy.
Our Stu explained that although the shadow of the "events of Monday" hung heavy he had been a busy beaver and was close to signing three loan players. This squad-strengthening talk was neatly interlaced with mentions of his boundless enthusiasm for the attitude, motivation and skills of the present lot. In that sort of so-good-we-are-gonna-have-to-let-some-of-you-go way that bosses tend to use in times of difficulty. Watkiss(es) has already signed promising Ipswich midfielder Liam Trotter on a month's loan, and talks of a player from a Premiership club possibly signing over the weekend, and, ahem, a player from another second division side joining too very imminently.
Trotter is a simply great signing: with recent second division games under his belt he is a big attacking midfielder who can run about a lot and scores a few goals. Heslop he is not. He comes highly recommended by the Ipswich fan I know. Can't wait to see him play for us. The lad himself confesses to having briefly met Ryan Bennett in his interview for the super new official Grimsby Town website and adds: "I would like to bring a bit of good luck and a bit of good fortune to the team. I've got a lot of energy, I like to get up and down the pitch, I'm a decent passer of the ball, pop up with my fair share of goals, and if I can get going, get into my stride, maybe I can get this team where they want to go." Heady stuff, eh?
As for the team tomorrow, it would seem that Stockdale is likely to come back at right-back (phew) but Hope is a week away from match fitness. Mr Watkiss(es) says that North's goals in his last two games can't be ignored and that Taylor looks sharp again too. I was willing the interviewer to mention Butler, but his name never came up. Surely the club is looking to offload the player who lives too far away to train? And my bet is there are a few other names in the squad who are wondering if they may be made available to Conference teams with ten bob and a bag of spanners to spare. And that's not meant to belittle them but there's not exactly a lot of cash passes between lower league clubs these days, and spanners always come in handy, don't they?
Morecambe beat Shrewsbury. And they beat Oldham. So just because they could only draw at Barnet, when, as every Town fan knows, it is impossible not to beat Barnet, don't underestimate them. Their squad, bolstered by some good loan signings (and the close season transfer kitty having been boosted by selling Carl Baker) is definitely stronger than last season. This will be a tough test, and I wish I could be arsed to put the rest of my complicated life on hold and go and watch it.
By the way, I would never deliberately crib from another fanzine but feel duty bound to pass on the information in the Fishy match preview that it would appear that when Buckley left he also took the club manger with him. I'll get me coat. See yer.