Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 9 January 2009

9 January 2009

Sixty-nine points to play for; fresh, eager new faces in the dressing room and loan players who are not just here for a handful of games. Nary a handful, gentle reader - a whole handful and a half! Manager Newell is looking up the table, not down it, and must surely think that Town can accrue points in January given the obviously higher-quality players he has used his reputation to bring in.

Chatting to the redoubtable Dale on Mariners World at a freezy, windy Cheapside yesterday, Mr Newell also informed the world that Robbie Stockdale became a dad in the middle of the night so had skipped training just as his leg was getting better. However, Newell was half expecting the new dad back in training today, so there is still a chance that our only decent right-back could return tomorrow. The Telegraph points out that with all these new players arriving and returning the squad offers all kinds of options. But your Guest Diarist gets the feeling that Sinclair, Elliott and Widdowson will go straight into the side as nearly an almighty a shake-up as possible commences.

With the club signing Adam Proudlock yesterday for a small fee on a two-and-a-half-year contract, and everyone hopeful that Kalala will sign today as well, the spine of the Town team looks an awful lot stronger. Everyone's breath is bated as to whether Rob Atkinson will return. Come on Lady Luck, our damn cake needs icing!

Assuming the loanees return (and, as I write, it is now confirmed that Kalala is back on loan until the end of the season), the team would appear to almost pick itself, save possibly the wide right slot which Till could call his own until something appeared to go wrong a few weeks ago. The perma-tanned winger has been variously injured, ill, and punched (if you believe the half-baked rumours) and Mr Newell has taken to playing Clarke there. So those of us shuffling our feet at half two at Blundell Park tomorrow can twitch for a sight of the lesser spotted brown Till.

Diary reader Dave Chambers has dropped us a line saying: "The Superb New Official Site is now promoting Evil Sky's televisual offerings, luring us to watch that awful Soccer AM this coming weekend. How many of Town's players can hit the ball onto the crossbar? Who cares!! I am hoping the pop star they are hinting at observing is your very own Pete Green. He's got the hair to be on that show." I must admit Dave, although I've never watched Saturday morning telly since the early days of Tiswas, I would quite like to see players hitting the bar from the halfway line. Perhaps the subs should do it for me as half-time entertainment? But then again, reader, I have to admit to also enjoying The World's Strongest Man (it is my ambition to see a heat live) and I loved Indoor League. Ah'll sithee Dave.

Tomorrow's referee, by the way, is called Chris Sarginson and he has recently arrived from the Conference. Card-happy, he is, there, averaging nigh on three bookings a game, and he's sent off three in 15 matches so far this season. He was the guy who sent Peter Jackson to the stand in the Imps' home game against Rochdale, so he is not all bad, is he?

If this flurry of signings and loans doesn't work then we are kind of screwed. I keep getting flashbacks to the 13 players Wrexham signed last January. But you've got to have confidence in Newell's judgement and you have got to applaud Mr Fenty for putting his hand fairly deep into his pocket. And if none of it works there is a very strong chance that at least one more club in our division will get docked points before the season ends. So one way or another I think Newell will get the chance to finish rebuilding his squad and have a proper go at getting us out of the bottom division next season.

Let's hope it is not frozen off again; that it is a cracking game and that the new-look Town side does the business. See yer.