Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Thursday 8 July 2010
8 July 2010
Armchair Diary writes: Is it Thursday already? Christ, this week has just flown by.
And talking of time flying by, it doesn't seem that long since Town had their relegation confirmed with defeat at Burton Albion and yet the new season is only just over a month away. Neil Woodses started the process of rebuilding the playing squad to his own specification weeks ago and has continued to bring players in and ship others out at a decent pace. Will we see the transfer-listed players leave before the new season begins or can we expect to see Nick Colgan on the bench against Crawley on the opening day of the season? Actually, come to think of it, if Colgan does leave suddenly then we only have one keeper on the books. I wonder (as I so often do these days) whether Woodses has a replacement in mind or will just turn to a loanee as and when to fill the vacancy.
I am on record as saying that I think Woodses started his rebuilding too early for my liking and that I would have waited a couple more weeks into the close season before bringing in new faces. But what do I know about football management? I will say this, though: I accept that having the vast majority of the squad signed up by the time pre-season started was a smart move, as it means they have the maximum amount of time to gel. And that's something I think will be important this season. This division is tough to get out of at the first time of asking and the players are going to need to be a lot more than a collection of talented individuals. They are really going to have work for each other and play as a team.
Incidentally, how do you think we'll do next season? Is it too early to be posing that sort of question? I can see us making the play-offs or thereabouts but I can't see us seriously battling for automatic promotion. Will it be dreams of glory or nightmares of another failed season? Why not email us at the usual address and let us know. Please. The Mariners have pretty much signed all the players they are going to now, and with little else going on in the world this Diary can be quite tricky to write without a bit of help from you lot.
When you were a young kid what position did you want to play? You wanted to be a striker, didn't you? Of course you did. Goals equals glory and the only position you can score goals from is centre-forward; everyone knows that. I suppose there is a slight chance you liked flinging yourself to the floor, in which case you may have wanted to go in nets. Why did no-one want to be a marauding full-back, a destructive centre-back, a nippy winger or a midfield general? Anyway, if you were fortunate (OK, talented) enough to play for a proper team with proper kit with numbers on the shirts and all that gubbins then you probably witnessed at least one scrap for the number nine shirt.
So who's just won that scrap at BP? At a couple of inches shy of six foot, Charlie Ademeno may not be the biggest bloke around but it seems he has claimed the coveted number nine as the Mariners announce their provisional squad numbers. The transfer-listed players have been given numbers, obviously, as they are still under contract with the club and can be called upon if needed. I respect their professionalism in this respect because when I announce my intention to leave an employer I generally do nothing of any use, although some would say that's not that different to how I am before I hand my notice in. Those squad numbers haven't been registered with the authorities yet so there could still be changes, just so you know. And I wonder (I'm at it agan) if Woodses plans to fill in the gaps with four more players joining the ranks.
If the Mariners' playing staff is to increase in size - and I don't mean by eating pies - then one man who could be on his way to Blundell Park is Alan Connell, if rumours are to be believed. I can't name my source but they also told me the other day that Scott Garner was set to sign too, and what do you know, Garner joined the throng yesterday. Connell is a "hold-up striker from Bournemouth" who is "highly regarded", apparently, so that sounds quite exciting doesn't it? Talking of strikers, it seems to have eluded other diarists (and me till just now) that Woodses has been talking to Matt 'Prince Harry' Harrold after his release by Wycombe Wanderers. However, it seems the former loanee wants to stay in the League so won't be back at Town. Shame. If you clicked the link I directed you to just now and read the story you'll know the same is pretty much true of Nathan Stanton too. And if you didn't click the link you probably don't need to now.
Remember Curtis Woodhouse? He was the midfield thug who seemingly didn't care too much for football and went off to become a boxer, before returning to football and then going back to boxing again. Him. I was going to say he was the ex-Town midfielder who got in trouble with the law but then I didn't want you to confuse him with Ashley Sestanovich. Anyway, it seems Woodhouse has got bored of flitting between non-League football clubs and is a boxer once more, for he's due a proper pasting by Frankie Gavin in September, according to the Telewag. For those of you who don't know much about boxing, Frankie Gavin was reckoned to be Britain's best medal hope in the boxing before the Beijing Olympics but couldn't make the weight. He turned pro shortly after the games finished and is doing alright for himself. My money's on Gavin for this one, and remember I was spot on last time I gave out betting advice here.