Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 17 September 2010

17 September 2010

Tomorrow, gentle reader it's the battle of the fish. Haddock versus cod, and as the Cod Almighty pre-match factfile forcibly reminds you haddock is the fish of choice at all discerning chippies. Your Guest Diarist spends enough time patiently explaining to all the southern people who have migrated to Lincolnshire that it is really not a bad thing they can't get rock salmon for love nor money in the fish shops. I can't be doing with arguing the toss as well with folk from the north-west about the feeding habits of cod and their slightly scary worm-infested flesh. I like my protein to come from the fish not the parasites, myself. So Fleetwood at home - one side the highest they have ever been, against Grimsby who are probably as low as they have ever sunk.

I've been listening to Mr Woodses pouring his heart out on the superb new official Town website as usual. You get a nicely paced interview out of him - never irascible like Buckley (who pretended never to know owt about the opponents unless he was mates with their old-school manager) or plain cynical like Newell. Woodses says lesser teams have been beating us with only their energy. Energy and enthusiasm. Energy, enthusiasm and workrate. Energy, enthusiasm, workrate and a will to win. Oh, and height. In fact everything but skill and class he says. He adds that he hasn't seen a Conference team yet that is head and shoulders above the rest. He plainly believes, with all the pieces of his squad jigsaw in place for a few games to get match fit, that Town have the skill and the class.

But the height thing worries him. And the way opponents pack their midfield where we are weakest. The Non-League Paper quotes Woods as saying he is poking around the loan market because he realises he can't play Peacock every game. Whether for a striker or a midfield player no-one knows. But take my advice Neil, we have all been telling you for weeks (nay, months) what you need - I'm not gonna tell you again. And while I'm doling out the advice (with Kempson unjustly suspended) play Garner tomorrow. We need to see him, and it's too soon for Atkinson (who has had nine days training but hasn't played a match since the Burton fiasco).

Fleetwood, Woodses says pointedly, have men in holes. And Town have been working on that. The next seven days offer nine points - and we need seven of them I reckon. Minimum. Apart from Ademeno everyone is back in training so there's only the excuse that they are fit but not match fit. And Mr Woods has played that card early, mentioning it at length in his interview. If everyone is beating everyone as it would seem, it is time to put a little run together like our friends at Wimbledon have. But that may be interrupted tonight as the Wombles play at Luton. It will be interesting to see how that one turns out eh? Come on Town - let's have two good home games. Time for some 1-0 (Connell) I reckon. See yer.