Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 22 January 2013

22 January 2013

Yesterday, Miss Guest Diary stopped the presses with the news that Marcus Marshall has been recalled by Bury, following a bid for the player from Luton. Dave McSpadgen writes to ask: "Is everyone else getting as pissed off with Luton as me? It's like they've identified us as key rivals and now are endeavouring to buy every quality loan player we have. First Neilson and now Marshall."

The answer, writes Middle-Aged Diary, is: not quite everyone, no. Among the sarcastic comments in the twittersphere, pride of place goes to someone using the identity Paul Hurst: "Tomorrow's game is now in doubt after it's been revealed Luton Town have first refusal on any improved weather conditions over Grimsby." However, Rob Scott has come over all mellow the last couple of months (less Shouty, more Soothy). After allowing himself the wry comment "I'll send in an invoice to Luton as their chief scout" he makes clear that Bury and Luton are just pursuing their own best interests, and that they will continue to pursue ours, which do not involve a bidding war. It is also refreshing that he acknowledges the dilemma faced by Marshall as he tries to balance different interests. It is a welcome contrast to the way Michael Coulson, Charlie I'Anson and Anthony Elding have been badmouthed when they could not completely identify their own interests with those of the club.

Let's not panic. I think it was your original/regular Diary who, remembering the disruptive impact that signing new players, even decent ones, had on Russell Slade's promotion bid, suggested we don't get too hung up on individual players but instead focus on Scott and Hurst's success in building a team. Scott echoes the point.

Tonight is a good test of that. We play Hyde, the last team to defeat us, when we paid the price for underestimating the opposition. There should be no complacency tonight, with postponements giving us the opportunity to reclaim our place at the top of the league. Oddly enough, just as Bury and Luton seem to feel they may have interests separate from and independent of helping the Mariners secure promotion, our last two home matches made clear that teams do not come to Blundell Park in the spirit of the opponents of the Harlem Globetrotters, there just to throw our progress into flattering relief. We are likely to need team spirit, teamwork, togetherness and patience, tonight, and for the rest of the season. Championship-winning sides are not built by snatching at a ragbag of decent players, but by moulding them into an effective unit.