Cod Almighty | Diary

Set your hopes up way too high

5 January 2015

Miss Guest Diary writes: When I haven't been to the match at the weekend, I usually struggle to find something to say in Monday's diary, and when Town haven't played a game it's even worse. Though I confess that, diary-writing duties aside, my overwhelming feeling at the weekend was one of relief.

Relief that I didn't have to watch a set of players that I have grown rather fond of struggle to snatch a 1-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table opposition. Relief that I didn't have to wonder what formation and tactics the manager might come up with this week to bamboozle those players, but not the opposition. Relief that there would be no social media ranting from doom-mongers about how crap Town are or posts from the optimists saying that it's only two losses and we should all get a grip. That I didn't have to ponder whether Town should (a) sack the manager; (b) build a new ground; or (c) sign Ched Evans. Relief that I didn't even have to think about Town at all.

But it doesn't work like that, does it? Of course I thought about Town. When Lincoln beat Barnet 4-1 yesterday I thought that's three points fewer they have over us; maybe it's the start of a slump in form. On the other hand, when I mentioned it to my partner his reaction was to suggest that Lincoln might be above Town in the table soon: a true Grimbarian response.

And then I was forced to think about Town again – and not in a good way – when several people on Twitter posted links to a messageboard where Town's major shareholder, who apparently goes by the name of 'getyourfactsright', had seen fit to comment on a rumour about the club's financial situation. When I say comment, I mean have an ill-conceived rant. I would ask what was he thinking – but I'm sure we all know the answer to that.

Back in the real world, I see that it's not Barnet who are having a slump but Town. The manager assures us that it hasn't dented Town's confidence, though the cynics among us would say you can't dent something that doesn't exist. No, scratch that: not cynics, just loyal fans who go week in and week out and have seen the team gradually deflating before our eyes over the last few months. Going from the exuberance of the 6-1 and 7-0 wins in August to the increasingly mechanical and timid draws against bottom-of-the-table teams like Altrincham and Telford.

In his excellent piece last week, Jase Ives asked what Town need to do to change their fortunes. It seems to me that, in non-League football, success is much less about skill and tactics and more about motivation and teamwork. So my suggestion would be a new manager – a big scary Scotsman to motivate the living daylights out of the players. How about Chris Doig?