Cod Almighty | Diary

When you claim the match turned on an 89th-minute sending-off, you are losing it

15 January 2018

As it's my first diary of 2018, Trentside Diary should be wishing you all a "Happy New Year" and no, it's not too late. But as we haven't yet had a win in 2018, it's not feeling too happy at the moment.

I did think I could just include links to last week's diaries and say "there you go, that's just what I'm thinking" but that smacks of "CBA" as the youngsters would say; and where my football team are concerned, that would never be my attitude.

I listened to Russell 'Bob the Builder' Slade after the match on Saturday and apparently we were the better team and we didn't deserve to lose. I think every football fan can recall a match that their team 'didn't deserve to lose': the fluky last-minute winner or the opposition keeper who had the game of his career. But really? With only two shots on target for the whole game, were we really that much better? Apparently, we "lost impetus" when Matt was dismissed. In the 89th minute, Russ/Bob? Really?

There's a distinct whiff of Trump and fake news about Grimsby Town at the moment. In fact, maybe Fenty has taken heed of his political leader in Westminster and believes that he can feed us any old guff. No apologies for going political. Whether it's Grimsby Town, Westminster or Washington DC, the incumbents think we are too dim to know when they are feeding us a line. But I can tell you now: we're not!

Russ/Bob tells us he is deflated and I think he may have said "the crowd were against us". Maybe I imagined it, because they are. Personally, I would never boo my team – but I understand why people have for the last few matches.

If ever there was a problem that we can lay at the door of the management and ownership of the club, it's the abysmal recent matches. We have seen this team turn in much better performances, so what has gone wrong? Perhaps Slade has 'lost' the dressing room, but surely they can draw on enough experience to keep us above the relegation zone?

Slade's record of 43 points from 33 matches in charge (1.3 points per match) is not good and certainly not better than Smiley Marcus (1.3 points per match). But then we really need a fundamental change. I would love a concerted effort to remove Slade at the end of the season, and Fenty permanently, at some point soon.

There are plenty of experienced managers around. Granted, they won't all rush to come to Grimsby – but who knows? We're not going to get the likes of Garry Monk (although Middlesbrough really isn't any more glamorous than Grimsby). But there are managers who did competent jobs who are not in work – Mark Warburton (Brentford, Rangers, Forest) – or younger managers who may have had a spell as caretaker and might relish their first club: Ritchie Humphries (Chesterfield) or even, dare I say it, managers from the lower leagues who are ready to step up. John McDermott (Alfreton), anyone?

All I ask for is a team of players who try to play football and look like they care.