Cod Almighty | Diary

I've got 20-20 vision but I've never seen the light

7 January 2021

Trentside Diary writes: Chip, chip, chip. Can you hear that? That's the sound of Hursty gradually whittling away at Town's mega squad. Since BOTB's diary yesterday, as far as I'm aware Matt Green hasn't exploded but Terry Taylor has been recalled to Wolves. I make that five down, maybe more to go if it can be managed.

When squad numbers were announced in July 2015, we had twenty players on the books: McKeown, Tait, Robertson, Brown, Pearson, Gowling, Mackreth, Disley, Bogle, Amond, Monkhouse, Bastock, Marshall, Clay, Venney, Pittman, Arnold, Sunter, Nsiala, East. A few comings, goings and loans during the year, notably Conor Townsend, but what a squad. We have all moved on but I know them like old friends. We still had the range we do now, Monkhouse in the experienced journeyman role and Josh Sunter as the 'young kid' but Hursty had been carving and sculpting over the previous seasons to bring it to this shape.

I'll not speculate about who he might bring in or what we need. There are more opinions on that than there are regular attendees at Blundell Park in normal times. I trust Hursty to do his best. I had hoped the Hollow One might have contacts to bring in some decent players but it turns out that wasn't the case. Yes, yes, I know. Covid clauses but if Mr Magnetism was such a catch would that really matter as much as the opportunity to play for him? Cloughie managed to attract players when Forest weren't an attractive club. He could also get a decent tune from an old fiddle. It can be done.

Sorry, I slipped back there. Onwards, onwards. I've waffled for two paragraphs already when I'd planned to comment on the departures. Not them personally but the reaction of some on social media. A few days into the new year and already the vitriol was pouring out. It’s not something I understand. I appreciate it's only a minority but why can’t we all just thank them for their time with us and wish them well. Why all the hate? I'd like to say the posters are angry young men and will grow out of it but reality is they look more like unfulfilled has-beens. Maybe that's the nub of it. The only place that anyone acknowledges them is when they rant on social media.

We're not in a strong position to criticise, are we? I'm sure we can all name players who have left Town and similar comments were made but have then gone on to do well at other clubs. It might be how they are managed, the formation played, their growing experience but they move on and it clicks.

For any player on loan with Town so far this season, what a shitshow to be caught up in. The incomprehensible ramblings of the manager in the media makes you wonder what his training sessions and team talks were like. Taylor (aged 19), Gomis(21), Windsor(19), Edwards(18) and Morton(21) were here to learn and get some competitive game time. I for one thank them for their time and wish them well in the future.

As for Hursty's whittling? It's going to take time but his first addition could be former Imp Sam Habergham who featured in yesterday's under 23s victory over Scunny. Regardless, fingers crossed his whittling can keep us up this season.

Fenty Out. Up the Mariners!