Cod Almighty | Diary

Try stress dancing

2 November 2023

Now then, here we are - sorry I'm a bit late but we were talking about school dinner puddings in the late sixties and well, one thing led to another. Anyhow the jam roly-poly is now steaming for a couple of hours so let's get on shall we?

Managerless Grimsby was the end result of another narrow defeat last Sat'day. The talkative owner rushed out to explain, coming over all compassionate as Hursty and Doigy trudged off to cadge a lift home. At the time it was a bit confusing because Jason said that the all-important data read-outs from the pointless spell did not really look that bad but that he and his quiet co-owner felt that something had to be done to 'change the luck'. I know you know all this already, but I feel we need to write it down for future historians to giggle over.

And so (I paraphrase) the obvious thing was to try another management team. Now those of us who watch the games rather than persistently goggling at the stats know that we have been playing indifferently, but not appallingly, and had trouble keeping goals out and also scoring them. We just kept finding ways to lose. Individual new signings looked great on paper but as Cloughie said so memorably "unfortunately the game of football is not played on paper". It was turning in to a right mess whatever the formation. And by the end Hursty had tried them all pretty much. He must have been tearing his hair out, bless him.

But that's that and it's done now. What I want is the stand-ins to pick their idea of the best team in the best formation on Sunday. No resting folk, no concentrating on the league. We have to go down to Slough and batter them. Winning is more important than fresh legs.

Being old I have seen an awful lot of managers come and go. And some come back again for more. We have had grizzled has-beens and fast-talking young 'uns. Famous names and old friends. I don't think anyone anywhere has a formula for picking the right candidate who will guarantee turning out a winning season. What usually happens is the new boss wants new faces so we get player churn, but churn too hard and you just get butter. I'm off to console mesen with some pudding. You do whatever it is that keeps you sane when your club has hit a bump in the road. But don't turn on each other - we're all Town aren't we? See yer.