Cod Almighty | Diary

The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

4 December 2024

On Sunday night, with Town not having a game this weekend, I and four regular panellists used the time to pre-record a special episode of the VFTF podcast to be released on Christmas Eve. It was intended as a light-hearted review of the season so far. Sure, it was a few weeks early, but we figured on current form the results and narrative of the season wouldn't change too drastically between now and then.

Wrong.

Just forty-eight hours later, Grimsby tore through a shell-shocked Accrington side, scoring more goals in half an hour than it had taken them in the previous ten hours at BP. Previously winless in six home games, Town finally did to an opponent what they've arguably been threatening to do all season and blew them away by half time with a blistering and breathless attacking display.

So many questions that had been asked of the players collectively and individually were answered abruptly and made us all look a little foolish. The 4-3-3 isn't working, the middle striker is too isolated, we don't attack with enough purpose, the quality in the final third is way off, Svanthorsson struggles to get into games, Davies doesn't look fit, Luker and Obikwu have only shown glimpses.

And yet when it clicks, like last night, it's a thing of sheer beauty, the like of which we haven't seen from a Grimsby side for some time. Free flowing, fluid, skilful, clinical. In previous home games we've impressed in first halves but slowly felt our way into games. From the first minute last night, it was obvious we were hungrier and wanted to stamp our authority on the game. The press was high and aggressive. Attacks had purpose and runners into the box, one-touch passing and intelligent movement off the ball. The players clearly had a new found belief in the system and each other. Accrington, who had been on a seven-game unbeaten run and just secured a trip to Anfield in the FA Cup 3rd Round, had no answers and were forced into a double change on the half hour mark. Salah and co might have a field day on that showing.

Earlier in the season, a lot was made of Svanthorsson's admission that he wasn't used to the heat in Grimsby, so perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised when he came to life on one of the coldest nights of the year. He stylishly glided around the pitch jinxing past defenders at will and drawing them into fouls. His end product finally matched his promise and it looked like he enjoyed his best performance to date in a Town shirt. At least we can now enjoy him until March when those temperatures begin to creep up again.

Green and McEachran also impressed on their return to the side with energy, tenacity and guile. But as has often been the case of late, the second half saw us lose intensity and shape in key moments. Accrington grabbed two sloppy goals which, on another day, could have sparked a real wobble. A text from VFTF panellist Charles Lumley received around the hour-mark perfectly encapsulated the brief panic: "Their sixth is really going to sting…"

But last night it was different. We scored goals at the right times and took advantage when we were in the ascendency. And, in truth, it could have been six or seven in the first half alone, such was our dominance. The only negative was that it all played out in front of our lowest attendance of the season, with just 3874 there to witness. At least if last night's performance is anything to go on, we might not have to wait too long to see Town dish out another thrashing.

However, if it's before Christmas Eve, don't expect to hear about that on our Christmas podcast either.