‘Away win provided some respite - but football is fickle and pressure may return’
A FANS-EYE VIEW OF WHERE GRIMSBY TOWN ARE AT...
LIFELONG Grimsby Town fan Matthew Brown gives his view on the current situation Grimsby Town finds itself in…
Grimsby Town’s 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Tranmere Rovers last Saturday, and the impending departures of Bilel Mohsni and Ludvig Ohman, increased the scrutiny on Ian Holloway.
The midweek 2-1 win away at Crawley gave a reprieve, however, football is a fickle game - and a further bad run of form will see more pressure from the fans. Supporters are keen to ensure the club does not end up sleepwalking into relegation - but are aware that the current challenging circumstances have made things difficult at the club.
Covid-19 has certainly put a lot of financial pressure on clubs, however, some appear to be getting frustrated with Holloway’s seemingly persistent use of the global pandemic as an excuse for the club’s troubles - when every club is in the same boat.
Holloway remains popular
The tough situation at Town was compounded by the loss of a number of senior professionals, most notably Charles Vernam and the well-liked midfield workhorse Jake Hessenthaler.
These have been partly replaced with former non-league players who have struggled for fitness.
Bilel Mohsni was signed with much fanfare - with Holloway telling fans he would become our Virgil van Dijk. Yet only a few short months on, we are now informed that there will be a cull of players which Mohsni will be included in. Despite this, fans have stated that they are delighted with the way Holloway has operated with openness, honesty and integrity since he joined the club.
His passion for not just the club, but the wider area, is to be welcomed.
It’s rare that a manager develops such a close relationship with the club’s fans and the wider community that the team represents on a national stage.
Shadow of Paul Hurst
Despite his popularity, results and player performances are increasing the pressure on the manager.
The shadow of ex-boss Paul Hurst is looming large. Fans have commented that the last decent teams were the ones that Hurst assembled before he left in 2016. Whilst Hurst’s career has not gone to plan since, his previous work at the Mighty Mariners and Shrewsbury Town is exemplary. The jobs at Ipswich Town and Scunthorpe United were at clubs in very challenging circumstances and it is questionable if he got the support he required to turn those situations around. Whilst Hurst was known as a dour Yorkshireman, whose time at the club saw a strained relationship with the fans, he was unquestionably a talented manager who was tactically astute and able to get the best out of the players. The fact that Hurst and his long-time assistant Chris Doig are available will undoubtably have fans talking.
The boardroom strategy
In recent years Grimsby Town have seen a high turnover of managers, with four people having been given the opportunity to fill the hotseat permanently since Paul Hurst left in 2016.
Such a turnover has led to a great deal of instability with each manager wanting his own players and his own tactics. Every year fans are told by the newest managerial incumbent “it will be better next season when I have assembled my own team” - only to find that things stay exactly the same or deteriorate further. One must begin to question if the issues run deeper than a simple managerial appointment. While fans appear assured that Grimsby Town are well run financially, deeper questions must be asked as to if the board’s long-term strategy is realistic, if the resources are in place and if they have the right people in the right positions behind the scenes.
It would be refreshing if the board would publicly publish a five-year strategy with key points in which to be judged by, that the fans could see. Moreover, one would also question if there needs to be consideration given to the appointment of a director of football to provide a long-term strategy in the recruitment of players and the tactics of the team given the significant turnover in the managerial hot seat.
What do you think about the direction of the club? Are you concerned, or do you see it as a long-term project that it is going to take time and stability? Send your views to Telegraph football writer James Findlater, by email, to james.findlater@reachplc.com