WE HAVE BETTER ENERGY
THOMPSON ON TOWN’S RECENT PROGRESS
CURTIS Thompson believes the energy and vibe around Grimsby Town has significantly improved as they enter crunch time in the season.
The 30-year-old arrived on January deadline day from Cheltenham Town on an 18-month deal, with the desire to get back to playing regular football and his wish has been granted so far. With close to 200 appearances in League One and the Championship, Thompson has the experience required to slot right into David Artell’s team and act as a leader from day one, which is what he has done.
There has still been an adjustment period for Thompson having not played as regularly for Cheltenham in the first half of the season, but with each game, he is likely to get stronger.
He said: “Performances have not been quite where I’d like them to be for myself, but it’s a process, so as long as I’m on the pitch getting through games and my match fitness is increasing, that is the main thing.
“It’s been really good, I’ve really enjoyed just getting to work and being involved in the team every week when fit.
“The lads are great and so are the management staff – the energy and the vibe around the place have improved as well. “The results are something we want to improve on to try and be more consistent. “Although I’m one of the more experienced players in the group, I see myself as having a more reserved personality but when it comes to the games, naturally I want to drive others on. “Naturally, because I do have some more experience than a lot of the guys here, in what is quite a young group, it’s important that I try to keep the team going on the pitch, especially during moments in a game where things are going against us.”
Gavan Holohan, an experienced campaigner himself, has started alongside Thompson in midfield in recent games and has quickly picked up on why the club decided to bring him in as a steadying presence in the middle. The Irishman added: “It’s been good [playing alongside Thompson]. You can see the quality he has when he is out there and it is pretty clear he has played at a higher level in his career. “He’s physical, he gets about the pitch and he is good at turning the ball back over for us and he’s good on the ball as well. “Having played much of his career at a higher level, he’s got plenty of experience in his role and it is something we’ll definitely need coming into the runin with the high-pressure games we’ll be involved in. It should be no issue for a player of his quality, which is important for us.”