Stats compared to last season

The problem with a slow start is that you go into every game thinking the opposition is good because they're higher in the league table than us.

Suddenly a home game against Crewe looks more difficult than it needs to be. They're 4th, we're 22nd, the bookies will have them favourites and this can get into the heads of players who are perhaps mentally fragile.

And on the back of two successive home defeats to start the season, a third becomes unthinkable and the pressure really is on.

I hope we have players with the right attitude. Right now I'm struggling to see who on the pitch is going to pick us up and drag us forward.

From what I can remember about the start of last season, even though the result weren't going our way the performances deserved results, where as this season it's been excrement and we've deserved intercourse all.  

Quoted from RichMariner

The problem with a slow start is that you go into every game thinking the opposition is good because they're higher in the league table than us.

Suddenly a home game against Crewe looks more difficult than it needs to be. They're 4th, we're 22nd, the bookies will have them favourites and this can get into the heads of players who are perhaps mentally fragile.

And on the back of two successive home defeats to start the season, a third becomes unthinkable and the pressure really is on.

I hope we have players with the right attitude. Right now I'm struggling to see who on the pitch is going to pick us up and drag us forward.

Good post. The additional point I think is that we've already spoiled whatever advantage there is in playing at home. I can't remember the last season where we made Blundell Park a 'fortress' as the players repeatedly like to say, before capitulating badly to all and sundry down Cleethorpes way. Our home form has been average to poor for a long time. Opposition managers often say that Grimsby is a tough place to go, but, in reality, the stats say you've a fair to good chance of picking up a result. What gets me is that we get turned over by some poor to decent teams on our patch (like Wycombe), but you just know that we'd never do that to them at their place. As you say, it doesn't take long for the players to lose confidence in playing at home, and the fans to get edgy and quick to vent their frustration.

That's very true TRJL, we were desperately unlucky to lose at Wycombe and at home to Orient last season, we deserved at least draws perhaps more out of those games. We were fairly beaten at Colchester admittedly. This season we have been very poor in all the games I've seen. I know we got back into it on Saturday but it was through a penalty and a wonder goal not building up pressure or playing well. We also look needlessly shaky defensively and we don't have Bogle or Vose even who we're causing Stevenage, Luton and Notts County at this time last season absolute chaos. Of Slade's signings perhaps only Dembele and Rose would get in the side that Hurst assembled last season. That really worrys me because Hurst side wasn't exactly filled with footballing genius. It was very good at what it did but not a flair team, this team seems to have the same lack of flair without being gritty or solid.

Quoted from Mariner_09

That's very true TRJL, we were desperately unlucky to lose at Wycombe and at home to Orient last season, we deserved at least draws perhaps more out of those games. We were fairly beaten at Colchester admittedly. This season we have been very poor in all the games I've seen. I know we got back into it on Saturday but it was through a penalty and a wonder goal not building up pressure or playing well. We also look needlessly shaky defensively and we don't have Bogle or Vose even who we're causing Stevenage, Luton and Notts County at this time last season absolute chaos. Of Slade's signings perhaps only Dembele and Rose would get in the side that Hurst assembled last season. That really worrys me because Hurst side wasn't exactly filled with footballing genius. It was very good at what it did but not a flair team, this team seems to have the same lack of flair without being gritty or solid.

I don't know what game you were watching but we were shite at Wycombe!

The trouble with statistics is that they can be interpreted to support whatever point of view you hold.

My problem, having seen the home performances so far, is that we don't look anywhere near good enough all over the pitch with a couple of notable exceptions. And this with most (if not all) of the pre-season business concluded and only a week left anyway before the window shuts until January. Besides, the judgement of our current management team on picking players looks to be highly suspect if their current crop of signings is anything to go by.

We can only hope that the ability of Slade and Wilkinson to make poor/average players better and knit them into a cohesive unit is good enough to keep us in the league. I'm not full of confidence though.

UTM

The weird thing Is, slade started getting results at home last season with the team he inherited. That team was playing better than the one he's assembled now.

Quoted from Mariner93er

The weird thing Is, slade started getting results at home last season with the team he inherited. That team was playing better than the one he's assembled now.

That's the bit that perplexes me. He came in and immediately made us more organised, it looked like we had a plan and the players knew their roles. We weren't world beaters but we gave the team that came second on goal difference a really good game at BP. Since then, he's introduced his own players and we've gone backwards, seemingly losing most of the organisation and definitely losing any fighting spirit we saw towards the end of last season.

I find this all very pathetic.  Have you heard yourselves.  I suggest reading back through the posts because like me i was cringing at some of the posts.  To right the team off after 4 games is.....well shocking, anyway what happened to thr 10 game rule lol.   Yes 5 red cards is probably concerning but if you replay them some shouldn't have been 2nd yellowed.  This is half the problem so quick to judge and no support.  You must be the miserable lot at BP and why its like a morgue.  

I have no problem with people's opinions but as long as they are realistic.  Being a Grimsby fan is like a marriage through thick and thin...so get behind the team they'll come good im sure.

Anyone remember Exeters start last season they couldn't by a win and were at the foot of the table for quite a few games yet managed to get a good position.

Everyone knows its finding the right balance in the team and some clubs get lucky.

It's like being in a very one sided marriage then with no love being given back.