Pivotal game

Next Saturday Grimsby Town Football Club reach a crossroads, not just for this season but quite possibly for the next 5 or so years at least.
I say that not because a defeat, or even a draw, against Barnet will virtually guarantee we are not going to win the league but it will mean more points dropped at home and that is key for me.
The players are clearly struggling at Blundell Park and are devoid of confidence. I know some will cry ‘man up’ but confidence is a key element in football at all levels. Without it, chances are snatched at and passes tend to become longer just to get rid. How do the players regain the confidence that will allow them to play at their maximum or at least close to it? I don’t know other than working their nuts off and the manager attempting to instil in them a belief in what they are doing.

I know for a fact that the manager talks constantly to the players about playing at a tempo and about getting momentum. That is what the players are told to do. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I haven’t witnessed it anywhere near enough and especially at home.
Despite what I read on here I don’t believe we set up to be defensive. We have enough players with attacking intent in our line up every week. I think that those who claim we play hoofball should watch a few old video’s of John Becks old Cambridge side.

What I would say is whether it is down to the manager, players or even the much maligned supporters    the home performances and results have not been acceptable for a Town side plying it trade in the 5th tier of English football and this has to change and change quickly.

To my mind we must win v Barnet. If not the crowd will turn and numbers will drop dramatically forcing the hand of the board in my opinion. The knock on effect of lower crowds, and in turn lower budgets, are it makes promotion even less likely.

I can only assume every Town fan wants us to be promoted? If so, then on Saturday it is vital we get a passionate vocal crowd behind the team. Not people ready to jump on every error, but people prepared to encourage and support for the entire 90 mins. I guarantee that staying away will not help the club regain their place in the football league.

If we can get 3 points with a positive performance and a positive crowd we can kick on for the rest of the season. Players will regain the confidence and the crowd may begin to think we may have a chance.

As always it is fine margins but I honestly think next Saturday is pivotal

Good post Chris and i admire your optimism but all the fight has gone out of me i'm afraid and i'm past caring.

Maybe it's the fans who should man up? It's not pretty but it's the flipping conference. Let's get out of this league!

This is a great approach Chris.

Shove the Barnet fans in the Osmond corner and open up the main Osmond to Town fans.  

Excellent post Chris, I will be on afternoons next week so will not be able to make the match, I also said a week or so ago that I wouldn't be going back to Blundell Park in a hurry but after reading your reasoned post I would of gone if I could of made it.

Be lucky to get 3000, and they dont deserve the crowds they do get

Appalling home form, a lack of fitness, and each player capable of one good game in 5, (Pearson/Disley excluded)

Nothing to do with confidence, shocking ability at times mixed with the worst manager this club has ever, ever seen

Should have been sacked in the summer.....hope of course Town win

Quoted from Bruce Springsteen

Be lucky to get 3000, and they dont deserve the crowds they do get

Appalling home form, a lack of fitness, and each player capable of one good game in 5, (Pearson/Disley excluded)

Nothing to do with confidence, shocking ability at times mixed with the worst manager this club has ever, ever seen

Should have been sacked in the summer.....hope of course Town win

Definitely not true. Neil Woods and Mike Newell were worse.

To be honest I am not sure if we are that much better away from home than at home, yes we have had some good results but have we actually played that well.

Apart from the Gateshead game I cannot remember coming away from a game saying that was a good game. Some of the wins have come on the back of a dour performance with probably the winning goals being the only shot on target or just about anyway, Wrexham, Macclesfield and Kidderminster for examples.

I cannot comment on the Torquay or Braintree wins and the Dartford draw as I couldn't make those games but other poor performances, Aldershot, LIncoln, Altrincham, Telford.

I am not jumping on the bandwagon of recent poor results as I have said from the start of the season I didn't think we were good enough to get promoted or Hurst is the man to get us up and I would be more than happy to be proved wrong so I don't see it as a confidence issue I really honestly don't think the squad as a whole is good enough.

McKeown, probably the best keeper we have had for a while but has had a few wobbles this season, Thomas for me is having a poor season, Pearson will always be a steady Eddie and Toto having a good game yesterday has been quite dodgy at times, Magnay looks like he may well be "Player of the Year", Disley, one of my favourite players but probably his poorest season so far for us, Brown, a good early part of the season but recently having poor games.

Clay, I have to admit I wasn't impressed with his performances whilst on trial but has really improved but again his performances have tailed off. Arnold despite having one of his best games for a while yesterday has played at times as if he cannot be bothered, Mackreth I just don't rate at all as being much better than Colbeck

Nielsen apart from odd glimpses just hasn't recreated his form from his loan period, LJL is LJL and will always be the focus of divided opinions, Pittman I think has the ability to be one of our better players and for me I would rather see him played out in a wider position as some of his better play is cutting in from the wing.

Other bit part players such as Hannah, McLaughlin, Bignot, Hurst himself obviously doesn't think are good enough as they hardly ever start a game and Parslow another signing of a make do player who yesterday had a poor game at right back.

As I said I would like nothing more than to be proved wrong but I just don't see it happening unless we sign some better players or the performances by some of them really improve.

Quoted from arryarryarry

To be honest I am not sure if we are that much better away from home than at home, yes we have had some good results but have we actually played that well.

Apart from the Gateshead game I cannot remember coming away from a game saying that was a good game. Some of the wins have come on the back of a dour performance with probably the winning goals being the only shot on target or just about anyway, Wrexham, Macclesfield and Kidderminster for examples.

I cannot comment on the Torquay or Braintree wins and the Dartford draw as I couldn't make those games but other poor performances, Aldershot, LIncoln, Altrincham, Telford.

I am not jumping on the bandwagon of recent poor results as I have said from the start of the season I didn't think we were good enough to get promoted or Hurst is the man to get us up and I would be more than happy to be proved wrong so I don't see it as a confidence issue I really honestly don't think the squad as a whole is good enough.

McKeown, probably the best keeper we have had for a while but has had a few wobbles this season, Thomas for me is having a poor season, Pearson will always be a steady Eddie and Toto having a good game yesterday has been quite dodgy at times, Magnay looks like he may well be "Player of the Year", Disley, one of my favourite players but probably his poorest season so far for us, Brown, a good early part of the season but recently having poor games.

Clay, I have to admit I wasn't impressed with his performances whilst on trial but has really improved but again his performances have tailed off. Arnold despite having one of his best games for a while yesterday has played at times as if he cannot be bothered, Mackreth I just don't rate at all as being much better than Colbeck

Nielsen apart from odd glimpses just hasn't recreated his form from his loan period, LJL is LJL and will always be the focus of divided opinions, Pittman I think has the ability to be one of our better players and for me I would rather see him played out in a wider position as some of his better play is cutting in from the wing.

Other bit part players such as Hannah, McLaughlin, Bignot, Hurst himself obviously doesn't think are good enough as they hardly ever start a game and Parslow another signing of a make do player who yesterday had a poor game at right back.

As I said I would like nothing more than to be proved wrong but I just don't see it happening unless we sign some better players or the performances by some of them really improve.

And that in a nutshell is it I could not have described it better myself,  as for the crowd yesterday small sections in the Pontoon tried to generate an atmosphere but TBH the silence was created by lack of action on the field, only a win on Wednesday will bring an extra couple of hundred in,  because its on TV, nobody got on the players backs yesterday so that can`t be used as an excuse, and to bring on two subs when the game was over was plain daft

Both Big Chris array array and Garth sum everything up . Everyone is blaming  each other it seems .  I though Christmas was pivotal  , those games have swayed many to the dark side .  Also the manner of those two games has effected the players more than we know . Just my opinion ,  one swallow doesn't  make a summer but it helps .