To The Players of Grimsby Town FC

Quoted from chaos33

Whilst the sentiment of that Poojah rant is understandable, the actual content and language is childish and embarrassing. I've never grasped why it was held up as some literary masterpiece that speaks for the disillusioned.

I feel that anger and frustration but reading it makes me cringe.

For what it's worth I probably agree with you. At the time, it was written with the intention of being disposed of after an hour or two, not something that would be referred back to nearly a decade later. I never quite understood the fuss at the time if I'm honest.

Anyway, choice of words aside I think most at least agreed with the sentiment. Back then we had a squad virtually devoid of talent and worse still, very little care for the club and its supporters. Honestly, I don't feel today's bunch fall into quite the same category - we have to remember that as recently as Boxing Day that we were in the top half of the table with half an eye on the play-offs.

It was hardly total football but it was, for the most part, competent. The issue as I see it is a crisis of confidence amongst a squad which, whilst not brilliant, is nevertheless capable of league two football.

I'm personally not convinced that a manager in his first headline role in English football is the right choice for us at this moment, I'm really not, but one way or another we need to seize this new start as an opportunity to breathe some life and confidence back into a badly struggling team.

10 games to save the club - it won't survive another non-league relegation in my humble opinion.

Quoted from GrimRob

How can you say it's worse? We're Football League for Christ's sake. If you had shown me the league table now this time two years ago I'd have snapped your hand off.

Yes things are great but they have been a lot lot worse than they are now. That first season in the Conference was a very bleak year.

I guess if the negativity continues your corporate masters will take away the site again. Sorry but sprinkling glitter on excrement doesn't make it less excrement. It doesn't matter what league we are in, bad is bad. "shut up, we are in the league now aren't we!?" isn't a compelling argument. Yes it's been bad before, but I can't remember a time when I wanted to pull a Gordan Ramsey on the whole team and be all "urine off will you..."  because I can't stand the sight of them going through the motions every game when they clearly don't want to play for us.

If you think the first season in the conference was worse than this then you really are blind. We were inconsistent but under no threat of relegation and for their obvious lack of any real talent the team were triers and got some decent wins. It was frustrating due to the expectation we'd urine that league but I attended every home game that season and a couple of away games happily. Right now I have no motivation to go to games, it's not entertaining or interesting and the only reason I think anyone goes now is out of habit because it's been part of their week for so long. I would happily watch a team that plays below expectations but still tries, I can't bear to watch a team that doesn't even want to try and puts so little effort in.

Quoted from Kris2

I guess if the negativity continues your corporate masters will take away the site again. Sorry but sprinkling glitter on excrement doesn't make it less excrement. It doesn't matter what league we are in, bad is bad. "shut up, we are in the league now aren't we!?" isn't a compelling argument. Yes it's been bad before, but I can't remember a time when I wanted to pull a Gordan Ramsey on the whole team and be all "urine off will you..."  because I can't stand the sight of them going through the motions every game when they clearly don't want to play for us.

If you think the first season in the conference was worse than this then you really are blind. We were inconsistent but under no threat of relegation and for their obvious lack of any real talent the team were triers and got some decent wins. It was frustrating due to the expectation we'd urine that league but I attended every home game that season and a couple of away games happily. Right now I have no motivation to go to games, it's not entertaining or interesting and the only reason I think anyone goes now is out of habit because it's been part of their week for so long. I would happily watch a team that plays below expectations but still tries, I can't bear to watch a team that doesn't even want to try and puts so little effort in.

Any season in the National League is worse than one in this one, it's as simple as that. If you are happier winning games most of the time then maybe you would be happier in a division where we are bigger fish, but personally I'd rather compete at a higher level even if it means success comes around a lot less often. Just because I don't agree with you have to run me down, I am as entitled to my point as anyone else.

Quoted from GrimRob

Any season in the National League is worse than one in this one, it's as simple as that. If you are happier winning games most of the time then maybe you would be happier in a division where we are bigger fish, but personally I'd rather compete at a higher level even if it means success comes around a lot less often.

Sorry Rob but I just don't get that at all. Surely you want to see the team win and be at the right end of the division (whichever one it is) rather than getting beaten by bigger, better teams. Surely, assuming we can't have both then success beats the quality of the football hands down. Top four in any division rather than bottom four in a higher level division anytime for me

Quoted from Ipswin

Sorry Rob but I just don't get that at all. Surely you want to see the team win and be at the right end of the division (whichever one it is) rather than getting beaten by bigger, better teams. Surely, assuming we can't have both then success beats the quality of the football hands down. Top four in any division rather than bottom four in a higher level division anytime for me

Yes I would love to have my cake and eat it but to return the question that this is the worse season ever then I would say that it certainly isn't (yet) because a) we have been in lower divisions, b) we are far from relegated, despite the general malaise. If we stay up this season there is no way this would even be a contender for the worst season ever in our 140 years, given that we have twice been kicked out the league, faced re-election to the league twice, and been relegated from higher divisions numerous times. If we go down it would certainly be up there, but it's not over yet, and we haven't had any of Jolley's input yet.

Quoted from forza ivano

Can u tell me which players aren't trying? Coz I haven't seen any lack of effort apart from maybe Dixon who is apparently on 2.5k per week and has been lamentable.just a complete lack of confidence. Poor decision making and in some cases a lack of ability.

Hooper at times looks like he can't be arsed as do both Matt and Vernon recently, Berrett would rather chop an opponent down than make a forward pass, and I can't remember the last time Woolford broke into a jog when he played.

As someone else mentioned how many games do you get to to have a real view on players performances?

Quoted from Poojah

For what it's worth I probably agree with you. At the time, it was written with the intention of being disposed of after an hour or two, not something that would be referred back to nearly a decade later. I never quite understood the fuss at the time if I'm honest.

Anyway, choice of words aside I think most at least agreed with the sentiment. Back then we had a squad virtually devoid of talent and worse still, very little care for the club and its supporters. Honestly, I don't feel today's bunch fall into quite the same category - we have to remember that as recently as Boxing Day that we were in the top half of the table with half an eye on the play-offs.

It was hardly total football but it was, for the most part, competent. The issue as I see it is a crisis of confidence amongst a squad which, whilst not brilliant, is nevertheless capable of league two football.

I'm personally not convinced that a manager in his first headline role in English football is the right choice for us at this moment, I'm really not, but one way or another we need to seize this new start as an opportunity to breathe some life and confidence back into a badly struggling team.

10 games to save the club - it won't survive another non-league relegation in my humble opinion.

yes but that side up until Boxing Day was not quite  the team we have now, it had Jones and his 6 league goals (not great but a goal every 3 games or so is a quantum leap over any striker we have available now).

It also had Osborne who in a 3 minute spell in the swindon game did more than Berrett has all season and set up a goal, (was that Osborne's only appearance)? As an aside we at least had the hope that Osborne (and maybe Clements) would come into the squad to improve it too.

Also maybe Collins being that bit older this season he is struggling to keep going for the later part of the season as the legs have started to go, but may have been ok earlier on?