Just Back

Quoted from ginnywings

Firstly, we have no option but to sit back and accept it. If I don't accept it, what should I do? Stop going? Car park protest? Shout obscenities at PH?

Secondly it was PH who put together and coached that free flowing, energetic team with flair and hunger that you speak of.

I don't get your arguments.

Quoted from denni266

So we are just supposed to sit back and accept it . Never heared such a load of crap in my life.. Hurst has turned the team in to a bunch of no hopers.. They have gone from a free flowing  energetic team with flair and hunger to this shambles, and it is what Hurst has done to them with his dour way of playing . Ffs Hurst would have had ruined George best  and many more with the way he gets teams to play  he has to go for me .And the same will happen to the nextlot he gets in . Its a big mistake letting him have a free roam with our new owners money and our club  

Quoted from chaos33

Go and learn some basic grammar and then come back and make your points you negative, illiterate cretin.

Quoted from Chrisblor

Right, just got home, that from start to finish was an utter mess. At the start of the season we had success because we played a high tempo pressing game. There was none of that today - Dagenham ruthlessly exploited our mostly lethargic midfield and won the majority of challenges and second balls all afternoon. Their wingers on both sides were quick, direct and capable of delivering dangerous balls into the box (unlike ours).

It didn't take them long to realise we had a centre half at left back, and inside the first 15 minutes they threatened a few times from our left side with Longe-King and Towler both looking very uncomfortable. Towler was drifting far too central, leaving tons of space for their winger to be played in and run at him. After 20 minutes they finally took advantage of all the space behind Towler by whipping a ball in that their midfielder got his head on and looped over Crocombe. Poor to allow space for the cross and poor again from the centre halves to allow a free header in the middle of the box (a worryingly recurring theme this season - we've conceded a number of goals from similar headers now)

There wasn't a huge amount to report until just before half-time - Dagenham were mostly in control for the rest of the half and we continued to leave massive gaps around our back line for them to attack through. Efete then finally remembered how to play as an overlapping full-back and linked up nicely with Maguire Drew (who was otherwise utterly anonymous) to get in behind their left back. He pulled back a low cross for McAtee who neatly swept it home at the near post, and we had an undeserved 1-1 draw going into the break.

I strongly disagree with the assertion above that there were few town fans who thought we wouldn't go on and win it at that point. At half-time it was blatantly obvious to everyone in the ground that our back line wasn't working at all and something had to change, otherwise Dagenham would continue to scythe through us in the second half. Unfortunately Hurst doesn't make tactical changes or substitutions until the at least the 70th minute, and we started the second half with exactly the same setup.

As the second half started we finally managed to retain possession in midfield a bit more consistently and put together a few decent moves which ultimately didn't amount to much - McAtee beat a man in the box but took too long to get his shot away which made it easy for their keeper to block his effort, and a few minutes later Hunt hit a decent volley from about 20 yards but it was comfortably saved. Shortly afterwards they got their second after they yet again took advantage of all the space we were giving them down the flanks to knock a ball into the box which came to Akanbi. Instead of bothering to close him down we gave him all day to sell a dummy and then fire into the roof of the net - again, nothing Crocombe could have done about that either, was all on the outfielders.

At that stage most of our players went into their shells, switched off and let Balanta run behind onto a through ball for a 1 on 1 which he slotted past Crocombe at his near post. I have no idea if he was offside since we were behind the goal, but i'm not exactly convinced he was. Crocombe could have possibly done better if i'm being critical, thought he was a bit slow off his line (too busy appealing for the offside?) and didn't exactly make it hard for Balanta to convert the chance.

Shortly after that McAtee went flying through their full-back trying to close down a clearance and got sent off. Was it a red card? I have no idea since it was right up the other end of the pitch. No idea what our plan will be for the next 3 matches since he was pretty much the only town player who'd turned up before that happened. Going down to 10 men finally forced Hurst into making some changes and he brought on Bell for the non-existent Maguire-Drew. About 60 seconds later Bell scored with his first touch, firing a loose ball from the edge of the box into the top corner with a lovely finish.

We put a little bit of pressure on them for the next 10 minutes or so, with Hunt finally coming into the game and dictating the tempo in midfield nicely. None of it really amounted to anything, and then for some reason Hurst substituted Taylor for LJL. This substitution killed the match off for us - Taylor hadn't really been in the game at all (nor had he really had any service, or teammates near him to lay it off to when the ball did come to him), but he's always going to be more likely to pop up with a goal than John Lewis. The game pretty much fizzled out from then - the only remaining remarkable event being John Lewis somehow managing to trip over his own feet and give the ball away under no pressure.

All round just a totally dire performance - both from the players, and tactically from Hurst. Far too many players hid away from their responsibilities today - Longe-King, Fox, Hunt, Clifton, Maguire-Drew & Taylor were all well below the required standard. I'm not going to be too harsh on Towler, because even though he also had an awful game he did at least have the excuse he was being played out of possession. Efete didn't get forward often enough (the one time he did led to our goal), and McAtee stupidly got himself sent off after looking like the only bright spark in the first half. If we set up and play like that next Saturday Chesterfield will absolutely dismantle us.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Your comment might have more impact  had you not resorted to pretty horrible language.

Quoted from heppy88

You say Denni 266 is over the top, but I agree with his sentiment. The performance today was woeful.

There are those on here that preach “building” or “consolidation” or “giving time”. They generally accept mediocrity and mediocrity will always be enough for them.

But Grimsby Town and it’s supporters have had 20 years of utter shite. Year after year, promise after promise, excuse after excuse. We have no choice but to support our team but my God it seems like fook!ng torture at times.

Hurst took 6 years to get us out of this hell hole before and then he only scraped past the finish line. Why will it be any different this time? Are you prepared for another six (or longer) years to gain promotion? How long is an acceptable length of time?

Why shouldn’t we want promotion at the first time of asking? Why shouldn’t the fans be angry?
Why shouldn’t fans call for Hursts head after losing 6 out of the last 7 games?

Foo(k mediocrity I support Grimsby Town and some of us want success and not having to take 20 years to achieve it!!

Quoted from chaos33

Who made you judge, jury and executioner?