Paul Hurst mk II - some statistics

Quoted from ginnywings

Cheapside was much improved in the new owners first pre season. This I know because I was offered the job of the renovations whilst working on the fanzone, but I turned it down because it was too big a job for me in the timescale.

I did do some remedial repairs there however and there was loads of improvements done to the buildings and the pitch, and I'm sure further improvements have been ongoing since.

It's not Carrington, but it's not the ploggers either.

I agree, the improvements to Cheapside have been very dramatic. I would still like some news on the proposed new training ground though.

Quoted from DB

I agree, the improvements to Cheapside have been very dramatic. I would still like some news on the proposed new training ground though.

With a reasonably adequate training ground why on earth would you spend £6m on a new one. I suspect the project is being quietly dropped

Quoted from Hagrid

What a load of utter bullshit that is. Orsi didnt play in the first 3 rounds ffs. But no of course the players did all the work, no credit to PH at all. Just like when its not going great guns, its not the players, its all PH.

This is what pisses me off about this entire argument, some, i repeat some, will fire crap at Hurst no matter what, becsuse he cupped his ear, because he told the offended few a few home truths, because he’s a “ boring yorkie”. Its absolutely embarrassing the way he still gets treated by some of you. He’s given us some of the best memories we’ll ever have, and deserves a lot more credit than he gets. There will be a time he moves on, there will be a time when we part ways, We all know that, Paul will know that, but lack of respect he gets really pisses me off

100% agree, well said.

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

Virtually any Italian side from the past 60 years - that takes me past 100 already

D.Simeone
Mourinho
Benitez
Herrera
Ancelotti
Parreira
Deschamps
Emery
Ferguson post-2000

I could go on…

Succesful italian sides?
Come on you made a bold statement, hindreds, yet you have named nine managers some of whom I would question if they were ever satisfied with a draw,
Look at the most succesful teams worldwide or closer to home and you see a winning mentality in mamagment and players, positivity and most of all belief!
This doesnt just apply to football but to all sports.

Quoted from Azimuth

Succesful italian sides?
Come on you made a bold statement, hindreds, yet you have named nine managers some of whom I would question if they were ever satisfied with a draw,
Look at the most succesful teams worldwide or closer to home and you see a winning mentality in mamagment and players, positivity and most of all belief!
This doesnt just apply to football but to all sports.

Sacchi
Sperone
Bagnoli
Capello
Conte
Puricelli
Kuttik
Bernardini
Il Trap
Rocco
Krankl
Castellazi
Rehhagel
Czeizler
Bigato
Scala
Zoff
Felsner
Maldini
Viani
Sekularac
Bearzot
Lippi
Peruchetti
Jacquet
Aragones
Branko Stankovic
Pozzo
Allegri
Bersellini
Radice
Schaffer
Foni
Carcano
Vasovic
Ferrero
Sarosi
Brocic
Parola
Pesaola
Maestrelli
Bigon

I could go on…

Quoted from Azimuth

Succesful italian sides?
Come on you made a bold statement, hindreds, yet you have named nine managers some of whom I would question if they were ever satisfied with a draw,
Look at the most succesful teams worldwide or closer to home and you see a winning mentality in mamagment and players, positivity and most of all belief!
This doesnt just apply to football but to all sports.

Which of those 9 do you think wouldn’t be satisfied with a draw?

Ferguson (post-2000) sent many a team out in Europe and the Premier League to play for a draw. Some of Man Utd’s performances against the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona were as anti-football as you could get.

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

Which of those 9 do you think wouldn’t be satisfied with a draw?

Ferguson (post-2000) sent many a team out in Europe and the Premier League to play for a draw. Some of Man Utd’s performances against the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona were as anti-football as you could get.

The difference being Fergie would no accept a draw or set up for a draw week after week which is why he was succesful, he had belief in himself and instilled that belief in  his teams which is why they were winners.
I dont believe Fergie was ever truely happy with a draw and certainly showed his passion when things where not going to plan or hos team were giving anything less than 100% on the pitch.
Same for most of the managers you name above.

Quoted from Azimuth

The difference being Fergie would no accept a draw or set up for a draw week after week which is why he was succesful, he had belief in himself and instilled that belief in  his teams which is why they were winners.
I dont believe Fergie was ever truely happy with a draw and certainly showed his passion when things where not going to plan or hos team were giving anything less than 100% on the pitch.
Same for most of the managers you name above.

My point was that, even the most successful teams and managers sometimes set themselves up for a draw and perceive a draw to be a good result.

I accept your point that those managers didn’t do that every match. But I don’t think Hurst does that either.

I say we call this a draw (you can win on pens)


I was thinking of you in bed last night actually. There’s an owl at the bottom of our garden, which inevitably made me switch my attention to Roy Hodgson.

I see a lot of parallels between Hodgson and Hurst (and not only with the Owls connection).

Roy is a hero in Switzerland, Sweden, SW6, Crystal Palace and is well respected in Europe and with the Inter flock.

Yet, he’s a laughing stock if you are a Blackburn, Liverpool or England fan.

Hodgson’s teams are extremely structured with players drilled into being in set positions. When players don’t buy into that philosophy, you get the likes of losing 2-1 to Iceland.

Although Hodgson’s sides are defensive and cautious, he has produced entertaining teams. The Swiss side, with mavericks like Alain Sutter, or his Ronaldo fronted Inter side, or the current Palace side with Eze and Olise. That Fulham team were great to watch at times too.

The general perception is that Hodgson struggles with ‘bigger teams’ and the expectation of fans to go out and win every match.

In respect of Grimsby’s Owl, where do GTFC sit in modern football?

Are we a ‘bigger’ club or should we temper expectations?

I went through the fixture list in early August and had us down for 59 pts. We’re currently two points behind that, due to the defeat to Crawley and the point away at Bradford (I predicted a defeat before the season started, although, in the week leading up to the match I had us down for a win, given Bradford’s injuries).

Maybe I’m just a small man, with a small club mentality. I don’t dream big (which is probably why I dreamt of you and Roy last night).

I just think we need some stability for a couple of years. I still believe Hurst will get us in the playoffs in the next couple of seasons. If it’s not working by then, I’m sure there will a parting of ways.

Who knows, Roy might fancy a new challenge by then and he can be the first Octogenarian to manage in L2.


Tonight’s dream: Newarkmariner sets up a Fight Club in Newark Castle keep

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

My point was that, even the most successful teams and managers sometimes set themselves up for a draw and perceive a draw to be a good result.

I accept your point that those managers didn’t do that every match. But I don’t think Hurst does that either.

I say we call this a draw (you can win on pens)


I was thinking of you in bed last night actually. There’s an owl at the bottom of our garden, which inevitably made me switch my atte[b][/b]ntion to Roy Hodgson.

I see a lot of parallels between Hodgson and Hurst (and not only with the Owls connection).

Roy is a hero in Switzerland, Sweden, SW6, Crystal Palace and is well respected in Europe and with the Inter flock.

Yet, he’s a laughing stock if you are a Blackburn, Liverpool or England fan.

Hodgson’s teams are extremely structured with players drilled into being in set positions. When players don’t buy into that philosophy, you get the likes of losing 2-1 to Iceland.

Although Hodgson’s sides are defensive and cautious, he has produced entertaining teams. The Swiss side, with mavericks like Alain Sutter, or his Ronaldo fronted Inter side, or the current Palace side with Eze and Olise. That Fulham team were great to watch at times too.

The general perception is that Hodgson struggles with ‘bigger teams’ and the expectation of fans to go out and win every match.

In respect of Grimsby’s Owl, where do GTFC sit in modern football?

Are we a ‘bigger’ club or should we temper expectations?

I went through the fixture list in early August and had us down for 59 pts. We’re currently two points behind that, due to the defeat to Crawley and the point away at Bradford (I predicted a defeat before the season started, although, in the week leading up to the match I had us down for a win, given Bradford’s injuries).

Maybe I’m just a small man, with a small club mentality. I don’t dream big (which is probably why I dreamt of you and Roy last night).

I just think we need some stability for a couple of years. I still believe Hurst will get us in the playoffs in the next couple of seasons. If it’s not working by then, I’m sure there will a parting of ways.

Who knows, Roy might fancy a new challenge by then and he can be the first Octogenarian to manage in L2.


Tonight’s dream: Newarkmariner sets up a Fight Club in Newark Castle keep

A good draw this one and gold star for you!

Actually a good discussion and you make some very good points, especially with Roy Hodgson, I actually really like him and Hurst is similar in a lot of ways, food for tbought.

Where do we sit in the modern game, I would say under achievers, I truely believe we could and should be a comfortable league one outfit and must set our collective sights to the next level.

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

My point was that, even the most successful teams and managers sometimes set themselves up for a draw and perceive a draw to be a good result.

I accept your point that those managers didn’t do that every match. But I don’t think Hurst does that either.

I say we call this a draw (you can win on pens)


I was thinking of you in bed last night actually. There’s an owl at the bottom of our garden, which inevitably made me switch my attention to Roy Hodgson.

I see a lot of parallels between Hodgson and Hurst (and not only with the Owls connection).

Roy is a hero in Switzerland, Sweden, SW6, Crystal Palace and is well respected in Europe and with the Inter flock.

Yet, he’s a laughing stock if you are a Blackburn, Liverpool or England fan.

Hodgson’s teams are extremely structured with players drilled into being in set positions. When players don’t buy into that philosophy, you get the likes of losing 2-1 to Iceland.

Although Hodgson’s sides are defensive and cautious, he has produced entertaining teams. The Swiss side, with mavericks like Alain Sutter, or his Ronaldo fronted Inter side, or the current Palace side with Eze and Olise. That Fulham team were great to watch at times too.

The general perception is that Hodgson struggles with ‘bigger teams’ and the expectation of fans to go out and win every match.

In respect of Grimsby’s Owl, where do GTFC sit in modern football?

Are we a ‘bigger’ club or should we temper expectations?

I went through the fixture list in early August and had us down for 59 pts. We’re currently two points behind that, due to the defeat to Crawley and the point away at Bradford (I predicted a defeat before the season started, although, in the week leading up to the match I had us down for a win, given Bradford’s injuries).

Maybe I’m just a small man, with a small club mentality. I don’t dream big (which is probably why I dreamt of you and Roy last night).

I just think we need some stability for a couple of years. I still believe Hurst will get us in the playoffs in the next couple of seasons. If it’s not working by then, I’m sure there will a parting of ways.

Who knows, Roy might fancy a new challenge by then and he can be the first Octogenarian to manage in L2.


Tonight’s dream: Newarkmariner sets up a Fight Club in Newark Castle keep

This struck a chord with me. I think that I have small club mentality as well but I am at peace with it. Mid L2 does not break my heart,. Football is like a microcosm of life, there are winners and losers. I am happy enough to be an EFL team and as long as we compete well and give it our best I am OK with it. I work with two Chelsea fans and their entitled blubbering about their current position is pitiful. Better to be a Grimsby fan enjoy the good days and don't dwell on the bad ones. It is only a game....................I think
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