Artell deserves credit

People know I’m not an Artell fan but I’m pleased things are starting to turn around. It’s clear that something had to change in terms of our approach and  in my view that seemingly would only come with a change of manager. Whatever happened during that clear the air week seems to have done the trick at the minute.

I honestly don’t give a excrement how we play, we just need the points. Credit to the team and the coaching staff - it’s clear that everyone has dug deep over the last few games to pick up points.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

Many owners would have sacked the manager after so many dire results.  Look at York for example.  

100%. I've been on Artells side, and then the big doubt everyone must have had after the Donny game including me.The pressure after that Doncaster game must have been massive, thank goodness its paying off.

I'm with Ginny n several others on here. I firmly believe that he was forced by a) the staff b) the players c)1878 an d) the fans to change his approach. It wasn't done by choice.
Having said that, it appears that the scales have fallen from his eyes and he has accepted the evidence before his own eyes that a) & b) were right and this new system fits the players we have.

And guess what? the players are obviously much happier and more comfortable with this formation and way of playing
And guess what? they're feeling better, so they play better  and they're more together and confident coz they're getting results. I think it's called a virtuous circle.

he does deserve credit for accepting (if not necessarily embracing) the change and doing so with a real lack of player choices. I will await the verdict of Tommy and others more qualified on here, but it seems the plan tonight was devised and executed almost perfectly. Felt the enforced tweak in formation and approach actually benefited us, as we looked far more threatening in attack, yet still retained that defensive solidity (was that summat to do with the way BFS play?)

His post match interview was probably the most excited I've heard him; maybe he's discovered that tonight's sort of performance is actually the closest you'll get to 'The Grimsby Way'?

Quoted from Mappers

I think he deserves credit for his willing to change .

League 2 is crap though and you can get by with work ethic , organisation and the odd player with a bit of ability .

I think he's going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place- he's stumbled upon an effective style for the situation and one that would probably have you doing relatively well if implemented for a whole season in this league it's almost Hurst + .

It's obviously the complete contradiction on the way he thinks the game should be played , so will he rip the whole thing up both with wholesale changes to the squad and reverting to Artell ball come August ?

The players don't fit his style , but most of them are good enough in this style of play and look really good will he just discard them ?

It will be interesting

He’s a relatively inexperienced manager; a decent number of games under his belt for his age but all at one club with a very distinctive style backed by a youth dynasty that fed it.

I can’t see him reverting, certainly not full on. We won’t get the players for it. I’d be very happy with Hurst+ with a frilly shirt at 10. Envisage a McAtee type playing with the grafting of Rose.

  I need to apologise to Dave for being too hasty in wanting him gone.

He has turned things round from shipping goals in to being very difficult to score against.

Keep this up and we will be safe with a few games to spare.

So well done to all the players are working their socks off for the gaffer.

I got an absolute roasting on here when 90% wanted him gone and only 2 or 3 were bold enough to say we should stick with him. I'd seen enough to know he could get the team playing, and with an active transfer window players needed to get in and work their way into form. Not many hit the ground running.

Ultimately, change is not a quick process, and making your mind up quickly on players or managers in football often shows that the social media fire after 3 games approach is just not based in any reality. It's expensive and wasteful.

Good job, DA.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

He’s a relatively inexperienced manager; a decent number of games under his belt for his age but all at one club with a very distinctive style backed by a youth dynasty that fed it.

I can’t see him reverting, certainly not full on. We won’t get the players for it. I’d be very happy with Hurst+ with a frilly shirt at 10. Envisage a McAtee type playing with the grafting of Rose.

I would tbf . If we continued with this system the need for player turnover would be far less aswell .

Probably 5-7 players instead of 15+

I would try seriously  hard for Cartwright & Obikwu back on loan as I feel they will get better and better . Obikwu maybe even has 20 goals in him if he gets a full season at this level he looks very good .

I think the middle of the park must be a priority we still need physicality and ability in there to go alongside Thompson's obvious skillset .

The defence looks less of an issue to me if we continue to play the system that suits the players back there .

Honestly it's just more relief for me that the manager has managed to make some changes (and of course the players) to stop the rot and give us some hope as we head towards the end of the season. A belief that together they are a capable group and on this form could quite easily be a far more viable concern heading into next season.

It seemed unfathomable that collectively we were SO bad, and that with how angry the supporters were, that the manager had to go so credit to Andrew and Jason I suppose for insisting we had to stick with David and him reforming his tactics so convincingly.

I can't say I wanted him to go but things were so dire I didn't really see any other way forward.. I just cannot handle the thought that we would drop into non-league again! But I think he has proven a lot of wrong that he is a quick thinking adaptable and passionate guy. If he can just keep us comfortably out of the drop zone this season I will be ecstatic.

A side that plays 50% Hurst and 50% Artell would be ideal in the long term.

However, once we're mathematically safe then DA can put 11 strikers out for all I care. Experiment when there is no jeopardy or its like doing brain surgery on an awake patient.

Not just a change in tactics, but an upgrade in fitness and form with Hume, Thompson and Tharne all becoming granite stones in their respective positions.

The back 4 is more solid and not fiddling around the 6 yard box any more, and Thompson is fitter and lasting a full 90 minutes now.  

One notable lower point is the amount of times that Gav Holihan is being caught in possession, or makes give away passes to opponents and mainly in central field areas.

Last night has proved that Obikwu is a player that can graft up front and take some pressure away from Rose. Rose was missed but we cannot rely on 1 player up front for 46 games.

2 in 2 games is showing that scuffy goals are as important as Eisa's rocket shots.

Obikwu needs to avoid the offsides as he could have had at least 2 more chances to score with a glance across the defence line first. His pace already took him free, just too soon.

Considering the possession, the more accurate passing, the chasing that Town had to do, we prevented a potential top 3 team from scoring last night.

It was a gritty, hard worked performance that would have been made easier with that penno being scored. The worst penno that I have seen Holohan take.

More tough games looming, so please play as hard as in this one, and points will be earned.

5 bookings against none for them with some rank fouls being missed by the ref, so who rates their performances , as we've drawn some stinkers recently?

Shame about the late Sutton penno - we would now be above Salford on goal difference otherwise.

Onwards and upwards !