Where We Are: Some Context

So the home form has been disappointing, we have had some poor performances, we are below midway in the table, and the squad lacks quality in some areas.

But consider this. On January 1st 2022 how many of us would believe that today, January 1st 2023 we would beat an 11 man Stockport County in a League Two fixture?

A year ago even the most optimistic of us (except possibly DB) wouldn't have bet on us getting promoted. We had lost six of our previous seven league games.  Who would have thought that we would not only get into the playoffs but would  then beat beat Notts County away and Wrexham away on the way to winning promotion?

Halfway through the season we are 8 points off a play off place, with a game in hand. That is not bad going. Not bad at all.

So I think our glass is half full, rather than half empty. A couple of additions in the January window and we could be set up for a good run  to the end of the season.

But whatever happens, we have come along way from the position we were in on January 1st 2022.  

        

For me this season is a bonus. We were the seventh best team in the National League last season yet due to some incredible spirit, never say die attitude and a fair bit of skill against all the odds we got promoted.
When the chips are down I re-run the play-off games to remind us how lucky we are. Put that against an incredible tight turn round and start to the season it was inevitable that we would struggle to get players in on time. Major injuries to quality players haven't helped the cause either. Its football i guess when you get fans asking for the managers head despite whats gone on before but the often hysterical responses from some quarters are laughable when put in context. I didn't expect us to be here so I think we're doing OK. Its not always enjoyable but its better than where we was and could still be. The January window is crucial for the rest of the season so I do hope we can bring in some quality and challenge in the top half. That would be a successful return to the League for me but I guess not for everyone.

I doubt there’s anyone of us that wouldn’t have snapped your hand off to be where we are now from this time  last season.

That said we should settle for where we are now and we need the club , squad and fans to stay ambitious

I think that’s a pretty robust and thoughtful post - taking a binary, year-on-year view things are incredibly rosy in the Grimsby Town garden. No way on earth would I have predicted promotion from the National League at the first time of asking either in the summer of 2021 or around the time of last new year.

The only small pushback I would offer however is that having won promotion in the way that we won it, and the record commercial uplifts that ensued, the parameters by which we have the ability to drive success have changed in demonstrably favourable terms, and as such a recalibration of our medium-term expectations seems reasonable.

We currently have the 6th highest average attendance in the division, which you would expect to be vaguely commensurate with spending power, though I acknowledge exceptions to the rule such as Salford. Add to that additional income from a decent little cup run and the sale of McAtee to Luton, and perhaps there’s an argument to reason that our current position of 16th is a tad below par.

I say this merely to add balance, however. There is additional context; we are still healing from the double-decade gross mismanagement of our former majority shareholder, which brings with it major deficits in club-wide infrastructure and reputation, and we are indeed tracking closely with Stockport, a club treading a similar path to our own, albeit with considerably greater resources. I would think at least half of the team they named today would breach our own wage structure.

Football can be a simple game at times, but it is also incredibly nuanced. When we look at things in the round, we’re certainly on the right track and I remain confident we will emerge stronger following the January transfer window. There will inevitably be demoralising setbacks along the way, of which the Salford result was definitely one, but the overarching trajectory looks good to me.

Quoted from Poojah

I think that’s a pretty robust and thoughtful post - taking a binary, year-on-year view things are incredibly rosy in the Grimsby Town garden. No way on earth would I have predicted promotion from the National League at the first time of asking either in the summer of 2021 or around the time of last new year.

The only small pushback I would offer however is that having won promotion in the way that we won it, and the record commercial uplifts that ensued, the parameters by which we have the ability to drive success have changed in demonstrably favourable terms, and as such a recalibration of our medium-term expectations seems reasonable.

We currently have the 6th highest average attendance in the division, which you would expect to be vaguely commensurate with spending power, though I acknowledge exceptions to the rule such as Salford. Add to that additional income from a decent little cup run and the sale of McAtee to Luton, and perhaps there’s an argument to reason that our current position of 16th is a tad below par.

I say this merely to add balance, however. There is additional context; we are still healing from the double-decade gross mismanagement of our former majority shareholder, which brings with it major deficits in club-wide infrastructure and reputation, and we are indeed tracking closely with Stockport, a club treading a similar path to our own, albeit with considerably greater resources. I would think at least half of the team they named today would breach our own wage structure.

Football can be a simple game at times, but it is also incredibly nuanced. When we look at things in the round, we’re certainly on the right track and I remain confident we will emerge stronger following the January transfer window. There will inevitably be demoralising setbacks along the way, of which the Salford result was definitely one, but the overarching trajectory looks good to me.

Yep...thats what I meant to say!!

Quoted from chipsandgravy

Yep...thats what I meant to say!!

Yeah, only I meant to say it without sounding so much like a Simon Jordan monologue.

Is there any money from the McAtee sale, though? Hasn't it gone to you know who?

Quoted from Maringer

Is there any money from the McAtee sale, though? Hasn't it gone to you know who?

I was under the impression that matters with “you know who” were concluded following the sale of Mattie Pollock and sell-on fee from Dembele, but I’m happy to be corrected.

Quoted from Poojah

The only small pushback I would offer however is that having won promotion in the way that we won it, and the record commercial uplifts that ensued, the parameters by which we have the ability to drive success have changed in demonstrably favourable terms, and as such a recalibration of our medium-term expectations seems reasonable.

We currently have the 6th highest average attendance in the division, which you would expect to be vaguely commensurate with spending power, though I acknowledge exceptions to the rule such as Salford. Add to that additional income from a decent little cup run and the sale of McAtee to Luton, and perhaps there’s an argument to reason that our current position of 16th is a tad below par.

Jason said in his most recent interview that Andrew and him have both just put another 250K each in again recently (I assume this on top of the same amount they added in the summer, but don't know for sure) and he said we are still going to make a loss this year. So it sounds like the extra season ticket sales, cup runs and McAtee money hasn't gone as far as some would imagine.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

Jason said in his most recent interview that Andrew and him have both just put another 250K each in again recently (I assume this on top of the same amount they added in the summer, but don't know for sure) and he said we are still going to make a loss this year. So it sounds like the extra season ticket sales, cup runs and McAtee money hasn't gone as far as some would imagine.

We may not have got the cash for McAtee up front. The second installment of £500k was due yesterday but you would expect the Pollock, Grist, Dembele and McAtee money has taken care of most of the loan. Anything that was due must have been minimal so I think we can comfortably assume he's paid off now.