A few things that bother me

Quoted from ginnywings

What bothers me is the dire football and it's not even winning dire football.

It's a war of attrition most weeks and we are losing the battle.

The FA Cup form is great but it makes the league form even more frustrating.

I know you & I have agreed to disagree over this not too long ago but it's pretty worrying that even you are getting a little pi$$ed off.

Quoted from Bigdog

If I was Danilo Orsi, I'd be fuming right now..

Its OK, he will be the lone forward again against Southampton.......and then he will be dropped again. I seem to remember Hurst quoting that Orsi was by far the best finisher we had.....and yet he doesnt play him when he has the chance to. Very odd.

I must say that the bounce we had during the promotion gave me optimism for a repeat performance, albeit without Fox. You could see the enthusiasm, never say die till the final whistle is blown that won us marvellous victories against more fancied opposition

Effort and motivation in parts but the ethos of that squad has not been repeated this term. The nucleus of the squad is the same but something is different and has changed, and I don't know what it is. Hunt without McAtee or McAtee without Hunt, permanent additions of Holohan, Green and Morris not blending in well after the first few games. Smith having unusual off days? You could say one or all of these but something is not right this season.

Hurst's tactics, but he gets them right for cup games! Is/has the cup run distracting the squad? No new permanent signing in the window to revitalise us, but as we now know it wasn't for the lack of trying by Hurst.

We're playing against more physical and taller/well-built teams. The questions are endless for the reason why and if anybody knows the answers then you're our next manager.

So where do we go from here? I have reduced my expectations to mid-table and have to reflect on what we have. Firstly and foremost is a club that has risen from the ashes and the new owners give us hope for the future. They have said that they will cover the losses and that they are not in it to make money, unlike the Glazer family. They may have millions but are not going to indefinitely fund the club, but want it to be self-sustainable in the long term, which like it or not is a very good long-term option ( ask Bury, Macclesfield, Darlington etc fans if you don't agree).

Then we have the structure of the club in terms of staff and BP. Understaffed for a professional club and a derelict stadium that the paint is holding together which has had no real investment in decades. Staff have been replaced and added to and the stadium has increased maintenance to try to drag it into the 21C. They are trying but because of the lack of investment in the past most work wants 6 noughts, if not more spending on it. Safety is paramount so I presume this is the reason the Osmond roof was shot-blasted last year.

Cheapside has been improved and so has the BP pitch, but a one-year makeover won't last forever. We are then left with Hurst who some say is living a charmed life given our recent results. I seem to recall Sir Alec was given one last game as the grim reaper's scythe had been raised; he won that game and the rest is history. Continuity in management is something this club has not had for many years and that is what 1878 is giving us with Hurst. 1878 are building a club out of ashes and need stability and that is what we have in Hurst. Given his words at the forum, he's not an idiot. nor a temporary crowd-pleaser, but he is Grimsby Town through and through.

So we are where we are, in a different place than last year and the 5th round of the FA Cup, and middling in league 2. Would you have taken that last year at this time? of course you wouldn't would.

UTM.................Forever

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

I know someone who used to have an advertising board at town, after a few years he decided to cancel it but the ad-board stayed in place for another 4 seasons for no charge. That was when Dave was in charge, so he obviously wasn't that amazing.

Probably JF was fed up of climbing ladders to take it down

Quoted from DB

I must say that the bounce we had during the promotion gave me optimism for a repeat performance, albeit without Fox. You could see the enthusiasm, never say die till the final whistle is blown that won us marvellous victories against more fancied opposition

Effort and motivation in parts but the ethos of that squad has not been repeated this term. The nucleus of the squad is the same but something is different and has changed, and I don't know what it is. Hunt without McAtee or McAtee without Hunt, permanent additions of Holohan, Green and Morris not blending in well after the first few games. Smith having unusual off days? You could say one or all of these but something is not right this season.

Hurst's tactics, but he gets them right for cup games! Is/has the cup run distracting the squad? No new permanent signing in the window to revitalise us, but as we now know it wasn't for the lack of trying by Hurst.

We're playing against more physical and taller/well-built teams. The questions are endless for the reason why and if anybody knows the answers then you're our next manager.

So where do we go from here? I have reduced my expectations to mid-table and have to reflect on what we have. Firstly and foremost is a club that has risen from the ashes and the new owners give us hope for the future. They have said that they will cover the losses and that they are not in it to make money, unlike the Glazer family. They may have millions but are not going to indefinitely fund the club, but want it to be self-sustainable in the long term, which like it or not is a very good long-term option ( ask Bury, Macclesfield, Darlington etc fans if you don't agree).

Then we have the structure of the club in terms of staff and BP. Understaffed for a professional club and a derelict stadium that the paint is holding together which has had no real investment in decades. Staff have been replaced and added to and the stadium has increased maintenance to try to drag it into the 21C. They are trying but because of the lack of investment in the past most work wants 6 noughts, if not more spending on it. Safety is paramount so I presume this is the reason the Osmond roof was shot-blasted last year.

Cheapside has been improved and so has the BP pitch, but a one-year makeover won't last forever. We are then left with Hurst who some say is living a charmed life given our recent results. I seem to recall Sir Alec was given one last game as the grim reaper's scythe had been raised; he won that game and the rest is history. Continuity in management is something this club has not had for many years and that is what 1878 is giving us with Hurst. 1878 are building a club out of ashes and need stability and that is what we have in Hurst. Given his words at the forum, he's not an idiot. nor a temporary crowd-pleaser, but he is Grimsby Town through and through.

So we are where we are, in a different place than last year and the 5th round of the FA Cup, and middling in league 2. Would you have taken that last year at this time? of course you wouldn't would.

UTM.................Forever

We're not middling in League 2 though are we? We've won three of the last 15 in the league and have the second worst home record.

Bet you our form picks up once Southampton is out the way.

Quoted from GrimRob

Bet you our form picks up once Southampton is out the way.

Depends if we beat them or not

Quoted from GrimRob

Bet you our form picks up once Southampton is out the way.

Not sure that reflects too well on the players who are, according to PH, all great professionals, be very disappointed if that proves to be the case. That said I would prefer it to pick up then remain as at present.

Looks like a dose of reality is needed here - well at least for me anyway. I was greatly encouraged by the unity of the club during the forum but the last two performances have eradicated a lot of the enthusiasm I had. And there is the point - I am pretty fed up of the perinnial one step forward and two back supporting this club. I honestly thought that wasn't going to be the case this season.
In the last two games we haven't look good enough to win, bullied out of the game easily. Signing a revolving door of under 23's is not the answer and never has been. Lloyds main attribute appears to be his enthuisiam and whilst I would never question MacAtee's ability I would question his current motivation. Not sure what Orsi has to do to keep his place either. We miss Green and Khan and I would always play Amos over Glennon any day. Quite frankly with one or two exceptions I am becoming rather bored by our football. Maybe the reality of where we are is where where we're going to be if the last transfer window is anything to go by and our obvious lack of stock (and money) in the market is probably not going to change.
Whilst last season was a fantastic achievment we were the sixth best team and rather look like it now. Maybe a time to lower my expectations is the answer or win the Cup!!

Quoted from MuddyWaters

I know you & I have agreed to disagree over this not too long ago but it's pretty worrying that even you are getting a little pi$$ed off.

I'm always pretty optimistic and try to see things in the long term, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to muster any enthusiasm for the fare on show at BP.

The results are worrying enough, but the way we are playing is atrocious. We don't seem to have any cohesion, any players that can make things happen with a bit of skill or quick thinking. We have somehow ended up with no wingers either. It's slow, predictable and usually fruitless. There is an inevitability about games that we will struggle to break teams down and will at some point switch off and concede.

We don't even seem to be able to get the basics of controlling a ball and passing it to a team mate, which is pretty shoddy for professional footballers. Other teams don't have this problem from what I can see.

My brother gave up a few games ago, saying the football sends him home in a foul mood. I'm starting to lean that way myself.

Another season rolls on and it's the same old struggle it always is in league 2 for us.