Cod Almighty | Diary
For better or for worse
16 September 2024
Miss Guest Diary writes: A few years ago I used to enjoy listening to Danny Baker and Danny Kelly's radio show. They had a motto: sometimes right, sometimes wrong, always certain, which often springs to mind when I am listening to David Artell's post-match interviews. He always appears very certain about what needs to be done to move forward with Town, but somehow he and the players are incapable of putting this into practice on a consistent basis. When it goes right – as it did against Bradford – it can be magnificent, but when it goes wrong as it did on Saturday it is a very hard watch.
Listening to Artell talking on the Town YouTube channel and to Matt Dean on Humberside, the message was very clear. Summing up: the players shot themselves in the foot by only playing for 45 minutes and not being competitive enough; not moving the ball quickly in the first half and allowing Barrow to execute their gameplan because they didn't understand how to beat Barrow's pressing game. Additionally, they didn't do the basics well enough and no one took responsibility when McJannet was off the field which allowed Barrow's second goal. Harsh words, and things for which the management must bear at least partial responsbility. Asked how to fix things Artell was certain that the players need a more aggressive mindset – "this ball is not going in my goal" – and to work harder at what he called the "non-negotiables" of running around more and marking more. That seems like a simple plan, let's see if it can be implemented to positive effect against Bromley on Saturday.
As for the fans, many at the game seemed certain that the way to win is to literally lump the ball towards the opposition goal. That was the shouted advice of many around me in the Pontoon and obviously in the Main Stand too where Matt Dean claimed Artell had an exchange with a fan on the subject. Artell not only said that this tactic wouldn't work but suggested that hearing such shouts from the crowd might have an adverse effect by causing anxiety in the players.
Meanwhile some keyboard warriors continue to be certain that Town's new training ground should be located in Sheffield. Their reasoning being, one assumes, that Barrow train 100 miles from home in Manchester and are currently above Town in the table so it must be the answer to all Town's problems. This completely ignores the fact that Barrow began training in the Manchester area on their return to the football league in 2020, since when they have finished 21st, 22nd, 9th and 8th in the fourth division. Hardly taking the football pyramid by storm. And of course it also totally ignores the stated aims of Town's current owners who are not intent on splashing the cash à la Wrexham or Stockport to make a run for the top flight but instead want to create a sustainable club and community asset for the people of North East Lincolnshire.
As an aside, in this location debate one fan cited the example of Lincoln moving their training ground to Scampton. This amused me on two fronts – that any Town fan should want to hold Lincoln City up as a model to follow, and that this person did not know that Scampton is about six miles from Sincil Bank. So a bit like siting Town's training ground in Laceby.
The only thing I feel certain of right now is that this is shaping up to be another bumpy season but that, no matter what happens, there are a core of loyal fans who will be supporting the team come what may, and I am one of them.
UTM