Cod Almighty | Diary

OK Computer

4 November 2024

Miss Guest Diary writes: "The rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today". So said the White Queen to Alice in Wonderland, and that is currently what it feels like supporting Town.

I'm thoroughly fed up with being told that the team is a work in progress and that, once everything clicks, we're going to storm the football league. The owners have a long-term vision for the club and believe that the way to achieve that is for David Artell to recruit players who he can coach into playing a particular way. We are promised exciting, attacking football – no settling for a draw but always going for the win – and there has certainly been some of that this season – the games against Bradford and Chesterfield spring to mind. But equally there have been sub-par performances where attacking chances are squandered and defensive mistakes have gifted goals to the opposition.

Reading the report of Saturday's game leads me to conclude the FA Cup loss to Wealdstone was an example of the latter type of game.

I'm not foolish enough to believe that Town should be winning every game but what frustrates me is the impression I get that the manager and owners are content with how things are going this season. That losing a game is OK because it's part of the learning curve, merely a step in the journey towards the 'finished product'. We're told that Town are all about the data now, so if that says Town are making progress then who are we to argue? All I can say is that doesn't carry much weight when you're sat in the Pontoon on a Saturday afternoon watching your team get torn apart.

Let's look at the evidence. Is Denver Hume really any better than Anthony Glennon, Tyrell Warren better than Michee Efete, George McEachran better than Alex Hunt? I suspect there is no room in the data to measure personality and, most importantly, heart – qualities which seem to be seriously lacking at the moment. It's a common expression in football that a good coach will inspire players to run through a wall for him, which had me wondering which Town players might do that for Artell. Greeny obviously, possibly Doug Tharme, maybe Evan Khouri, but anyone else? Probably Harry Clifton, but Artell let him slip through our fingers.

It's just a year since Paul Hurst was sacked. Things said by the owners since have indicated the sacking was not just because of the run of bad results but because Hurst was not on board with this new way of recruiting players. Which got me thinking about some of the players Hurst did recruit in his two spells at Town, players who epitomised team spirit, loyalty and, of course, heart: Craig Disley, Carl Magnay, Luke Waterfall, John McAtee, Gavan Holohan. I feel sure all of those, and many more, would have run through a wall for Hursty. Sadly, he was sacked by Shrewsbury Town yesterday after they lost to Salford in the FA Cup. Would I have him back as our manager? In a heartbeat.