Who Is To Blame?

By: Fishy Regulars
Date: 11/05/2004

FEELINGS are running pretty hard according to our mail box. Today we publish two more of our Fishy regulars feelings about our current position and who is to blame.

John Walter Thinks there might be hope but he doesn't sound totally convinced:-

Being an exiled fan I sometimes wonder how people feel about the likes of me having rants when I only get to about a dozen games a season. A couple of months ago I stated that the club were sure to go for the cheapest option in getting a new manager, hey surprise, surprise as Cilla would say; they pick an out of work, kick em 'n hoof it long manager who had a couple of good seasons in Div 3 and 2 a few years ago, and little prospect of anything beyond retirement. The only good thing is he is on a temporary contract and therefore will walk (we hope) at the end of the season. What a lack of ambition, they could have saved a wage and just kept Roger. Look at his signings!

Antoine Courier: in the end was not good enough to stay on the pitch for 90 minutes with Woods kids in the reserves.

Thorrington: given 2 and a bit games, then being paid while left out in the cold to be told he was not good enough without really getting a chance.

Warhurst: Why? Hard up Stoke did not want him at the end of last season, when he joined them short term and he was not even good enough for Carlisle this time.

Lawrence: Could not believe his luck knowing he was going job hunting when Walsall (a team highly likely to drop to Div. 2) were letting him go at the end of the season, and an old mate gives him a chance to play 1st team football and pay him till the end of the season.

The only good one Fettis: like Davison a reasonable keeper when fit but not good enough for a permanent contract.

Where are the Shaun Allaways of the world, the third string youngsters from the better Premiership clubs we should have got in with a view to offering 1st team football on a permanent basis next season.

Who he let go!

Lee Thorpe: By his 3rd full game it was obvious he was what we had lacked up front all season. Big strong hard, could read the game, very mobile, and most of all able to control a football (how many of towns current strikers/midfielders could you say that about). Just look at Bristol Rovers run of form since he joined them, yes he dropped to struggling 3rd division club to get a contract rather than risk waiting for the club to decide what they would do at the end of the season. He knew how little ambition there was here.

The Board: Two seasons running the ominous words of we will not make decisions about players contracts till we know what division we're in, and that is why we will lose 4 of our best players at the end of the season, which leaves us with only 3 real hopes for the next squad; Edwards, Young, and Nimmo.

As on many rants from various sources the way forward is to use the youngsters next season in the hope of building a squad of talented enthusiastic young men with dreams of becoming Premiership superstars, not journeymen who are just looking for their next 2 years of wages.

New manager?; this must happen, we need young enthusiastic, some experience, possibly higher end of conference/coach or asst manager from a Premiership team. Ivano Bonetti just to teach skill to the squad. I know we're hard up but look what Port Vale have managed without spending a single penny this season, where did their 20 goal leading scorer come from, yes their youth system.

Whatever happens next season I wont be able to sit through 6-0 and 5-1 thrashings with my kids and not expect them to ask me to take them to Liverpool or Man Utd instead, thus saving the constant micky taking and insults they have endured over the last couple of seasons.

How bad has the last 2 years been. My youngest has only seen us win 2 games since he started coming with me during our last couple of seasons I know he will soon want to trade his Town shirt for a red one and off goes another future fan to the big money boys. I will always support the Town even if they drop down to the Sunday league but my kids live in a City away from other mariners and therefore don't have the allegiance of a Lincolnshire lad like myself so success must come soon or like many other young fan they will be lost to either apathy or the big 3 and then where will Towns supporters come from.

I screamed my heart out at Tranmere while watching a midfield with no craft or skill always second to the loose ball. A bald headed terrier in the middle charged around breaking up play (yes ours as well) and when given the ball looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, fear showing no idea what to do with the round thing at his feet but at least he managed to get it. The only thing I remember from the man who used have interesting hair was the gift-wrapped package he handed to Tranmere to finally finish off his own (or does he really think of it as that) team. Captain? yes Pugwash.

How could we go in 1 goal up against a team with nothing to play for and allow them to come out in the second half and play for 15 mins as if their lives depended on it and like we had decided we'd done enough for today and will rely on the other half time scores to stay the same.

Even against 10 men there wasn't the skill or know-how of how to break down their defence and we even allowed them several chances at the other end.

A poor team with a string of poor managers but I fear nothing will change for next year but like every other week during April and May this year there's always hope.

UP THE MARINERS.

Bill Jenner Casts judgement on the main participants this last season:-

Help! Having returned from Tranmere I find myself unable to listen to the radio, watch sky sports or even read a newspaper in fear of that R word being used but sadly relegation for the second year is a reality but I would like the chance to bring those guilty of the following football crimes against the good people of Grimsby to task.

Nicky law you are charged with the following

1) Failed to gain four victories out of twelve games

2) failed to make a substitution and waste time when 4-3 up at Chesterfield with only one minute to play hindsight is so wonderful but how costly was that decision

3) Failed to make use of the young talent within the club young Hockless should have been given full matches not brought on to try and change things around

4) Wasting precious money on worthless players Paul Warhurst 5 appearances one goal in the wrong net, John Thorrington two appearances from the bench speaks for itself, Jamie Lawrence 5 appearances 1 goal in the correct net but clearly not fit and at best could only play every other game and finally the clown of clowns MICKEL ANTOINE CURIER he may not drink on his 21st birthday but a drunken docker from T.C club would have looked more at home on the pitch then he did.The wages spent on this list could have been spent on one player who could have contributed for 10 games.

Paul Groves you are charged with the following

1) Forgetting all that you learned from the manager that you spent most of your career playing for and continued to use the long ball game that LENNIE LAWRENCE brought to the club and copied his idea that when one up sit back with eleven players behind the ball

2) for signing five players in the close season that where not up to the job and continually playing them

3) for signing iffy Onuora after being released by Wycombe for not being up to the job and then expecting him to produce it for ninety minutes for us game after game 4) For falling out with any player who showed any individual flair just in case they might excite the crowd

Mr Furneaux you are charged with the following

1) Sticking with a manager who had clearly been given a job above his capabilities for to long

2) For sacking Paul Wilkinson the main man in the management team for the public slagging of Phil Jevons many a issue is kept a closely guarded secret from the fans yet all the dirty laundry was aired on this subject after all was it not the board that sanctioned his signing

3) For telling the players when the season was only in its infancy that there would be no contracts for them when the season finished how would you perform under this situation

4) For replacing Graham Rodger who had started to get the team playing football in the Grimsby way with a manager who`s record of victories could only be described as a disaster and you thought this man could lead us to safety

Players you are charged with the following

1) for Showing no stomach for the fight

2) for taking money in false pretence of being footballers, for believing that the match stared ten minutes after kick off and finished 15 minutes before the final whistle

3) For giving away games on to many occasions when in winning situations

4) For humiliating the supporters with displays at Hartlepool defated 8-1, at Port Vale defeated 5-1, at Wycombe defeated 4-1, at Oldham defeated 6-1. Hang your heads in shame

Graham Rodger you are charged with the following

1) Winning 3 games out of 6 if this trend had been allowed to continue there may have been talk of the play offs

2) Signings a striker in Isaiah Rankin that would become a crowd pleaser and look dangerous in front of goal

Up the mariners and when can I renew my season ticket

Add To Facebook

This site is by the fans, for the fans, and we will consider articles on any subject relating to the Mariners whether it be related to current news, a nostalgic look back in the past, a story about a player, a game or games in the past, something about Blundell Park or football in general. Click here to submit your article!

Related Stories

• Why? And Where To Now?
• Trapped inside the Elephant: Tranmere Report
• The Vicious Circle!
• More Stories