Grimsby Town Preview To 03/04

Name and website:

Gary Spate, TheMariner.co.uk (GS)
Pete Green, codalmighty.com (PG)
Rob Sedgwick, electronicfishcake.com (RS)

What has your team got to look forward to?

GS: As recent history shows, when the Mariners get relegated they usually go straight back up again. Hopefully this season will be no
exception. We are looking forward to winning a lot more games than
we did last season and hopefully a trip to the Millennium Stadium will
cap off a perfect season for us.
PG: Winning the odd game here and there. Last season in Division
One was just too much for a tiny, youthful, injury-ravaged squad.
RS: Hopefully a season of winning more often, not playing much bigger clubs most weeks, seeing a few new grounds, & enjoying
ourselves more.

What will be your excuse for failure?

GS: Too many kids. 15 of the club's 28 contracted players are youngsters without much first team experience. This could be our only downfall this season.
PG:Same as everyone else's - ITV Digital. This excuse has the
unusual advantage of being 100 per cent valid.
RS:The collapse of ITV Digital. That's a great one, you can string it out for years, like the government blaming the previous one for their
failings!

What are your team's strengths?

GS: Our back line has been solid in the pre-season and hopefully this will carry on into the season. We've only conceded one goal in four
pre-season games so far, Sunderland being the only ones to score
against us. But we still managed a 1-1 draw & are so far unbeaten in
the pre-season.
PG:Trying to play it on the deck. Last time we were in Division Two
(1997-98 season) we out-footballed every team we came up against. Paul Groves is attempting to build a team on the same principles of
passing and movement that served Alan Buckley's side so well.
RS:Team spirit, togetherness, continuity, commitment.

What are your team's weaknesses?

GS:Experience, or lack of. As I said in an earlier question, we have too many youngsters at the club without first team experience.
PG:They're called Tony Gallimore. Last season we could not defend
to save our lives and Town's hapless lagered-up left-back was, as ever the chief culprit.
RS:Lack of strength in depth, inexperience in some positions.

What lesson should you learn from last season?

GS:Don't rely on loan signings so much. While most of the players we brought in last season we're top quality, they disrupted the harmony at the club. The regular players didn't know who they'd be playing alongside from one week to the next.
PG:See above. Another problem was the instability created by our
reliance on loan players (that said, John Oster pissed us about a
treat and as soon as we loaned anyone half decent Warnock came in
and nabbed them) - which the board has now
acknowledged, pledging 10 new 'permanent' signings before
pre-season training begins.
RS:Don't over-rely on loan players. We're a great shop window for other clubs.

Young player to watch?

GS: There's several. Most likely to cause a few upsets for the opposing teams is Darren "Flash" Mansaram. He's a fast striker with
bags of talent and is hoping to get his goal tally into double figures this
season. Graham Hockless & Chris Bolder are also excellent prospects
PG:Lively young forward Darren Mansaram broke into the side last
year - well, there was no bugger else to play up front, so it was kind of
by default; but he scored a cracker against Preston & showed
enough promise to warrant a bit of excitement. But the fans get on his
back when he tries to do too much or misses spectacurlarly. The
lad's still a teenager, for Futch's sake.
RS:Wes Parker, exciting prospect in defence.

Most important player this season?

GS:I think Michael Boulding and Marcel Cas, if they gel, should demolish opposing defenses this season. They both have lightning
pace and are very skillful. It will be these two who will create and/or
score the most goals this season.
PG:Could well be Georges Santos - *if* we can get him to sign again.
Without our lovable but thoroughly unstable Frenchman, notorious for
his part in the Battle of Bramall Lane, Town's shaky defence would've
shipped six per game last year rather than three.
RS: Michael Boulding. He's got to score at least 15 goals for us this year, hopefully more!

Player you would most like to get rid of?

GS:With us only having a small squad it's difficult to say who I'd like to get rid of. Most of the players at the club are Division One standard so
I'm quite happy with the current squad. If I had to choose I'd say Paul
Groves should retire as a player and concentrate fully on managing the club.
PG: Steve Livingstone, God bless him, has pretty much outlived his
usefulness; but I would love us to have a left- back who covers &
tackles instead of running away very quickly, so it has to be the one &
only, the inimitable, Mr Tony Gallimore.
RS:We've got rid of all of them during the summer. No doubt some more will emerge during the course of the next 12 months!

Have you got the right manager in place?

GS:Yes. Paul Groves, despite having relatively little managerial experience, is a very good manager. His many contacts in the game
helped him to bring in several Premiership players on loan, including
Martin Pringle, John Oster, Andy Todd, to name but a few. Although
we were relegated he did a grand job with the almost none-existent
resources he had. I hope he stays with us for a long time.
PG:We have the best manager we could have. Groves is still
learning his trade and has made the odd mistake, but he was born
for this job; and last time we had a 'name' manager, Lennie Lawrence
made a pretty good fist of completely destroying the club.
RS:The jury's out. He's made some great signings, kept us up in his first season, but tactically seems to make a lot of mistakes.

What advice would you give to your manager?

GS:Try to bring in one or two more experienced players and don't rely heavily on the youngsters as some of them don't seem quite ready.
PG:Sign some big strong bugger to play up front with Michael
Boulding. And some wingers. Don't try and defend a narrow lead.
Train Alan Pouton to pass. Ignore the miserable sods in the crowd
who shout "Groves out" when Mansaram misses a tackle.
Turn denims inside out before washing them. Keep on keeping on.
RS:Don't be afraid to admit you were wrong sometimes.

Will he still be there in May 2004?

GS: I very much hope so!
PG: Yes.
RS: Probably.

Are you happy with your Chairman?

GS:Up until the last fortnight he's been great. But for some reason his atttude towards players has turned sour. First he verbally attacked
goalkeeper Danny Coyne on MarinersWorld because Coyne was
looking for a move to the Premiership, then he attacked George
Santos because he opted to sign for Division One Ipswich Town
instead of re-signing for Town and in the past week he launched a
stinging attack on Phil Jevons because he won't accept a 50% paycut. The sooner chairman Peter Furneaux steps down the better.
PG:Some of our fans aren't but I really don't see the problem. I mean,
we've just been relegated and he's promised 10 new players. People
say the board is a closed shop but they've brought new directors in
and got a share issue going. Recent investment from the board has
matched gate receipts pound for pound.Basically I trust Peter Furneaux to do the best job possible without bankrupting the club.
RS:Is anyone? Very few people are willing to do the job. He's not perfect but he's probably as good as we could get.

Which team do you most want to beat this season?

GS: Barnsley. There's always been a love/hate relationship between the two clubs- we love to hate them! They are classed as our biggest
rivals and only a victory at home and away is acceptable.
PG: I don't really hate anyone in the second, which will make a nice
change after all the arrogant big-club wannabes in the first. Even
Lennie Lawrence's lot scraped promotion. Suppose it'll have to be
Sheffield Wednesday really. Even they don't bother me that much; I'm just conforming to a senseless and vindictive mob mentality, which is always fun.
RS: The Yorkies! Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley.

Which opposition player will get the most stick?

GS: Clive Platt, without a doubt. He's messed too many clubs about, including Grimsby & the majority
of Grimsby Town fans have developed a dislike to
him because he turned down a move to Blundell Park.
PG: Could be Kevin Donovan, who left us on a Bosman the other year for Barnsley because of their
"Premiership ambitions". Or Stockport's Dave Challinor, who snapped Martin Pringle's leg the
season before last, ending his career with a truly
monstrous assault - which Mark Clattenburg felt warranted only a booking, despite Challinor's own
boss Carlton Palmer urging him to send the player off.
RS:Barnsley's Kevin Donovan. An ex-Mariner.

Where will you finish next season?

GS:Although an automatic proomotion place is not out of the question, I'll be cautious and say we'll finish the season in 4th place.
PG:A season of consolidation and rebuilding will end with us just
missing out on the play-offs. Seventh.
RS:7th. Just miss out on the play-offs.