Scott Airs His Anger – Part 2

Grimsby’s chairman, John Fenty, certainly found a couple of no nonsense, straight talking guys, when he appointed Rob Scott and Paul Hurst as the new joint managers at the club.

It was Rob who gave an interview to Radio Humberside just minutes after the game had finished at Newport last saturday (see article of 4th April for full text).

Rob has since spoken to the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, on behalf of Paul and himself, and he has continued his criticism of the players, whilst making clear their anger and embarrassment at the performance of the team. Rob said :

‘The fans will be as disappointed as me and Paul. It’s embarrassing to be perfectly honest. We’re not seeing anything different to what the fans are looking for, a bit of heart and passion. That should be the easy part of football.

‘They might be good players but some of them are playing for their careers. And there are not many who have won us over so far. Whether they are contracted here next season or not, I don’t care.

‘They are professional footballers and get paid good money. What we expect as the minimum requirement is for them to throw themselves around, run around and sweat, some hard work out of them. That will then allow then allow you to play good football.

‘But there are no leaders, there’s no backbone to the squad. Every time the ball went in the box you were thinking ‘they could score here’. What does that tell you? No-one’s got the desire to go and put their head on it and take a kick to the face.

‘I think it’s self-preservation for some players and we can’t build a team around that.

‘If some of them think they are Football League players, they are not. They are Conference players until such time as they either get this club promoted or move to another club. At this moment in time, neither of those things are going to happen.

‘If people are sat here thinking they are going to get moves to other clubs, they are sadly mistaken.

‘You can’t be a pretty player without the desire to go and win. I’ve played with many players like that and they fall by the wayside.

‘We’ve held their hands for a while now, and now are seeing what people at the club have been seeing for a long time.

‘It looks like they’ve had their hands held for far too long.

‘Now I can fully understand the mood about the place’.

Rob Scott has emphatically voiced their opinion. That opinion is one which closely reflects those of the vast majority of Grimsby fans, in particular those who attend the games.

It is refreshing to hear a Town manager(s) laying down strict ground rules for the type of players and the attitudes that they want in the club going forward.

The pair had enjoyed enviable success with Boston United, having overseen the transformation of their mediocre team into one with a positive, winning mindset – and being a team that is less prone to being dominated by the opposition, as is the case with the Mariners these days.

Rob’s views suggest that the timing of their joint appointment could not have been bettered. He and Paul have six remaining games to assess the players who they want to retain, they’ll then have the summer to bring in their own additional players, and finally they’ll have a full pre-season to work with their squad before the real business begins next season.

Let’s give Rob and Paul the chance to replicate their previous success here at Blundell Park. It sounds as if they have brought their proven track record with them.

Rob’s words are not the usual verbal diarrhea that spouts from all and sundry in football these days – these two guys appear to mean serious business, and that can only be good for Gimsby Town FC.

Well done John Fenty, you got it right this time.