Why it’s no time to panic for the Mariners
It has been a tough couple of weeks for Mariners fans with three defeats in a row, no goals scored and an injury to their main man, but hope is not all lost for a successful season.
A lack of goals was a worry for a fans before the campaign had begun, and those concerns are being validated by the past three results, but a panic-riddled hunt for a new striker is not what will amend the flaws in this team.
Town were unlucky against Notts County, they dominated the game, had 15 shots on goal and it was only a scrappy goal at the other end which resigned defeat upon them.
Without John McAtee for three games, the team’s xG (expected goals) fell to just 2.5, clearly showing that his absence has created a problem at the top end of the pitch with chances being of a lower quality than before.
Grimsby’s failure is an all-too common one within the wider football world.
The issue is a simple lack of creativity to break down a low-block defence, it is an issue which England had in their most recent draw to Hungary and is one that has plagued Manchester United.
The issue is not necessarily about the talent at the top of the pitch, but is about that link between the striker and midfield, it’s that spark of magic which turns a tough nil-nil into a victory.
Fans should remember however, Grimsby are the joint-second highest scoring team in the National League and are still in second place – just one point off top.
Expectations going into the season were to get play-offs, Paul Hurst knows all too well how difficult it is to get out of this league and the situation isn’t as dire as recency bias may make it seem.
The simple explanation may just be that the players have hit a sticky patch and are out of form, as captain Giles Coke suggested after the FA Cup defeat to Kidderminster Harriers.
Just under a third of the season has passed and Town are still one of the favourites to go up as champions and a brilliant start was always going to come to an end at some point.
The important point now is that this run can be put to bed at Aldershot on Saturday.
Ryan Taylor is back after a complicated period of nursing a hamstring injury and contracting Covid-19 and Summer signing Joel Grant is slowly coming back to add another arrow to Hurst’s quiver.
Fans may dream of a sensational Omar Bogle-esque signing to come in and solve all the attacking problems, but as Wrexham are showing, signing EFL players on big wages isn’t a guaranteed path to success.
It is very rare for a team to go down from League Two into the National League and do as well as Grimsby have this year, especially when they were as poor as they were last season.
Southend United finished above Town last season and are currently being dragged into another relegation battle, for example.
If Grimsby’s lack of form continues then maybe it is time to grow concerned, but for now, it can be chalked off a bad few days at the office.
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