Can Grimsby Town make the leap from League Two to League One? All the signs are pointing in the right direction, after they achieved their highest league position for 19 years.
The Mariners climbed from 21st in 2023-24 to ninth. For the last twenty years Grimsby Town have bounced between League Two and the National League, regularly finishing in the bottom half of the table.
Last season, Grimsby Town finished on 68 points, just four points away from the playoffs, after a narrow 1-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon in their final game. Can they build on last season’s form and take the next step?
Here, we will look at some of the factors that could help Grimsby Town improve on last season.
Grimsby Town Manager David Artell
A lot of Grimsby’s improvement can be attributed to their manager, David Artell. He has had a transformative effect on the club, implementing a progressive, exciting style of play, impressing the club’s hierarchy and the fans.
Getting Artell has arguably been a wise move for the Mariners. The manager has only been in management for eight years, but he has already tasted success in League Two.
He became the manager of Crewe – who he previously played for – in February 2017 and saved them from relegation in the final few months of that season.
After another bottom half finish in the following season, Crewe were promoted to League One after finishing second during the Covid-shortened 2019-20 season, and Artell won League Two Manager of the Year. After a respectable mid-table finish in 2020-21, financial problems began to hit the club hard and Artell was sacked in 2022, when Crewe were relegated with four games remaining.
In November 2023 Artell was appointed Grimsby manager, replacing his former Rotherham teammate Paul Hurst. He got his first win in his third game in charge, a 2-1 victory ironically against his former club Crewe. He earned a nomination for Manager of the Month in January 2024 after Grimsby Town went six games unbeaten in December.
The club’s ninth placed finish earnt Artell a new contract, which – providing he sees it out – will take him to the end of the 2027-28 season.
Like many managers of his generation, Artell’s style is possession based, attacking football, but he also sees the need for his players to adapt to different systems, so they can break down different defensive setups. His management philosophy is something which he has honed over time.
Artell admitted that he was mentally exhausted after that difficult final season at Crewe and used his break from the game to examine his coaching methods, and see where he could improve.
‘I started speaking to people, cherry-picking bits from each manager, the bits I liked, how it compared to what I did,’ he wrote in a piece for Coaches’ Voice. ‘I looked at the periodisation of my training week. Some of the changes felt quite basic, but they mean that I can make a quick decision about what I want.’
Artell’s Development Of Young Players
Artell also has a growing reputation for developing and improving young players. He vastly improved the academy system at Crewe and regularly brought academy players into the first team. In fact, he gave 20 first team debuts to academy players, and played a team entirely comprised of academy graduates in Crewe’s 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town in May 2018, which earnt them Team Of The Week.
This is perfect for Grimsby Town, because they have a strong academy setup. Their academy team reached the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, including an impressive 1-0 win against the holders West Ham in the third round.
Artell has already started bringing academy players through, with promising young goalkeeper Seb Auton and highly rated midfielder Henry Brown joining the first team squad for this season. Players coached by Artell have gone on to join teams in higher leagues, and the financial gains from that can only benefit Grimsby in the long term.
Grimsby’s Squad
Another factor that may be pivotal for Grimsby’s season is the strength of their squad. Although left back Denver Hume, who was in the Sky Bet League Two Team of the Season, moved to Fleetwood in pre-season, they have strength in depth, and have bought well in the transfer market.
The Mariners have retained the likes of midfielder Evan Khouri and Player of the Year George McEachran, but they have also brought in experience in defender Sam Lavelle and forward Jamie Walker. This means that the squad has a good balance, and bringing in the likes of Lavelle will provide more stability at the back – something that Grimsby have struggled with.
Grimsby’s Impressive Form
Grimsby Town have four points in the bag so far, coming from a 3-0 win over Crawley Town in the opening game of the season, and a thrilling 3-3 draw against Harrogate last weekend, in which Jaze Kabia scored an extra time equaliser for the Mariners.
Grimsby Town have picked up from where they left off last season, continuing an unbeaten run that has now stretched to six games. They have a great goalscoring record and, although their defence can be a little suspect at times, they have a strong home record at Blundell Park, which will serve them well if they can maintain it throughout the season.
Conclusion
Everything is pointing in one direction for Grimsby Town – up. They have a good manager, a strong squad, and they are in great form. Whether they can take that final step and achieve promotion is another question because anything can happen during the season, but they have all the ingredients to make it.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
