Grimsby Town finished 9th in the EFL League Two last season, finishing just outside the playoffs. Now, with a new season inevitable, Town will be looking to improve and push on up the table in the upcoming campaign.
Ahead of their opening fixture against Crawley on the 2nd of August, I sat down with Grimsby Town fan Chris Kelly to talk all things Town in a Grimsby Town interview.
Before we start, I would like to thank Chris for taking part in this Grimsby Town Interview. His responses were informative and aim to give you an insight into Grimsby Town as a club currently.
The Grimsby Town Interview
Town narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season. How would you summarise the season?
“It was a season of real progress. From fighting relegation the year prior, we looked a completely different side, much improved through good recruitment and coaching aligned to a real identity. Everything was planned, structured, and thought out in regards to this. We also improved as the season went on, learning from mistakes and evolving in the process. We probably weren’t quite ready for the play-offs, though, in all honesty, but it was nice to be in the running.”
What was your favourite moment of last season?
“Our away form was superb, and we had many memorable performances and victories on the road. The successes at Doncaster and Walsall stand out in particular, as both had beaten us convincingly at Blundell Park earlier in the campaign, but we had grown and comfortably beaten both on our travels. The wins at Gillingham, AFC Wimbledon, and Colchester stood out, too.”
What would you rate Grimsby’s transfer window out of 10?
“So far, I feel the window has addressed many of our deficiencies of last season. David Artell wants to play open, attacking football, and as such, we’re likely to get caught out more often than, say, an AFC Wimbledon side, who are built on solid foundations. That said, we need to be tighter, and signing an experienced goalkeeper was high on many people’s wish lists. Christmas Pym’s addition will hopefully help guide the back four or five, and shore us up a little. Aside from that, we needed to add pace, unpredictability, and creativity in the attacking third. Bringing in the likes of Jaze Kabia, Jamie Walker, Justin Amaluzor, and Zak Gilsenan should help with this. I’d rate it around 7.5/10 on the whole.”
Who has been Town’s best signing of the summer so far?
“It’s hard to pinpoint one. I’d say the signing of Pym is hugely important, whereas Jamie Walker is a very good player at League Two level, and a really good pick-up. Over pre-season, forward Jaze Kabia has really impressed with his pace and movement, providing attributes that were sorely missing at times last season, and he looks like someone who could really take some of the goalscoring pressure off Danny Rose a little.”
What area of the squad needs improving the most and why?
“Most issues from last season appear to have been addressed. As we look like we’re going to play with inverted full-backs, I’d have liked a little more pace at the back to help when teams win quick turnovers and counter us, but, with the recent addition of Sam Lavelle, we look well stocked defensively, so positionally, we’re going to have to be spot on more often than not. Defending and attacking set-pieces was an area of weakness last season, but hopefully Lavelle can provide some help in this department. We still need at least one more striker, and we’re yet to make any loan signings, so it’s feasible that any more additions will be borrowed from higher league clubs for the season.”
What do you think of the club currently?
“As a whole, the club is in the healthiest position it’s been this century. The 2000s, as a rule, haven’t been kind to Town fans, but under the ownership of Jason Stockwood, Andrew Pettit, and other investors, everything has been modernised, refined, with a forward-thinking approach galvanising the club on and off the pitch.”
“Huge improvements to training ground facilities and coaching infrastructure, combined with a recruitment partnership with analytics firm Jamestown, have brought about positive results on the pitch.
“Artell is a good coach who improves players, and with him just signing a new 3-year deal, things are in place for future progression.
“One area that required attention was the commercial side of things. However, what looks like a concerted effort to work on this has seen a vast improvement over the summer.”
Can David Artell deliver success to Grimsby next season?
“I think so. As I mentioned previously, he’s a coach who improves players and the team unit over time. But even if that success doesn’t come this season, the structure and approach is in place for it to happen sooner or later, and Artell is a key component of that process.”
Are Grimsby prepared for next season?
“Yes, I believe so. The vast majority of the squad is already in place, with just two or three additions still to be made. We’ve had a thorough pre-season, and look to have good depth in most positions. We’re usually quite slow starters, and it’ll be important to remain patient and understanding should this be the case again this time. But in terms of preparation, we seem to be in good order.”
Who is the club’s best player currently?
“That’s probably quite subjective. We rely heavily on Danny Rose, and struggled when he wasn’t there last season. Hopefully, with the addition of Kabia, that has been resolved somewhat. I think the answer to your question would be George McEachran, though, who has been a superb addition and really controls the game from midfield. We’re very lucky to have him, as I feel he could play higher. His all-round game is perfect for the holding role in an Artell side, and he stands out as one of the best players in the fourth tier.”
Can you give me your prediction for how Grimsby Town will get on next season?
“I genuinely think it’s very difficult to predict how we’ll fare, or how the division will go as a whole. We look capable, and I think our games will be entertaining to watch. Ultimately, I think we’ll be in and around the play-off race again. I’m very hopeful that success is on the way soon enough.”
Thank you for reading the Grimsby Town interview with Chris Kelly. If you have any feedback, please let us know in the comments below.
