A month into David Artell‘s reign at Grimsby Town, the Mariners’ six game unbeaten run came to an end last weekend at the hands of Harrogate Town, with promotion chasing Mansfield Town then securing a 2-0 win on Boxing Day to secure back-to-back defeats.
It is no secret that the 43-year-old was appointed to be a long-term project rather than a quick fix; however, with the club sat 19th place in League Two, there are certainly areas that will need to be improved in the short term in order to secure league football for the Lincolnshire outfit next season.
That being said, here is a look on the areas Grimsby Town need to address in the upcoming January window to secure safety.
Central Defence
One that many Mariners fans will agree on, Grimsby have failed to keep a clean sheet in all competitions since early September with Harvey Rodgers, Niall Maher and Luke Waterfall amongst their options in central defence.
At the start of the season, the pairing of Harvey Rodgers and Niall Maher earned many plaudits – but now with 20 points dropped from winning positions, fans will be questioning the mentality and stability of their back line.
It would be surprising to see the club not address this position in January, and the Mariners need a strong, organised leader at the back who is comfortable on the ball in order to suit the possession-heavy style that Artell is keen to implement.
Full-Back
At the time of writing, Grimsby Town’s full-back options consist of Danny Amos, Toby Mullarkey, Michee Efete and Anthony Glennon – with neither of the four finding a consistent run in the team.
With Anthony Glennon’s place in the first team being solidified under Artell with some impressive performances to justify it, the opposite flank leaves a question.
Mullarkey and Efete are the two current contenders – with neither proving themselves convincing. This is due to the attacking-minded nature of the two right sided defenders not combining well with the also attacking-minded Glennon – leading to large spaces being left on either side of Grimsby’s defensive lines.
Artell was known to focus his attacking play through the full-back positions during his time at Crewe, so whether systematic changes need to be made elsewhere to accommodate the strengths of the current options or there is a need to change personnel to suit his current demands remains to be seen.
However, this is a key area for Grimsby to address if they are to get back to defensive solidarity after nearly four months without a clean sheet.
Midfield Structure
Kamil Conteh and Alex Hunt have earned plaudits from their time at previous clubs – but have both shown to be hit or miss this season.
Alternatively, Grimsby have proven options in Kieran Green, Harry Clifton and Gavan Holohan at their disposal – but the the question of how these options can be used together to create a suitable, effective midfield remains to be answered.
Recent games have exposed a lack of structure and functionality in the Grimsby midfield – leaving the defence exposed with minimal creative output going forward.
With current options all offering different strengths and weaknesses, a clear balance needs to be found in Artell’s middle three if the team are to progress under the new manager’s style of play.
The Best Position For Certain Squad Members
Similar to the midfield issue, there are multiple members of the Grimsby squad of which many are unsure of their best position.
With Clifton playing his best football under previous manager Paul Hurst as a left sided midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation, Artell has preferred the Grimsby-born player in a midfield three where performances levels have lowered in comparison to last season.
Similarly, strikers Rekeil Pyke and Donovan Wilson have proven useful despite their injury issues – if the strikers are to feature, a change in formation from the manager’s preferred 4-3-3 may be necessary due to club captain and top scorer Danny Rose featuring as a lone, central striker under the new boss.
Additionally, youngster Kamil Conteh joined the club with huge plaudits from his time at Gateshead – his time in North Lincolnshire has been very stop-start, with questions around whether his best position is in the 6 or the 8 in the middle of the park.
With a squad that certainly boasts talent, the positions of specific players in order to get the best out of them need to be identified – this could also come down to the system Artell chooses to play if he is to try to accommodate their talents.
Build Around Danny Rose
Without a doubt, Grimsby Town’s top performer this season has been captain Danny Rose.
Leading the front-line by example with relentless work-rate and nine goals in all competitions – the League Two promotion winner has proven a top acquisition for the club.
If Grimsby are to move forward, Artell must work out a way to continue to get the very best out of Rose even if the changes described previously are to be implemented.
An asset for any club in the division, the attacker has been excellent for the Mariners and everything must be done to build an identity around the tireless front-man.
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