Bold Hurst to be congratulated

Whilst I am sure Paul Hurst is feeling pretty crap about the lads he has let go, he is to be congratulated.

It's a tough job but someone's got to do it. On the whole I feel that he has called it spot on. The players released have given their all and have all contributed to the success this season. There won't be a single fan that isn't grateful for their hard work and efforts.

But we now have to move on again and push for promotion to League 1. So Paul has to be ruthless and frank in his squad selection. He has made his intentions clear from the off with this wholesale review of personnel.

I now look forward to seeing contracts signed by those offered new deals. I sincerely hope that they all want to continue the journey with Grimsby. I also look forward to seeing which new players Paul acquires in the summer.

I find myself agreeing 100% with you again Ascend. The World turned upside down  

100% agree very brave and its good to see that we don't appear to be setting up to just make up the numbers but will give it a real go next year! Exciting times to be a Town fan.

Well done Paul.

I don't think it is brave or bold but it certainly must have hurt. The manager has built up a squad that bonded so well and proved loyal to him that letting players go is a big personal ask.

Professionally though it is just common sense. He knows what is needed and he knows what he had in the squad wasn't good enough so hard decisions had to be made. That's not brave, it is though the best piece of management I have seen from him in the last 4 years. He seems to have grown up. The easy way is to keep your mates and then try and plug the gaps when it goes wrong. The football way is to tell them the truth. That's what he's done and he's done it well.

Now it's part two. Secure the players who can offer L2 standard.

Il congratulate him at the end of next season if we are still a league 2 club.

Quoted from 120790

Whilst I am sure Paul Hurst is feeling pretty crap about the lads he has let go, he is to be congratulated.

It's a tough job but someone's got to do it. On the whole I feel that he has called it spot on. The players released have given their all and have all contributed to the success this season. There won't be a single fan that isn't grateful for their hard work and efforts.

But we now have to move on again and push for promotion to League 1. So Paul has to be ruthless and frank in his squad selection. He has made his intentions clear from the off with this wholesale review of personnel.

I now look forward to seeing contracts signed by those offered new deals. I sincerely hope that they all want to continue the journey with Grimsby. I also look forward to seeing which new players Paul acquires in the summer.

Erm, isn't this what just about every other manager in the country does at this time of year?

Quoted from arryarryarry

Erm, isn't this what just about every other manager in the country does at this time of year?

Exactly!! People want to male masturbation him off for doing his job.

Whilst i kind of agree and think he just about spot on we won't be so congratulatory if due to wholesale changes the new boys fail to gel or bond! Doubt that very much but just saying before we get too carried away.

It must have been so hard for Hursty but it's a ruthless business and he sounds hungry for success -instant success. He must have been fixated on players just out of reach for years so frustrated they wouldnt come and now they are all available to him with agents tripping over calling him!

He's been left with gaping holes (elusive target man, low grade loanees to try and plug things) and now he can finally pad the squad exactly as he wants.

We might see the true Hurst style now he's not missing pieces of his jigsaw.

As a side note; I wonder if any of those offered terms feel a bit miffed that the squad ripped up and questioning their own loyalties? However usually the gaffer points out his targets though to whet their appetites.

Very disappointed he didn't given Clay another year. Felt he deserved it, especially with Nolan leaving.

Quoted from Grim74

Exactly!! People want to male masturbation him off for doing his job.

Nah. I've been one of the man's biggest critics on here. The easy (but in the long term less successful) option would be to keep most of the squad together. Hurst is taking risk, but the right call to make.

I think this is evidence of PH maturing from a manager and morphing into a leader/manager to be honest. It actually is what managers have to do at the end of a season, yes, but how they do it, the background of the relationships built during the season, the need for clarity and focus for the next season to push for promotion again...it is literally how you make those calls that determine whether or not you are only a manager or a leader. Many people called for bold action to get us promoted; what he has done shows traits of a character who is capable of learning how to progress in his line of work. Once it starts getting easy to do this well for Hurst, he will be a legend.

He said himself it was mentally the hardest time as a manager. To get rid of players who are part of a close knit squad is tough but at the end of the day that is what he is paid to do settlement has to go out the window.

Time to build for a new era.

He hasn't really got rid of anybody. Their contracts have ended and no offer to continue is being made.
In the real world that we occupy short contracts are common and I don't think it is tough on the employers not to renew them.
Now if they were being made redundant that is different, that is a difficult job.

Quoted from Grim74

Il congratulate him at the end of next season if we are still a league 2 club.

Will you really?

I think he got who to let go and offer deals spot on but to congratulate him is a bit ott.

Credit though for having the forward thinking that we need quality to compete in league football, the players last season got us there but paul realises some might not keep us there so thats were he gets credit from me for being ruthless but honest , didnt think he had that in him that much but another quality he might have learned.

Quoted from davmariner

Very disappointed he didn't given Clay another year. Felt he deserved it, especially with Nolan leaving.

I don't think Nolan leaving should have any impact on that.

If he doesn't think Clay is good enough (or is what we need) for League 2, then Nolan leaving doesn't suddenly make Clay a better player. Hurst has clearly set himself a standard of what he wants and he shouldn't lower that after 1 player doesn't sign a contract. It just means now he goes out and finds another Nolan, or someone of similar/better standard.

Quoted from Grim74

Il congratulate him at the end of next season if we are still a league 2 club.

What if (wishful thinking) we're a L1 club?

...then some of the trolls will really be clutching at straws!

Don't particularly think he's being bold. Out of that list of departures, only Robertson, East and Clay were serious contenders to be kept on anyway, and by the sounds of East's Tweet, he was possibly offered a 'squad cover' role which he turned down.

Bold would have been not offering another deal to someone like Dis who is coming towards the end of his career.

Clay is the one that split opinions, the rest everyone was happy with.

we know he spoke with Fenty before speaking to the players and i get the feeling he has a decent amount to work with, otherwise we might of seen Clay, East, Robertson etc stay..

Bold or a bad error - think we ought to wait to see who he brings in first before we consider a knighthood as well as making Hurst a saint (can't afford any more duff signings and bear in mind the chances are that whoever he brings in will be players released by other clubs as not good enough)

Quoted from Ipswin

Bold or a bad error - think we ought to wait to see who he brings in first before we consider a knighthood as well as making Hurst a saint (can't afford any more duff signings and bear in mind the chances are that whoever he brings in will be players released by other clubs as not good enough)

Agreed. Everyone was happy enough when he released Mackreth. Then he signed Straker as a replacement!

Of course it's his job to release players and be ruthless with it.  That doesn't change the fact that I'm pleasantly surprised as to how ruthless he was.

Monkhouse was his boy all season.  Without a doubt his favourite player and he couldn't help but defend and praise him, almost on a weekly basis.  I fully expected, against the wishes of more or less everyone else, him to be offered a new deal.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Monkhouse was his boy all season.  Without a doubt his favourite player and he couldn't help but defend and praise him, almost on a weekly basis.  I fully expected, against the wishes of more or less everyone else, him to be offered a new deal.

This.
Hurst also has said post Wembley Mk2 about learning from that performance/game, i think he finally realised the pattern between performances in the Braintree 1st leg, Braintree 2nd Leg, Play off final and Trophy final, LWWL, also coincidentally matched Monky being in and out of the side.

I hope he has learnt from this season and can take us on from being a generally tough to beat team to a winning team.

Quoted from Ipswin

Bold or a bad error - think we ought to wait to see who he brings in first before we consider a knighthood as well as making Hurst a saint (can't afford any more duff signings and bear in mind the chances are that whoever he brings in will be players released by other clubs as not good enough)

Like Amond from Morecambe, Arnold from Cambridge and Nolan from Lincoln. Near enough every player at this level has been released by someone but it doesn't mean they're a bad player. Personal circumstances, the way the team play, competition for places are all factors that can influence a player's success at a particular club.

Time will tell. Lets hope he has already lined up some players as did Chesterfield with Nolan.

Also hope that all of the players offered were given 2 year deals, except Disley who does not have 2 seasons left in him.

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

Clay is the one that split opinions, the rest everyone was happy with.

we know he spoke with Fenty before speaking to the players and i get the feeling he has a decent amount to work with, otherwise we might of seen Clay, East, Robertson etc stay..

Good point. hurst has also said that agents, who wouldn't give him the time of day previously, are now ringing him with players and he's been excited by the quality of players who would be interested in coming to gy. Maybe those 2 things made the decisions to keep/release a little bit easier or clear cut

Quoted from Ipswin

Bold or a bad error - think we ought to wait to see who he brings in first before we consider a knighthood as well as making Hurst a saint (can't afford any more duff signings and bear in mind the chances are that whoever he brings in will be players released by other clubs as not good enough)

Yeah, just like how Amond, Tait, Horwood, Robertson, Nolan, Arnold and Amond weren't good enough last season having been released and deemed not good enough by their previous clubs.

No-one is ever going to get every transfer right, even the best managers.  Hurst isn't without criticism, definitely not from me.  But I would back him with regards bringing players in.  He always seems to upgrade us.

Quoted from Ipswin

bear in mind the chances are that whoever he brings in will be players released by other clubs as not good enough)

Like Amond?.........but I get your point!

I've always had my doubts about Hurst as a manager, his inability to change a game via his substitutions, Yes I know he did it at Braintree but throughout the season we all saw games particularly at home where a change of formation, fresh legs etc was needed and it never came. His reliance on certain players that just didn't justify his 100% faith in them ( and by the way I'm a big fan of Monkhouse, one of the best players at the club, wasted on the left, lumping long balls to him. Not HIS fault!)

I've been on here many times joining the Hurst out brigade since after the Gateshead play off defeat, thinking he's just not got what it takes to get us promoted, but after the loss to Bristol and the manor of the defeat along with Operation promotion I thought it was right to stick with Hurst once again, as we all know last season was very frustrating to say the least and once again I was calling for a change, we hung on for a play off place and in my opinion due to Hurst being forced to make changes to the away Braintree game we got through, and likewise the final.

So do I want Hurst to be the manager next season? Yes! And here's why..

Like the beginning of last season there is a feel good factor around he club and fans, it's a slow learning curve (very slow sometimes) but I think Hurst is getting better as a manager, his decisions regarding which players he wants to keep and get rid of is spot on and let's hope he can bring in more "Amonds" and less "Strakers"  It's clear the players love Hurst and that bond I think played a big part in getting us promoted and that sort of man management can not be taught on a FIFA coaching course, so if he can get a squad of quality players together for next season playing for him I think we could be in for a cracking season and I'll be there supporting my club.

By the way, I'm keeping my signature thingy at the bottom as a good luck charm

Quoted from mariner91

Like Amond from Morecambe, Arnold from Cambridge and Nolan from Lincoln. Near enough every player at this level has been released by someone but it doesn't mean they're a bad player. Personal circumstances, the way the team play, competition for places are all factors that can influence a player's success at a particular club.

I wouldn't go down the line of listing Hurst's good signings against bad if I were you - I know which list will be the longer

My point is that signings are likely to be a) those released as not good enough by Div 2 and (hopefully) Div 1 teams or b) players from the tinpot league we have just left (In which case why get rid of East and Clay. I suppose there is a c) a youngster the likes of Bogle from a non-league team who takes a couple of years to come up to speed and remember its up to speed in the FL not the Vanarama

Quoted from diehardmariner

Yeah, just like how Amond, Tait, Horwood, Robertson, Nolan, Arnold and Amond weren't good enough last season having been released and deemed not good enough by their previous clubs.
.

I wouldn't list Horwood or Robertson as successes and did he sign two Amonds?   (wish he had!)

You are one negative fecker Ipswin.   surely a huge amount of players signed at lower league clubs have been binned off elsewhere but there's plenty of say Steve Mildenhall's to be had. And who's to say that every player we sign will have been deemed a failure and who gives a hoot if they do the business in a Town shirt? Surely that shows one of Hurst's strong points polishing rough diamonds so to speak?

And Hursts full time signings by and large have worked, every single signing by every single manager is something of a gamble -you just don't know if the face is going to fit. I'd put some of the shocking mid season loans down to having to scrape the barrel and there should be a lot more options available to the gaffer now we Football League.

Robertson etc all a success as we lost a final on penalties having the best team last year and went one step further winning the thing this.

I'm pretty sure if we got back to Championship you'd still have a bone to pick with Fenty or something such is your outlook which I bet will never change.

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

Time will tell. Lets hope he has already lined up some players as did Chesterfield with Nolan.

Also hope that all of the players offered were given 2 year deals, except Disley who does not have 2 seasons left in him.

Some lads at work are saying that now in league 2, the minimum contract allowed is 2 year deal.

Don't know if that's right or not.....

Quoted from ackomariner

Some lads at work are saying that now in league 2, the minimum contract allowed is 2 year deal.

Don't know if that's right or not.....

It's not

Quoted from Ipswin

I wouldn't list Horwood or Robertson as successes and did he sign two Amonds?   (wish he had!)

Wouldn't you?  I would say Robertson was excellent, exactly what we needed after Aswad Thomas.  Horwood was vastly underrated in my opinion.  Offered an attacking outlet, not to the level of Townsend but that's an unrealistic expectation, down that left flank and was generally very steady.

It depends on your definition of success.  I would class a success as someone who is an improvement on the guy before them.  By that definition Horwood wouldn't be a success as he followed Townsend but I think we can put that down as an anomaly.  We would have had to signed a world beat to improve there.  

Oh for two Amonds.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Don't particularly think he's being bold. Out of that list of departures, only Robertson, East and Clay were serious contenders to be kept on anyway, and by the sounds of East's Tweet, he was possibly offered a 'squad cover' role which he turned down.

[/b]Bold would have been not offering another deal to someone like Dis who is coming towards the end of his career[b].

Could Disley end up on the coaching staff in the near future?

Quoted from The Yard Dog

Could Disley end up on the coaching staff in the near future?

Possibly a very good shout. I think Dis has been great for the club but have serious reservations about him being the fulcrum around which we base our midfield next season.

Perhaps Hurst didn't bin Monkhouse. Someone on here said a while back that he was retiring?

Robertson was solid and usually reliable ten times better than Thomas the only fault he had was lack of pace. Be nice to have a couple of pacey men on that flank who could work the flank and give us another outlet with Tait (if he signs) and Arnold on the other flank.

Even on Footie manager when I got Town up I couldn't be as bold as Hurst so I agree he is showing his metal and must be tough for him as someone who has formed a bond with this group to be so strong in doing what is best for us as a club.  

I am kind of concerned by the number we let go I would of liked more of a core to build around I think but ultimately I think the areas Hurst excels in it is summer recruitment, getting a strong squad and a group of committed players, so will trust what he is doing and how he is going about it, e knows far better than I what players are out there and what they can do for us.  

Yes Mrs Doyle -blistering pace in all the wide positions please (+steady Eddy Tait)

It's what happens next that matters. Even if all those offered contracts do sign up they are not all going to be first team players so the great need is for a goodly number of decent, L2 minimum, quality players signed asap.

I say asap because I hope Hurst has learned from previous transfer windows that you cannot hang on to the last minute and get what you want. Last January was a terrible window for us, it definitely finished us as title contenders and and nearly cost us promotion. He must push deals through early this time and get the squad sorted. If targets are hesitant,  leave them and move on. We can't afford to be waiting for replies from players when we should be squad bonding in pre-season.

We have the league status carrot to dangle this time and that may be a good point if any out of contract National League players have the ability to step up - go full time etc.

Again, staying in the League instead of a drop down could be another influencing factor for league players out of contract.

I'm sure that if he has known who has to go from the squad this year, then he must have a positional wishlist for next season from players seen this year or from watching other matches.

I hope he has understood that natural pace on the flanks is needed in both back positions and also for wingers.

A couple of Townsend type players in any of those positions would be handy, and I'd like to see Clifton and Venney have a chance to develop in the cup matches if not needed immediately on the bench in the League.

I'd like him to look at players of the ilk of Keanu Marsh - Brown who have natural pace and a desire to attack at speed if going for our previous league level players, or perhaps goalscorers with potential like Omar who need a season to train full time and develop stamina as full timers.

League players need to be no more than 28 to 30 years old, so we have no more "last season before retiring" players in place.

I'm sure that surprises will appear with names we did not expect to come here, so roll on pre season and "A Trialist" getting their chance again.

Mr Hurst - your task gets harder, so good luck !!

Enjoy your summer family hols and come back determined to find us the players we need !!

Had a couple of texts today saying Amond talking to Scunny. Can't confirm if true but it wouldn't surprise me. I'll take it with a pinch of salt for now.

I trust Hursty to find a more than sutiable replacement, Hursty showed this year he was prepared to sacrifice his old signing policy and get a midfielder who wasn't especially good at keeping shape or doing the dirty work and a striker who basically contributes nothing but score. He also seemed quite excited by the fact a much bigger pool of players is available to him. We need a bigger squad and he has obviously been given a budget that means he can afford much better quality. Therefore the board gave him the ability to be ruthless, that is also the sign of a good leader the one who could make the tough calls. I for one believe we need a much more athletic left side so we can scare teams from either flank. Finally I didn't think Clay, East or Gregor would have good enough or good enough anymore in Gregor's case. It's going to be an exciting summer with so manu new signings but first seven re-signings hopefully from first teamers.

Quoted from ginnywings

Had a couple of texts today saying Amond talking to Scunny. Can't confirm if true but it wouldn't surprise me. I'll take it with a pinch of salt for now.

Please no! Please all of the rest of you sign!

A couple of astute signings from the higher leagues of players coming to the end of their careers would be exactly what is needed to help bed the team back into the Football League. You can't beat genuine quality and experience, and if we could replcate some of the signings Buckley made like that we could be in for a real treat.

Paul Futcher taken from Halifax reserves, Trevor Whymark, Gary Birtles and Chris Nicholl. Jeezo, I salivate now whenever I remember the class they bought onto the pitch at BP. Wonder if we will ever see their like again here?

But in that  regard we must also be weary of mercenary has - beens on way down and looking for a last pay day... Paul Warhurst anyone?

Quoted from jock dock tower

A couple of astute signings from the higher leagues of players coming to the end of their careers would be exactly what is needed to help bed the team back into the Football League. You can't beat genuine quality and experience, and if we could replcate some of the signings Buckley made like that we could be in for a real treat.

Paul Futcher taken from Halifax reserves, Trevor Whymark, Gary Birtles and Chris Nicholl. Jeezo, I salivate now whenever I remember the class they bought onto the pitch at BP. Wonder if we will ever see their like again here?

That doesn't happen regularly these days though. A combination of players not needing the money and the increased pace of the modern game is the reason for it. Look at all the players you mentioned, not one in the last twenty years!

Quoted from jock dock tower

A couple of astute signings from the higher leagues of players coming to the end of their careers would be exactly what is needed to help bed the team back into the Football League. You can't beat genuine quality and experience, and if we could replcate some of the signings Buckley made like that we could be in for a real treat.

Paul Futcher taken from Halifax reserves, Trevor Whymark, Gary Birtles and Chris Nicholl. Jeezo, I salivate now whenever I remember the class they bought onto the pitch at BP. Wonder if we will ever see their like again here?

You obviously missed the 40 minutes of pure class that Anthony Straker gave us last season

Quoted from jock dock tower

A couple of astute signings from the higher leagues of players coming to the end of their careers would be exactly what is needed to help bed the team back into the Football League. You can't beat genuine quality and experience, and if we could replcate some of the signings Buckley made like that we could be in for a real treat.

Paul Futcher taken from Halifax reserves, Trevor Whymark, Gary Birtles and Chris Nicholl. Jeezo, I salivate now whenever I remember the class they bought onto the pitch at BP. Wonder if we will ever see their like again here?

This comment fills me with fear, and names like Barry Conlon, Nick Colgan and Martin butler come back to haunt me. No no no, more up and comers like bogle and clever signings of players with something to prove that have been misused at other clubs like nolan.

I heard the Amond to Scunny thing at the Chester home game a month or so back, don't know how true it is but it's a fairly easy rumour to start with the amount of goals he;s scored and them being our local rivals in the league above.

Quoted from forza ivano

You obviously missed the 40 minutes of pure class that Anthony Straker gave us last season

Is that what you called it, reminded me of what's brown and sounds like a bell.