David Artell insists the Mariners must rediscover the principles that made them successful as Town prepare to welcome Northampton Town to Blundell Park on Saturday.
Town head into the fixture looking to respond to three consecutive defeats, but the head coach stressed that the recent results should not overshadow the progress made during an unbeaten opening to the Sky Bet League Two campaign.
Artell revealed that the squad have worked on specific areas during training this week, with individual and team reminders designed to help the players rediscover their best form without making wholesale changes to the way they play.
The head coach also praised goalkeeper Christy Pym’s performances this season, warned against underestimating a Northampton side he believes are in a false league position, and discussed the importance of the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign.
Here’s everything the head coach had to say ahead of Saturday’s fixture…
On the work done on the training pitch
Artell was keen to put Town’s recent run of results into perspective, highlighting the contrast between their unbeaten start and the disappointing performances against Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale.
The head coach explained that the squad have been working on specific details to address those shortcomings, while remaining confident that the team can rediscover its previous form.
“We went so many games without defeat, and then we haven’t won in three. You don’t become a brilliant team in seven games. It’s built up over many, many months. You don’t become a poor team in a couple of weeks either.
“Nine times out of 10, we beat Newport because we deserved to, but we didn’t. Then we’ve had two real poor performances, or one and a half real poor performances. The second half against Port Vale was fine, without being our usual fluid, fluent self, but we were okay.
“We’ve got to get back to what we are. It’s as simple as that.
“We’ve shown the players a few things and worked on a few things. I’m not going to reveal my hand on what that is, but we’ve had team reminders and individual player reminders, showing people various bits.
“The players have responded really well, and we’ll see how we get on Saturday.”
On sticking to Town’s principles
The head coach was asked whether recent results might tempt him to make significant changes to his formation, personnel or style of play.
Artell explained that while adjustments can be made to suit individual opponents, maintaining a consistent identity is crucial to ensuring players have clarity in their roles and responsibilities.
“When you’ve got a process, call it a game model or call it what you want, that you can revert back to, I think that gives you a consistent constant that you can tweak, but not make wholesale changes.
“When we played Notts County a couple of weeks ago, we had a different formation. The principles don’t change, but the formation on that night did.
“Do you change formation this Saturday? Maybe. Do you change personnel? Maybe. Do you change the way they’re playing? No, but you might highlight some things that are more important on a given day than another.
“You might highlight things we need to do more of that we haven’t done in the last couple of games.
“You’ve got to understand what the process is, because the process is the process. You can tweak things, but you need that consistent theme to revert back to.”
On maintaining perspective during a difficult run
Artell believes the response to Town’s recent defeats must be measured, warning against abandoning the foundations that helped the Mariners enjoy such a positive start to the season.
He pointed to the importance of providing the players with clear messages, while acknowledging that the team must improve on the performances that have contributed to their current run.
“You’ve got to be mindful that seven games doesn’t mean that they’re successful, but three games in the opposite direction doesn’t mean they’re unsuccessful either.
“If you go from one extreme to the other and throw the baby out with the bathwater, you can actually confuse the players and make it worse.
“You’ve got to be really mindful and careful in your messages to give them certainty and clarity. I think that helps.
“We’ve had a game and a half of bad performances in 10. We let ourselves down in the first half at Port Vale, in that 30-minute spell at Port Vale, and definitely in the game against Shrewsbury. That can’t creep in.
“We’ve got to be better at what we are, not make wholesale changes. Get back to what made us successful in the second half of last season and what made us successful in the first seven games of this season.
“That’s the challenge, and we’ve got to be better than that as well.”
On the expectations at Grimsby Town
The head coach believes the increased expectations surrounding the club are a positive reflection of the progress made over recent months, insisting the squad must embrace the pressure that comes with being expected to win.
Artell also highlighted the importance of maintaining the standards that helped Town take more points than any other side during the second half of last season.
“We’ve raised the expectation of this football club, and the supporters of this football club, the fantastic fans, expect more. That’s a good thing.
“Pressure’s a privilege. That’s how I see it. For me, that’s what we’ve got to embrace and thrive on.
“We haven’t done that for a game and a half, and we’ve got to get back to thriving on that pressure like we did for the first seven games this season.
“We took more points in the second half of last season than anyone. We should have been top of the league after eight games this season, but we weren’t. That’s the key.
“It’s not all doom and gloom, and I’m not trying to find a solution to huge problems. It’s more about reminders and understanding what we are, and what’s got us into a position where people expect us to win.
“That’s a good position to be in.”
On Christy Pym’s form
Pym has been one of Town’s most consistent performers this season, producing several important saves, including during last Saturday’s defeat at Port Vale.
Artell was full of praise for the goalkeeper’s performances and temperament, highlighting his importance to the team during the opening months of the campaign.
“He hasn’t made a mistake this year, and I don’t know how many of the players we can say that about, but he’s one that hasn’t.
“He’s been outstanding. His character and his temperament are very, very good, and we knew that.
“He’s got the bit between his teeth. We’ve got some fire in his belly, and when he plays like that, he’s a very good goalkeeper.
“We hope that continues.”
On Saturday’s opponents, Northampton Town
Despite Northampton sitting second-bottom of the table and having won just once this season, Artell warned that the league position does not accurately reflect the quality of the visitors.
The Cobblers were playing in League One last season and have demonstrated their capabilities in recent performances, including a draw away at York City.
Artell expects a difficult afternoon at Blundell Park and believes Town must focus on their own performance while looking to exploit any uncertainty within the opposition.
“Northampton shouldn’t be where they are. They’re a much better team than that.
“When we watch the games, they drew away at York last week, for example. They’re a good team, and there are lots of factors why they are where they are. I’m sure Chris will have a long list of them.
“They’re certainly in a false position. We said that about Port Vale last week, and that’s how it proved. Northampton are in the same boat.
“They were in League One last year. They’re much better than the league table suggests, and it’s going to be a tricky game for us.
“We’ve got to be really good at what we are, get back to what we are, and try to take advantage of any doubts they might have about where they are in the league.
“I’ve no idea if that’s the case, but we’ve got to ask them questions on Saturday afternoon and hopefully take advantage of it.”
On creating chances against a resolute defence
Northampton have shown defensive resilience despite their position in the table, with their goals-against record suggesting they could pose a significant challenge for Town’s attacking players.
Artell, however, believes the key to breaking down the visitors will be for the Mariners to return to the standards they have demonstrated throughout their recent successful spells.
The head coach was confident that if his players perform to their capabilities, they will continue to create opportunities against any opponent.
“Being good. That’s about right, isn’t it?
“I could sit here and speak for five minutes about what we need to do and why we need to do it, but ultimately, the players have got to perform to their levels, be good at what we are and be good at what we do.
“If we do that, then we’ve shown consistently that we can create big chances against any team.
“That’s the challenge this Saturday.”
On Sam Lavelle’s loan move
Artell also discussed Sam Lavelle’s departure to Hartlepool United on an initial 28-day loan, explaining that the defender needs regular playing time after limited opportunities with the Mariners.
The head coach confirmed that any extension would depend on all three parties agreeing to continue the arrangement.
“He hasn’t featured much and needed game time. He goes for the next 28 days, and we’ll take it from there.
“In a situation like this, there are three parties. There’s us, there’s Hartlepool and there’s Sam. It’s far too early to tell whether that will carry on or not. All three parties will need to agree.
“But it’s good that he’ll be getting minutes and playing football regularly.”
On the Together Against Racism campaign
Town are supporting the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign, which brings all 72 clubs together to challenge racism in football, online and in communities.
Artell stressed that campaigns of this nature remain important, pointing to a recent incident in the Championship that resulted in a match being stopped for eight minutes.
The head coach believes the game must continue to work collectively to eradicate racism and ensure everyone can enjoy football free from discrimination.
“It’s still the case. You saw last night that a game got stopped in the Championship for eight minutes because of an alleged racist incident. It’s still there.
“There are lots of things that football is very good at, but this is still something that creeps in from time to time.
“These campaigns are so important to make sure it is eradicated at all games, every time. They are extremely important.”
You can watch David’s full pre-match press conference here:
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