David Artell says Grimsby Town must approach Sunday’s Emirates FA Cup first-round tie with the right mentality and professionalism as the Mariners prepare to face Stafford Rangers at the Stan Robinson Stadium.
Town begin their FA Cup campaign against the Northern Premier League Division One West side, who currently sit second in their league and have reached the first round proper for the first time in more than 20 years.
The head coach expects a challenging afternoon against opponents who have enjoyed an impressive season, highlighting their threat from set-pieces, long throws and the quality within their squad. Artell has watched Stafford in action and stressed that Town must be prepared for the physical demands and atmosphere that come with an FA Cup tie away from home.
Artell also provided updates on the fitness of several players, discussed Ryan Bennett’s appointment as the Club’s new Player Recruitment Lead and praised Josh Andrews for his hard work in improving his fitness. The Town boss also reflected on his own experience of non-League football and the importance of the FA Cup to clubs, supporters and volunteers throughout the football pyramid.
Here’s everything the head coach had to say ahead of Sunday’s fixture…
On the latest squad news
Artell provided a positive update on several players who have been working their way back from injury, including Reece Staunton, Jayden Sweeney, Cameron Gardner, and Kieran Green, with some expected to return this weekend and others potentially available over the next fortnight.
The head coach confirmed that Mark Shelton is also available again after being ineligible to face his parent club last weekend.
“Some are back this weekend, some are out by, some back next weekend, I think, and some might be the weekend after.
“They’re all making good progress. All of them.”
On Ryan Bennett’s appointment as Player Recruitment Lead
The Club confirmed this week that former Mariners defender Ryan Bennett has been appointed as its new Player Recruitment Lead, with Artell delighted to welcome him into the recruitment department.
The head coach highlighted Bennett’s character, local connections and understanding of the Club, believing his experience since retiring from playing will help strengthen Town’s recruitment processes.
“It’s an exciting appointment. I’m really looking forward to working with him.
“Young, some really good ideas. He’s got a bit of experience in his short time from retiring to coming on this side of the fence.
“Obviously an outstanding character. Local, loves the area, loves the football club. He felt as though it helped make him a footballer.
“I’m really excited to see how we can help him help us progress our process on the recruitment side.”
On Josh Andrews’ fitness and hard work
Andrews has made significant progress with his fitness since joining the Mariners, having lost seven kilograms through a dedicated programme of work alongside the Club’s performance and nutrition staff.
Artell was keen to give the striker credit for the commitment he has shown, stressing that while the support of staff has been important, the ultimate responsibility for making those changes has rested with the player himself.
The head coach believes Andrews has given himself the best possible foundation to succeed and was encouraged by his impact from the bench against York City, where he came close to scoring on several occasions.
“Over a stone in old money. He came in not in particularly great shape. He didn’t want to get injured in the summer. That’s what he said to us, which I sort of understood, but then using pre-season to get fit, it’s tough to do that.
“He’s worked extremely hard. That’s the bottom line. He’s had some really good support. Greg Howard and Chase Homer have been outstanding with him, but ultimately it’s down to Josh and his lifestyle.
“We see him for whatever, five, six hours a day, eight hours a day tops. There’s another 16 to 20 hours away from this building and he’s got to live his life right.
“Jack Hancock, the nutritionist, has definitely helped him, so he’s had a lot of support around him, but ultimately it’s down to whether Josh wants to do it or not. He’s worked extremely hard.
“The shape he’s in now, as I said on Saturday, doesn’t mean he’s not going to get injured, but he’s given himself every chance of being successful as a footballer. I think everyone can see that he’s a different shape. He’s a different everything, size. He’s a different animal.
“He deserves a huge amount of credit for getting into that shape. Now he’s got to stay in that shape and work extremely hard at his game to improve, but he’s now got the foundations to do well.”
On Sunday’s opponents, Stafford Rangers
Stafford currently sit second in Northern Premier League Division One West and have impressed Artell, who has personally watched them in action while members of his coaching and analysis teams have also assessed their recent fixtures.
The head coach expects the hosts to provide a stern test, highlighting their attacking threat, physicality and ability to cause problems from long throws. He also believes their position in the league table reflects the quality within their squad and the confidence that comes with regularly winning football matches.
“Stafford are a good team. I saw them on Tuesday night at Congleton. Watched them at Stalybridge. The lads have watched other games against Lower Breck and Mossley, and the analyst has watched them against someone else. We’ve done our work on them.
“They’re a decent team. They’re spending a few quid for that league and there’s every chance they won’t be in that league next year. If you’re near the top of the league and you’re used to winning, you become much harder to beat.
“They’ve got some young players who are prepared to run around a lot and they carry a real threat at the top end of the pitch. They’ve obviously got a long throw where the throw can come in from literally anywhere on the pitch. So we’ve got that to contend with as well.
“We know what threats they carry and we’ve got to make sure it looks like there’s five leagues between us, but as we saw to our benefit last year, there was only four leagues between us and Manchester United and we saw how that ended up.
“We’re under no illusions how difficult it will be. I expect the grass to be long. I expect them to have trained on it. I expect the crowd to be right up for it. I expect the players to be absolute warriors playing in front of a big crowd. That’s the FA Cup.
“We’ve got to make sure there’s nothing on the pitch, off the pitch or about the occasion that surprises us.”
On the magic of the FA Cup
With Stafford reaching the first round proper for the first time in more than two decades, Artell recognises the significance of Sunday’s occasion for the hosts and their supporters.
The head coach believes the tie has all the ingredients of a traditional FA Cup fixture, with the television coverage and prospect of an upset adding to the excitement. However, he insists Town must demonstrate the professionalism and work rate expected of a Football League side.
“There’s a reason the TV cameras have picked the tie. It’s as simple as that. If you want any evidence of whether people want to see an upset, think it’s possible that an upset will happen, well, the fact that the TV cameras are turning up says all you need to know really.
“We’ve got to make sure we show our professionalism and all the things that make us a League team.
“This is a big game for them, a terrific game for them, and we’ve got to make sure we show exactly what we are, no ifs or buts, and quieten a probably raucous crowd.
“We’ve got to show our ability, and I don’t just mean on-the-ball ability. I’m talking about running, tackling, heading, running backwards, those kind of things.
“Ultimately, if you don’t work as hard as the opposition, forget the disparity in league position, they’ll hurt you and they’ll have opportunities to hurt you. You leave yourself wide open for a cup upset, and we’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
On his experience of Non-League football
Artell also reflected on his own playing career, which included spells with Kidsgrove Athletic and Droylsden towards the end of his time as a player.
Having experienced Non-League football himself, the head coach understands the importance of the game at every level and believes the camaraderie and togetherness within a squad can make a significant difference.
He also highlighted the importance of the wider football pyramid, revealing that he had spoken to several people connected with clubs who had faced Stafford during their FA Cup run.
“People used to run faster than me because I was really old by the time I played Non-League football! I was 35, 36, 37. People were a lot faster than me. That’s the most abiding memory!
“What I would say is that the camaraderie amongst players at that level is no different to this level. If you get a good group, it goes a long way, and you can quite clearly see that Stafford have got a good group.
“They’ve got some really good young players and some older heads like Tom Tonks. They’ve got some young talent and some wise old heads.
“The football pyramid doesn’t stop at League Two or the Conference North and South. It goes all the way down and beyond Stafford’s level.
“I spoke to the Newcastle Town manager because they’ve played them. I spoke to the Kidsgrove chairman and got a game from them. I spoke to the Nantwich chairman and got a game from them. That’s what football is. That’s what the pyramid is, and it brings the best out of people.”
On the importance of the occasion for Stafford
Artell was also keen to recognise the significance of the FA Cup for everyone connected with Stafford Rangers, from the players and supporters to the volunteers who help keep the club running.
Having seen the excitement surrounding the tie during his visit to Congleton, the head coach believes Sunday’s occasion represents an opportunity for the whole club and its local community.
He also drew comparisons with Grimsby, highlighting the importance of volunteers and the people who work behind the scenes at football clubs throughout the country.
“It’s big for everyone. Big for the town and everyone. The volunteers, the players.
“I was walking into Congleton and three Stafford fans were stood in front of me talking about the game. I won’t tell you what they were saying! It was unrepeatable, but they didn’t know I was stood behind them.
“That’s what the FA Cup does. That is the magic. That is the FA Cup fever.
“Everyone gets to see the cameras, whether that’s the players, the manager, chairman, whatever. But also the people who’ve been there for years and years and years, who will mark the grass or stock the tea bars or put the tea and biscuits out for the visiting dignitaries.
“That’s what football clubs are run on. We’re not too far away from that. We rely on volunteers and the goodwill of many. We’re at the heart of the community. We’re just a little bit higher up the pyramid. We’re no different in that sense.
“We understand that value just as much as anyone. We’ve got to make sure the players understand that they’re not just walking in and playing against 11 lads. They’re playing against 11 lads who are going to be fighting tooth and nail for everyone associated with that football club.”
On Tom Culshaw’s insight into Stafford
Artell was also asked whether Tom Culshaw, who previously revealed he was friends with Stafford manager Graham Deakin, had been able to provide any additional insight ahead of the tie.
The head coach confirmed that Culshaw had contributed to the preparation after watching Stafford in action, but stressed that the Club’s extensive scouting work had provided a thorough understanding of Sunday’s opponents.
“Not over and above what’s normal, if you like. He’s certainly not phoned their manager up and their manager told us all their tactics!
“He’s watched the game and we’ve all watched the game. James has watched a couple, and Tom’s added his two penniesworth about what he thought happened in his game that he watched, so we’re as prepared as we can be.”
You can watch David’s full pre-match press conference here:
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