Lawrence: We Failed Lamentably
By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 15/12/2001
A SHELL-SHOCKED Lennie Lawrence surveyed the wreckage that remains of the Mariners' season at the end of the 4-0 defeat at Walsall and declared; "It's a black day for Grimsby, it's been a very bad week and this has just about summed it up really."
"This was a different type of test, the last three or four weeks we have been playing against top teams and we have hung-on to their coat-tails and made a game of it in each instance. This was a different test, this was all about desire, it's all about two teams scrapping it out at the bottom, it was all about Walsall's power and pace and strength - and we failed to do it, lamentably.
...We're just not good enough...
"We're just not good enough - that's the biggest conclusion you can draw. You look at the team, you look at the players - not good enough on the day. They cannot cope with the pace, the strength and the power. The played a fast direct day, we knew they would do that, we were prepared with it but we were totally unable to cope with it. There is no question or doubt about it.
...We were just brushed aside...
"It might have got to half time at nil-nil, but we offered very little as an attacking force and we were just brushed aside. Defensively we were reasonable until the second goal went in, in the last ten minutes we fell apart
...We have an absolute mountain to climb...
"There's no point trying to gloss over it, we have an absolute mountain to climb. At the moment I'm limited to the players I can use. Young Chris Thompson did alright when he can on in fairness to him but the answer isn't really to throw three or four kids on in this league at the moment. That might be the only option open to us, as I don't see anyone coming back from injury by next Saturday.
...God alone will know what Preston will do to us...
"And if we defend like that, God alone will know what Preston will do to us, although they do play a different type of game to Walsall. But this was the acid test and it's painfully obvious that we failed it totally."
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