League Two Form Guide

		P	GD	Pts
1	MK Dons	6	+7	15
2	Port Vale	6	+5	15
3	Walsall	6	+6	12
4	Crewe	6	+5	12
5	Cheltenham	6	+2	11
6	Chesterfield	6	+3	10
7	Accrington Stanley	6	+3	9
8	Salford	6	+1	9
9	Doncaster	6	+1	9
10	Notts County	6	0	9
11	Bradford	6	+1	8
12	AFC Wimbledon	6	+2	7
13	Bromley	6	0	7
14	Harrogate Town	6	-1	7
15	Grimsby	6	-4	7
16	Colchester	6	-1	6
17	Carlisle	6	-2	6
18	Fleetwood Town	6	-2	6
19	Newport County	6	-2	6
20	Tranmere	6	-4	6
21	Morecambe	6	-7	6
22	Gillingham	6	-4	4
23	Barrow	6	-4	3
24	Swindon	6	-5	2

Full Form Table
Prem|Champ|L1|NL|VN|VS
SPL|SC|S1|S2

Question of the Week

Is football a business or a sport?

Let's Find Out!

By: Ruban McLeod
Date: 05/01/2004

QUITE a few people have gone on about whether another manager would do any better than what Groves is achieving now, as if it's some kind of support for Paul Groves, but all I'd say to that is: let's find out!

Home > Features > 2004 Features > Let's Find Out

There's no other way. If we go down - and it is a possibility that has been creeping up on us for some time now - the board will look rather stupid at not wanting to change things. At this moment in time, and Groves has had plenty of time, he might have helped the club big time off the field, but on it we've seen very little to keep us happy.

Ok, we may have won 6-2, 5-2 and 6-5 under his management, but we've also lost heavily on too many occasions. In two years we've been relegated, had to suffer the humiliation of an 8-1 defeat against a team that was in the third division the previous season, no cup success whatsoever, and depressing home defeats like Palace last season, Walsall last season and Tranmere, Port Vale, Swindon and QPR this season.

I think Paul Groves has done a lot for this club over the years, as a player and to a certain extent, as a manager also. He's brought in decent players, on loan and permanently, reduced the wage bill accordingly and built a rapport with the fans. But patience is wearing thin.

Personally, I've had enough of being the subject of taunts from other football fans. Grimsby: the team that are going nowhere fast. The longer we stay in this division, the harder it will be to get out of it. Soon it'll be like what it was in the first division - constant relegation battles, losing more than we win and enjoying little success.

Until we get relegated to the third division and the same thing happens again. We have to stop the rot and it has to stop now in my opinion. We've seen the likes of Southend, Oxford and Huddersfield fall from grace. We may have players underachieving, but that ultimately lies at the feet of the management. Can't they motivate players? Can't they get the best out of them? If they can't, then leave it to someone who can.

Someone I know has already suggested that either Cockerill or Wilkinson return to take over as manager. Steve Cotterill's name has been branded about, as has Joe Kinnear - and even Lennie Lawrence, would you believe (under increasing pressure at Cardiff).

I could be mad, and the only one who thinks this, but in a time like this, you need experienced managers, rather than gambling on someone who has been successful elsewhere. A good old-fashioned manager, who knows the game inside out. I'd take John Rudge if he was still around, and not at Stoke in some capacity or other, at least until the end of the season. But maybe that itself is a gamble.

At the end of the day it's not me who decides. If we lose to Plymouth on Saturday, then I think the fans are fully entitled to see Groves get the sack. We have seen how Chris Turner has failed at Sheff Wed, yet was successful in the third division with Hartlepool. If we go for another manager, I'd be inclined to go for someone who has almost gone unnoticed - don't ask me who, though!

That's it for now, I'll have another moan next week when Groves is still in charge.

If you have a rant or two and you would also like the opportunity to air your views and opinions, Click here to submit them!

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League Two Form Guide

Question of the Week

Let's Find Out!

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