In order to avoid Grimsby Town’s goal-conceding problems from the previous season, David Artell has concentrated on fortifying the defense.
As part of their recruitment strategy, Artell seeks out players from outside markets who offer the highest value.
To be successful in League Two, the team still needs to add experienced players, wingers, a mobile striker, and attacking midfield.
As the preseason gets going, David Artell has been active in the transfer market, bolstering the Grimsby Town roster in anticipation of what they anticipate will be a far better season. After narrowly avoiding relegation at the end of the 2023–24 season, there was still much work to be done across the board to ensure that the challenges of the previous season wouldn’t recur.
The head coach of the Mariners spent a lot of his initial work in defensive quarters trying to plug holes in a defense that allowed 74 goals to be scored in 46 League Two games. Danny Amos, Toby Mullarkey, Anthony Glennon, and loanee Tyrell Warren (Barrow), Lewis Cass (Port Vale), Cameron McJannet (Derry City), and Matthew Carson (Reading) have taken Liam Smith’s place.
The Blundell Park team aims to best fit Artell’s favored style by combining defensive sturdiness with ease of possession.
Goalkeeper Jordan Wright has joined from League One Lincoln City to take the place of Harvey Cartwright, a young player from Hull City who spent the previous season on loan with Grimsby. Additionally, two new additions to the midfield and wide areas are Icelandic international winger Jason Dadi Svanthórsson, who arrived from Breidablik for an undisclosed fee, and creative midfielder George McEachran, who was previously with Swindon Town.
But before the transfer window closes on August 30, there’s still a lot of work to be done as the Mariners try to round out their roster with the depth and talent needed to contend in a division that becomes harder every year. Here are three major issues that David Artell might try to address in the upcoming seven weeks.
aggressive and imaginative midfield
The Mariners’ midfield ranks have improved with the addition of George McEachran. The left-footed former Chelsea kid, who is more of a deep-lying playmaker than a box-to-box player, provides a wonderful counterbalance in the engine room with guys like Evan Khouri, Curtis Thompson, and Kieran Green.
None of the players listed above would be considered attacking midfielders, but they are all capable of consistently getting past the striker and maintaining cool composure when things count. The only player on Artell’s roster who remotely fits that description is Callum Ainley, who is returned from serious health issues. It’s safe to say that at least one more player of this caliber is needed to offer more quality, depth, and options.
Even though Grimsby signed exciting Icelandic winger Jason Dadi Svanthórsson and hopes that fellow wide player Charles Vernam stays injury-free this season, more reinforcements are required given the departures of Abo Eisa and Arthur Gnahoua, especially if David Artell intends to stick with his preferred 4-3-3 formation.
The Mariners are expected to look to recruit at least one more specialist winger in the upcoming weeks, even though forwards Donovan Wilson, Rekeil Pyke, and Cameron Gardner can fill in those wider attacking areas; nevertheless, this is not their native position.
Physical and mobile striker
Danny Rose, the captain of the Mariners and the player of the year the previous season, is a vital member of the team. His coworkers frequently rely greatly on his goals, work ethic, leadership, and acumen.
However, the rare times he misses out due to injury or punishment highlight how crucial he is to the team as a whole. Wilson provides pace in the back, and Pyke adds some physicality, but it’s hard to match the full game of the former Stevenage, Northampton Town, and Mansfield Town player.
In a perfect world, I’m sure Artell and his team will be seeking to add a physically mobile frontman to the group to help Rose and blend in when the 30-year-old is absent.
Incorporate some experience
League Two is an extremely psychologically and physically taxing competition. It’s noteworthy how many sides with a certain amount of experience within their ranks triumph at this level.
This experience is now provided by midfielder Curtis Thompson (shown above) and the aforementioned Danny Rose for the Mariners, but maybe they could think about adding one or two additional veterans to help manage what is a youngish club.
The seven players that Grimsby has added so far are all between the ages of 21 and 26, which fits with the recruitment strategy they plan to use. However, Artell’s team would benefit from having a few more seasoned, battle-tested pros on board.
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