Grimsby Town head coach David Artell
Grimsby Town head coach David Artell
Grimsby Town’s full attention now turns to their highly anticipated Carabao Cup tie with Manchester United at Blundell Park on Wednesday night. The league business is out of the way for the time being, and the Mariners have continued their unbeaten start, with two wins and a draw in the last week, which came after the United draw.
In the end, there was no real issue with the players looking too far ahead, and they can now get really excited about a game they will remember for the rest of their careers, no matter the result. Artell will deal with it as a head coach should, in the most professional manner possible, but there is something to be said about a global footballing superpower coming to Blundell Park for a second-round League Cup tie.
“We’ll watch our game in the morning and then go to Fulham to watch them,” said Artell immediately after the Accrington draw. “It’s going to be a tough game, of course, they’re one of the most historic clubs and biggest brands in the whole world.
“After Real Madrid, they are probably the most recognisable club, so you don’t get much bigger in club football than Manchester United, and they are coming to little old Cleethorpes to turn out against us.”
United attract national attention wherever they go, and Town will be on that stage this week as they play in front of a sold-out home crowd, with possibly millions watching on TV screens across the world. Once upon a time, the Mariners were league opponents of the Red Devils, but in modern times, United are at the forefront of the globalised profile of the English game, dominating sports headlines no matter what.
Ruben Amorim and his team, who have picked up just one point from their first two Premier League outings this term, would very much like to avoid embarrassment against Grimsby. They have the means to rotate and still field a very strong side, but Artell said his team can not play with fear and should take what they can get on home turf to try and pull off the most miraculous of cup upsets.
Justin Amaluzor scores during the Carabao Cup First Round match between Grimsby Town v Shrewsbury Town at Blundell Park (Image: Jon Corken)
The Mariners boss explained: “I imagine they will put out a very strong team, because it is a way of getting into Europe for them. They’re not going to risk anything or take any liberties, that’s for sure, and if we’re honest, their third-string team would give us a tough game.
“They probably have around 40 pros on their books, so they have plenty to choose from for this game. Everyone thinks Manchester United are on a downward ebb at the moment, but they’ve got a squad of players who, for the most part, are international players for established nations.
“Whether they are players they’ve bought for tens of millions of pounds or those that aren’t household names yet, the fact they’re at Manchester United means they must be good. It’ll be a tough night for us, but one we’re looking forward to, 100%.
“We’ll respect them, but we don’t fear them, as we don’t fear anybody. We’ve got to try and harness what's unique about us and look for small wins in the game because lots of little wins might become a big one.”
The hope will be that Blundell Park becomes a cauldron of noise, and the tight pitch makes for an uncomfortable experience for the Premier League bigwigs, which will give Town some chance of making it a competitive game. There is every chance they will get blown away by the top division, international-level footballers, but it is still an experience the Town players and supporters will cherish.