Grimsby Town: David Artell blueprint is obvious after Bradford City showing - View | OneFootball

Grimsby Town's weekend win over Bradford City was their best showing of the season so far, and sets the standard David Artell should be seeking

Grimsby Town have, somewhat understandably, had an inconsistent start to their 2024/25 season, both in terms of performances and results. However, Saturday's 2-1 victory over Bradford City was David Artell's side's most complete showing to date, and should set the standard to which his side aspire to as they look to improve and evolve.

The Mariners have brought in eleven new faces in total over the summer, either permanently or on loan, and trying to integrate those new bodies while looking to implement a style of play in the process has obviously led to some inconsistencies at this early stage.

Mixed displays on the road at Fleetwood Town and Notts County failed to yield any points, but strong showings at Blundell Park against both Cheltenham Town and the Bantams resulted in two victories, with the weekend's success against Graham Alexander's side in particular seeing Artell's side play some tidy football, without compromising on the physical side of things, which has been the case on occasion previously.

Central defender Doug Tharme was part of the matchday squad for the first time this season following shoulder surgery, while midfielder Curtis Thompson is yet to return from injury.

However, striker Danny Rose and wide player Jason Dadi Svanthórsson have started recent games as they continue to build their fitness, much to the benefit of their teammates and the Mariners manager.

Both key men were on the scoresheet on the East Coast on Saturday, and the duo's availability made a huge difference to a Grimsby side who played through their opponents with regularity, seeing interchanging sweeping passing moves from back to front cut open their visitors from West Yorkshire.

With important players either close to a return or now back involved, things are looking up for the Mariners, who displayed a nice mix of creativity, fluency, structure and work rate that should have led to a more comfortable win, with Artell's side dominant for large spells.

The balanced performance was an impressive one, showcasing both sides of the game superbly, and it has provided the manager and his players with a clear blueprint of how to succeed on a weekly basis in the fourth-tier.

With the aforementioned Thompson unavailable, and Wrexham loanee Jordan Davies suffering a long-term injury, the Mariners lined up with a midfield three of George McEachran, Evan Khouri and Kieran Green.

While there had been signs of the trio working well previously, the weekend's clash saw them work in tandem seamlessly to both nullify their opponents' threat and overrun them going forward.

McEachren regularly found pockets of space to play an important role in instigating many of his side's slick attacking moves, while youngster Khouri was impressive in a combative, box-to-box role.

However, the more experienced Kieran Green was, perhaps, the pick of the bunch, with his all-action approach dominating the middle of the park, seeing the 27-year-old, who signed in 2022, have what many believe was his best performance in a Grimsby shirt.

Full of energy, the former Halifax Town man was unplayable, showing incredible fitness levels to influence the game both defensively and offensively.

From teeing up Svanthórsson to score at the end of an exceptional free-flowing Mariners move, to leading the unrelenting press that squeezed Bradford out of the game, Green was central to much of his side's good work.

Grimsby's game management was much-improved

Grimsby's inability to hold on to a lead was a major problem last season, with their game management and mentality under pressure being called into question in some quarters.

Mariners supporters regularly see opponents adopt a ruthless streak when dealing with certain situations, and wished their side would show a similar approach when required.

It's not a pretty part of the game, but the 'dark arts' are important in League Two, and decision-making in this regard can often be the difference between getting a result or falling short.

It was noticeable how well Artell's side broke up the play when necessary against the Bantams, with central defenders Cameron McJannet and Harvey Rodgers both picking up bookings for professional fouls when stopping their opponents breaking into dangerous areas in the second-half.

While the Mariners rarely looked troubled by Bradford, whose consolation goal came via a goalkeeping error, it was pleasing to see them implement a toughness so often shown by others at the Blundell Park outfit's expense.