Fenty: Slade Can Do It

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 05/06/2004

TOWN director John Fenty is hopeful that new manager Russell Slade will manage to acquire a squad over the summer capable of placing the Mariners near the top of Division Three. Slade's budget is smaller than that given to Paul Groves last year, although probably more players will be required.

"This season, the budget will be slightly less than last season, but we still feel, with the agreement of Russell Slade, that we can produce a team that will be good enough to compete in this division," Fenty told Mariners Net.

Last season Town signed what, on paper, looked a substantial squad capable of, at very least, a respectable placing in Division Two. The likes of Tony Crane, Marcel Cas, Des Hamilton, Iain Anderson, Jason Crowe and Mike Edwards were all brought to Blundell Park last summer by then player-manager Paul Groves.

But, despite the early optimism, the squad proved to be unequal to the task, much to the board's disappointment. "Last season substantial funds were made available to build the playing squad and we are very, very disappointed that things didn't turn out better than they did," said Fenty.

Slade's ability to operate on a budget, his in-depth knowledge of non-league players, as well as contacts in the professional game at former clubs Sheffield United and Notts County are amongst the attributes which earned him a contract as Grimsby Town manager.

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