Neil Young says Marine can’t make excuses for their poor run of form – as the Mariners boss details their movement in the market.
The Mariners failed to act on Young’s call for an improved festive period as they picked up just two points. Their miserable run was compounded by a 4-1 home defeat to Hyde United which leaves them three points outside of the playoffs.
Bobby Grant was introduced as an attacking option in midweek with Young looking to add more experience to his squad, in a bid to inspire a run ahead of the business end of the season.
Young has criticised the application in defeat’s to Basford United and Hyde, comparing those performances to the ones that earned wins over Worksop Town, Halifax Town and Radcliffe.
“Very disappointing, it was a decent game at home against Rylands and a decent point at Whitby, two points although you always want three then two really disappointing performances against Basford and Hyde,” the Marine manager told Off The Park.
“We can look for excuses, lads injured or lads playing unwell/injured but first-half against Hyde and the overall performance against Basford is not good enough.
“The worst thing about it is we should’ve got something out of both games, that tells you if we applied ourselves, we definitely would’ve got something.
“We can’t just put it down to injuries or illness, it’s application, people have to apply themselves to the game.
“We can look for all the excuses in the world, we’ve won against big opposition, we’ve had unbelievable cup runs, we can’t find excuses, the two performances were not good enough.
“We can point to the fact we’re short up front – we know that – but as I keep saying, these players that are being screamed about to go and get, I’d like to think I’m as proactive of a manager as you’d find in non-league.
“These players don’t grow on trees, they’re not there, they’ve got to be right, right financially, right for the club and right for the group, a lot of factors, it’s not just a player you fancy, you can go and get them, it doesn’t work like that. Even more so when the player you’re looking for is a centre forward.
“We’re getting closer (to a signing), there’s a few with January, it opens up avenues, we’ve got three or four names but we’ve had three or four different names over a period of time and haven’t fallen on one,” he added. “We are getting closer, I’d like to think we’ll have at least one in before Saturday.”
Stafford sit inside the bottom four, five points away from safety. Despite their precarious league position, Marine are well aware of the threat that teams in the lower reaches of the table have.
Young has warned that if they fail to put in a performance, there is risk of another ‘very ordinary’ showing which has been a catalyst for their slump in recent months.
He said: “It’s a false position, you look at Basford they played a different game against them, direct, strong and Stafford are similar in size.
“A new manager has gone in there, they’re scrapping for points so they will put a proper shift in, brought good players since Dave has gone in there but I don’t look at opposition.
“I look at us, what’s available and if we put a shift in, workrate, then we win a lot more football matches than we lose but if we fall below that work ethic, we become very ordinary because usually our work ethic normally outwork everybody in the division, even the top teams in the division.
“I don’t think we’re far away, as strange as I may say it, if you look at it I think we’re miles away but also not far from it at the same time because that’s the difference if we want to work hard and we don’t.
“If we work hard, we look exceptional, we beat Worksop, Radcliffe and Halifax, the intensity of the running in those games, how good we were compared to the last two, it’s there for all to see.
“We take collective responsibility but while we’ve been fantastic, this is the hard bit after Christmas always is, this is when the prizes are given out and I know they’ve got the ability to up it again and get going.
“My job is to guide and help them with players, for all the will in the world, we haven’t got the back-up (for injured and ill players) no many clubs have at our level, I don’t have a conveyor belt or clone these Sol Solomon’s, Fin Sinclair-Smith’s to bring them out.
“The big but is whoever comes into the team should not stop them running and getting close, that’s what we didn’t do and was the most gutting thing for me because it’s what we’re built on. Let’s not be too harsh on them but likewise, we’ve all got to stand up and be counted.”
[Featured Image: Susan Nugent]
