FourFourTwo's Grimsby Town season preview 2023/24 - can Paul Hurst build on an impressive FA Cup run and translate that into league form?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Grimsby Town season preview 2023/24 is extremely optimistic, largely due to their mesmerising FA Cup run last term.
After overseeing the Mariners’ best FA Cup run in 84 years, Paul Hurst needs to convert the underdog template into one that will give them the consistency to challenge in League Two, which requires different strengths.
Former Stevenage striker Danny Rose is a superb signing for Grimsby Town, though, but the play-offs could prove just out of reach.
Grimsby Town season preview 2023/24, the fan's view: Thomas Sargent (@nousrembobinons)
Last season was pretty amazing. A consolidating 11th in the league was decent, but mainly because: FA Cup quarter-finalists, Grimsby Town.
The big talking point is whether we’ll go on and win the Cup this year? We beat past and future top-flight sides Southampton and Luton to get there...
This season will be different because we almost certainly won’t get to the FA Cup quarter-finals. Elsewhere, early signings Toby Mullarkey from Rochdale and Bradford’s Abo Eisa, signed for a third time by Paul Hurst, bode well for 2023/24. It’s just a shame New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe, who appeared in every game last term despite frequent bouts of time-wasting ‘cramps’, decided not to accept the club’s offer of a new deal.
I won’t be happy unless we win the FA Cup. [That’s enough now – Ed.]
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Evan Khouri of Grimsby Town (Image credit: Getty Images)
Our key player will be Evan Khouri. The ex-West Ham youngster will build on last season’s 22 run-outs and make a big impression in what could be his breakout season.
The opposition player who grinds my gears is AFC Wimbledon’s Harry Pell. Pure bitterness fuels our dislike of our former loanee, who seems to enjoy it.
The active player I’d love to have back is Andy Cook, given his scoring record last season – 28 in the league fired Bradford into the play-offs.
The pantomime villain will be Phil Parkinson – a total whinge-bag.
The thing my club really gets right is the (Lincolnshire sausage) hot dogs. Absolutely delicious.
Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst (Image credit: Getty Images)
The one change I’d make would be converting the lower sections of our three home stands at Blundell Park into safe-standing paddocks.
I’m least looking forward to playingNewport away – we rarely win there.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that he’s Grimsby’s Marmite. But people need a reality check: in our first season back in League Two, we were easily safe and only went out of the two big cups to Premier League opposition.
If he left, he should be replaced by Darren Sarll, who’s doing a good job with Woking in the National League.
We’ll finish 3rd. All aboard the promotion train to Cleethorpes.
Season previews for the Premier League, League One and League Two are all available HERE
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
