Something and nothing really.

A guy in a Pools shirt with 'Rocky' on the back did indeed stick two fingers up and Nelse walker over to him. His words were;


Hoy, whats the two fucking fingers for? we've been playing the last 30 minutes with ten fucking men, why don't you fucking get behind us instead?'

'Rocky' sheepishly walked off.

The guy should have said, " yeah and i've been to 9 out of the last 10 away games watching u useless bounders amass 1 foooking point"

If only he showed more fighting spirit on the pitch eh?

Hoy, whats the two f*** fingers for? we've been playing the last 30 minutes with ten f*** men, why don't you f*** get behind us instead?'




Tell you anything?

Its hardly crime of the century, Nelson needs to chill out and remember who pays his wages IMO.

absolute rubbish. Any man has the right to stand up for himself if he receives unfair criticism. Nelson shows his appreciation to the fans, and one prick gives him abuse. If i were Nelse i'd have launched him.

The lad wasn't aiming the criticism at Nelson though, it was aimed at the whole team. It was nothing more than a simple wave for the team to go away probably out of sheer frustration, it certainly wasn't 'abuse' as you call it.

Given the lad in question goes to every Pools away game and has probably spent the best part of 600-700 quid over the last few months only to receive one point, I can understand his frustration. I don't know the lad from Adam so don't think I am sticking up for him because he is a mate, I just don't think his actions deserved Nelson coming at him the way he did especially given the dismal performances that we have offered away from home this season.

W@nker

I agree, Nelson nor any of the others deserved that sort of criticism, they played well, the effort was there and all the players came to show there appreciation of the fans who in the main returned the compliment.

I don't think they deserved any abuse either, as I said earlier; there was no lack of effort but something is seriously missing. It may be tactical or more likely I suspect, a lack of quality. With James Brown, Ben Clark, Michael MacKay and Monkhouse on from the start I think we would have won yesterday at a canter.

By the way, if we have to play Ritchie Humphreys it should be in midfield, he is not nor never will be a good left back. He can get away with in in Div 4 or against poor wingers in this league but give hime a decent winger to play against and he's found out every time.

Some of the players we have are just not good enough for this league.

its the whole 'he needs to remember who pays his wages' attitude though. I do not pay Nelsons or anyones wages at Pools. Do i have the right to have a go at some bird in Asda because i shop there? If they do not serve me in a specific way that i require, do i then have the right to stick my fingers up at them and hurl abuse?

Some people live in cloud cuckoo land when it comes to their football club, or maybe its just me?

The lad who did it is one of my good mates, and is probably one of the most dedicated Pools fans I've ever known. Tax Paying Poolie is right - he's spent an absolute fortune following Pools, and considering he is based on the south coast and has come to the lion's share of home games this season, I think he has right to complain.

He's a great lad and he's usually one of the more optimistic Poolies through problematic times. He told me his anger got the better of him, but he didn't seem regretful for what he did.

I think that Nelson et al have to prove him wrong, not "launch" any fan that gets fucked off because of a weak as piss away record that accounts for most of the fans' money and free time.

Maybe so Mr mouldy old dough, but as long as they put the effort in they don't deserve a slagging off.
Personally I honestly don't think we've had the rub of the green this season. I know it sounds daft and I know we have had some poor performances, but little things change games and I do think most of them have gone against us.

I am the individual who Nelson was yelling at. I am one of many Poolies who had to endure yet again a poor performance. We played well for the 1st 10 mins of the 2nd half. I am sick of watching abismal, lack lusture performances from our players whom seem to lack true fight and footballing ability suitable for league one football. I dont mind Nelse having his say, but I want the best for MY team and the town of my birth. I was fully behind the lads until that final whistle, sang all match. If that's not getting behind your team then what is. That's on top of travelling home for all weekend home games and journeying the country for away games. I don't have a problem with this as I love Pools, its the first thing which comes to my mind when I awake every morning and when I close my eyes at night. No matter what anyone says about the incident which occured after the match on Saturday, I just showed my frustration in hope the players relise they need to get their act's together or this season could end up being a nightmare like a couple of years ago. I have admired Nelse throughout his career at Hartlepool and have never gotten on his back following speculation he was due to depart the club around 3 or 4 seasons back and the jesture was not directed towards him specifically, but towards the team in general, not just the players but the club, it was an action which summed up how I have felt over this season. I have a right to show my feelings and a right to view my opinion and vent my growing disappointment. I would love to don the blue and white week in week out, but I wasn't born with a footballing talent unfortunately, its a huge privilege in my eyes to play for Hartlepool United but we don't belong back in league two, and this shocking season has got to be dealt with before we all end up paying 20 quid to watch 4th tier football next season.

Ha'way the lads, and lets sort it out sooner rather than later.

I admire you for coming on and giving us your version of events, frustarion on both parts, it happens.

At the end of the day I think its going to be a frustrating end of the season but I have relised something. Quite clearly some of the players have passion. We need a battling end to the season with the fans being exactly how we sang yesterday.

Nice one Mr mighthepoolie, keep the faith and keep up the singing.

ALWAYS COMES BACK TO RH WITH YOU MR I
if RH had either monky or matty alongside there might have been some cover
but seeing as thompson is a wanted man at leeds why should he bother defending
OK I WAS NOT THERE BUT THAT WAS FROM SOMEONE WHOSE OPINION I VALUE

Aye, fair play to you.

Ian, in midfield it works, in defence it doesn't. I would be saying the same if it were any other player. Humphreys is a decent midfielder but he simply is not a quality defender.

well i have to give you credit as you keep trying to write him off
but it is not going to happen when he is the only player at the club at this time that can fill the roll
even when wilson picks HIS men who dont carry their weight simply because they wont be stopping
and of course you base your appraisal on how many games?

I'm pleased it's not just me who has been thinking this. I thought I had been imagining it.

Don't misunderstand me; I never questioned his effort or application, I simply stated that he is not a defender nor ever will he be. When he's up against a good attacker his weaknesses are shown up. I entirely accept that he's doing his best but the fact remains that he hasn't got the attributes to be a good left back. On Saturday he tried hard and gave everything physically but time and time again he was found wanting.

He's an attacking midfielder not a left back but I agree there are few alternatives and credit to him for playing in a position that he cannot be entirely comfortable with. Surely our much heralded youth system has something to offer in this position.

we dont seem to have a youth system any more
either they are shipped out or can't get a start as they are at the back of the queue of mercanaries
i would start micky rae in place of barker tomorrow or johnny rowell in for boland
but i dont get paid a wad to pick the players i favour

one thing about Chris Turner and Neale Cooper was they weren't afraid to throw the young'uns in, Stepho also gave them a chance when he was in charge, even Scotty (albeit for the wrong reasons at the time). Wilson is very reluctant to give players a chance who haven't featured much or are yet to get a game for the first team, he is TOO cautious. Sometimes you have to chance your arm and try to throw a six. He won't do it, he's never given Rae a chance or MacKay a real chance, despite MacKay showing flashes of great finishing, and Rae's record in the youth and reserve teams. The ones who keep getting a chance are the ones who really have had too many chances but shouldn't be classed as inexperienced players now anyway, because of the number of first team games they've had (Foley, Robson for instance). Some of those still can't hold a shirt down, why do they keep getting in before the ones who now deserve a chance? They might not set the world alight initially, but at least give them some games under their belts and at least START to bed them in.

I would really like to see MacKay and Porter given a run together. With their pace and skill they'll frighten defences shitless.

one of the things that f*cked me off about saturday was that there were players on the bench who if i was in charge of things would have started (i realise this isn't the first time this comment has been made)

monky, foley, mackay and mccunnie were d*cking around with the ball at half time and it made me think - "hang on why aren't they on the pitch?" at least we'd have had more attacking threat and pace.

antwi always looks 2 touches away from a howler - why play him RB instead of mccunnie? that just doesn't make sense to me.

a summary of what i saw on saturday was a decent first half, took our chance and weathered a storm. we didn't play particularly well and they had much more possession and chances, but we defended it quite well. second half they scored with a wonder goal and we seemed to sh*t our pants and play very deep. i didn't see the sending off - don't think the officials could have either since they initially sent boland off - but then the worst piece of defending i have ever seen they scored from. i was fecking furious with the team for that, not mgt tho - i mean you can't seriously think that in training they practice defending those sort of free kicks, or the free kicks within a box where a keeper picks up back pass. it's like where a team takes a quick, short corner and we don't don't have two men alert and get themselves over to defend that. it doesn't take mgt instruction to know you should get over there - it's instinct. i think southend actually did that to us at one point in the first half on sat.

but this sort of gets me to how i see pools these days, pretty slow and old. do we actually win any headers or tackles in midfield? other teams seem to boss our midfield, and other than occassionally using the wings, do we use our midfield? count the number of times that we had the ball on sat and looked like breaking, only for one of our players show themselves unable to play a 15 - 20 yard ball. boland, barker and thompson all look too old and f*cked. thompson kept fancy passes - none of which came off. boland looks to be chasing shadows most of the time. barker's been talked about at length on this board, he has his uses but i prefer to see fast attacking football played along the ground. we don't do that with him in the team. mackay is unproven at this level but bangs them in for fun in reserves and has scored a few when given a chance in first team. why not try him danny?

porter and brown are our only real attacking threats. now that brown is injured it looks bleak. hopefully monky can get back to what he was last season now that he's back from injury.

i think danny has lost the plot a bit and confidence is so low that i wouldn't be surprised if the dressing room is similar to how it was before scotty was given the boot. we will win some games this season and perhaps stay up but we are very lucky that so many teams have gone into administration - and i don't like saying that.

at the end of the day even if we stay up the chairman has to think long and hard about this season
if money has been a problem then DW might have an excuse
but it must be said that he has not had any great success in the transfer market attracting players we need
could be down to him or HUFC but i thought we had shook off the lowly Hartlepool tag sometime ago
and playeres were supposed to be keen on coming to the pool
granted some of our expectations were a bit high after last season and we as fans are totally disappointed
so what must the heirachy at HUFC be thinking especially after a rousing speech at last years poty

Agree give 100% and no one can whinge.

If they are giving 100% then clearly the problem is the management. I don't think blaming referees and dodgy decisions justifies our league position, its clear to me that we have been second best in plenty of matches this season. If we have been the best team on the park then why haven't we claimed many victories? We had the chance to sign a certain Adam Boyd (magnificent finisher and all round link up player) yet we opted not to show ambition in the transfer market last summer and this winter, and look where our lack of finishing has gotten us this season. We have relied heavily on Browny who has been truly excellent. Barker is not someone I would even contemplate picking in a conference team, plenty of his goals this season have been penalties and not forgetting 2 against an amateur team in the cup. Mackay and Rae should be given a chance.

Budtz,

Barron,
Rocky
Nelson
Liddle

Monkhouse
Turnbull
Sweeney

Porter
Mackay
Rae

Its a team which would give 100 percent week in week out for 90 minutes every match guaranteed! Its a team which contains untried players together but players who are in form. I'm a huge believer in 'if your good enough your in' and the likes of Turnbull, Rae and Mackay can only improve. Get the dead wood out and get the enthusiasm in!

100% effort is only part of the equation, I can give you 100%...but it would be a load of crap. You need to balance it with a bit of experience and a bit of flair.

Who says we had a chance to sign Boyd, we had no chance. Luton would not have released him from his contract to sign for us without wanting a fair whack of the £500,000 they paid for him. I'm sick of people saying that as if we could have just walked up to him and signed him for nothing at no stage was he a free agent.

I think your team would get absolutely murdered as well. Sweeney Turnbull and Monkhouse in midfield We would not compete in games with three in midfield and one of those being a winger. I gave seen nothing from Mackay that suggests that he's good enough to be starting in league one for me he's got a lot of learning and a lot of beefing up to do. It's like the Darrell Clarke scenario the last time we went down the less the lad plays the more over rated he becomes by some sections of the crowd!

Rae maybe should have got a chance by now but a relegation battle is not the time.

If you look at the personnel in the side it can't do any worse than the current team. Monkhouse can pull wide, barron nelse and clark bk 3, and liddle can push on. Who said we would get murdered with 3 in the midfield anyway? Mackay beef up, if he did that he'd get Barker syndrome. We need someone who can find the net, Mackay (with limited chances) has done that. He clearly knows what to do hence his wonderful goal at Yeovil. Not only was the finish worthy of goal of the season but the way inwhich he shielded the ball from the defender and turning him in the same movement, genius.

So would that team have scored 8 goals in our last two home games?

You can do much worse than that lets not go over the top now!

Experience - Barron, solid as you like.
Flair, with the absence of Browny, Monkhouse, Porter and Rae will provide that other ingredient.

Barron hasn't even been playing reserve football it would take him six weeks to get match fit. Hey I'd have played him at certain stages this season but now I think it's out of the equation.

We'd have gotten 6 or 7 against hapless Luton. As for our 4-3 win, I doubt Barron would have allowed us to have conceded 3. Why not ask yourself this...
With the team I have chosen and the team Danny Wilson plays, which do you feel would pick up more points away from home? I believe our defence would be much more solid, I appreciate Clark has been injured for the majority of the season, but I could not understand the sudden exclusion of Micky B.

I agree about Barron I'm saying he's not going to play now he will be way short of match fitness as he hasn't been playing at all. I couldn't see the team you have selected picking up anything away from home, if we stick to our strongest team playing 4-4-2 with Collins and Nelson or Clark at the heart of the defence we have half a chance of picking at least one win away from between now and the end of the season. We could have easily got something Saturday without the red card incident.

i also think he has beefed up a little from when he made debut against brizzle rovers last season.

i don't like 3 in midfield - not convinced it would work for us. if jim could fix it for me then we'd play:

budtz

mccunnie
nelson
clark
humphries

sweeney
thompson
liddle
monkhouse

porter
mackay

clearly brown would be in there if fit and i'd put probs sweeney in the middle for thompson, but i mean for tomorrow night's game. also i'd try to get rid of the sh*t craic that i've seen at times this season and any finger pointing after goals conceded would result in a fine of a weeks wage. i'd want them to press the opposition from the front and pass it along the deck.

i predict however we'll play a whole host of players out of position tomorrow, with barker leading from the front, look nervous cos we desparately need the result, p*ss the fans off by being sh*te and probs scrape a 1-1 draw.

i think i am now officially a pessimist!!

maybe so, but its going to be interesting, no matter what I always get behind the lads, but if I see something I don't like I'll speak up. Just watched the highlights from Sat and the video evidence doesn't make for good news for Collins. You can just make out an elbow coming out. As for that wall, shocking. Organisation was shocking. Either way I've been informed that on another message board the reason why Nelson came over to have a word with me was because I was callin him shit during the match. Hmm some Pools fans are stuck up their own arses and think its a crime to express an opinion, but in no way I was abusing the players during the match, it was at the full time whistle when I thought enough was enough and I've endured too many dreadful games away from home this season. I'll be at Cheltenham but not at the Vic tomorrow night. I'm expecting changes!

i was sat where you were (the name on your shirt gives it away who you are) through the game and followed you out the ground and can't see what his issue was. there was a whole load of sh*t during that game which really p*ssed me off too and i guess i react to someone not being able to play a simple pass in frustration, but equally encourage during the game, shout man on, sh*t like that. chr*st he's a big lad. i actually thought the team got pretty good support on saturday, especially round where i was sat where people were singing "danny wilson's blue and white army" from the start of second half and even after they scored first goal while they were celebrating. they didn't play badly on sat, but at times there were some p*ss poor basic mistakes which we were punished for. watch the run up to their first goal, we're breaking and liddle gives ball away. i think someone already mentioned stalwarts giving the ball away too cheaply....