I am starting to think we can. We are on such an incredible run, the momentum is frightening. Walsall are starting to wobble like we did under Newell. Teams that come up on the rails are hard to stop and the Pools train is now running on full steam with no buffers in sight. Next Saturday could well be the championship decider. The pressure is all on Walsall and Swindon, not us. Roll on next weekend.

WHY NOT? ... it's perfectly possible.

This run of ours reminds me a bit of Rushden and Diamonds during our last promotion season, who just couldnt stop winning.

Frankly, i'd be cock a hoop (steady cornelius!!) with promotion, however it comes!

I'D REPHRSE THAT BEFORE HE SEES IT

I see no reason why not

If you take all this modesty away, we all KNEW that we were too good for this league anyway.

Can we win the title?
It would have been won by now if we started the season in this kind of form.

Arrogant? oh yes!

And why noy???

This run must end sometime - but when?

In the past few weeks we have beaten Swindon (2nd) & MK Dons (4th at the time) if we are beating teams above us in the league we should not fear those below. I think it is for everybody else to fear playing us at present

All runs end at some stage, the trick is to take the odd draw or defeat in your stride. We proved we can do that against Shrewbury. 58 points from 31 games even allowing for our crap start to the season we have a damn good average of 1.87 points per game.

If we maintain that average, which incidentally is a huge fallback from our form over the past 2 and a half months, then we will amass a total of 86 points. probably not good enough for the title but nailed on for automatic promotion. To win the title we probably need to be averaging about 2.2/2.3 points a game for the rest of the season - a big ask.

i'd like to see us have it in the bag by mid april but oen of the biggest games of the season for me is swindonvwalsall last game

True - our average on this run however has been 2.71 ppg, true it will end, but if we get 3 against Walsall next week, the two games after should be relatively easy wins - Torquay (who look like they are down & out) & Macclesfield. Walsall seem to be wobbling a bit, as do Swindon - anything is possible

And if we beat Walsall next week we'll have 14 games left and just *3 POINTS* to catch up. Is that a big ask?

You don't need me to tell you the answer! :sweet:

I'm just working on the basis that these things tend to even themselves out. Not being Mr Pessimist but a couple of injuries could change everything.I'm confident but years of watching pools has taught me to expect the worst.

I felt like that today Mr I, 13 games unbeaten, Boland and Barker out, never won at Swindon, years of watching Pools....and look what happened

At the moment we look unbeatable, obviously we will get beat at some point between now and the end of the season....only 2 or 3 times though IMO, and i think that will only be down to bad luck or Pools having a serious off-day.

Sticking my neck out, i'd say we will finish 2nd.

You have a point John

BUT

With regard to the "couple of injuries"

I thought the run would end when Duffy went back to Hull - But it didn't

I thought the run would end when Boland got injured - but it didn't

I thought the run would end when Clark was out of the defence - but it didn't

I thought the run would end when we were without Nelson - but it didn't

I thought the run would end today, playing 2nd in the league, without Barker & Boland & when Barron got hurt - BUT IT DIDN'T!!!!

Confidence, as you said yourself, must be sky high amongst the team, they will feel as though they are unbeatable. The main worry is how they react when we do get beat (which is inevitable eventually) they either dust themselves off & get on with it, or they go to pieces

we can win th title
teams that go on a run like we have
get a winning mentality and that simply just helps the cause no end
teams are wary of pools now
look at the Swindon board today 18 pages and the first six looked like a darlo thread "the game was theirs"
12pages in ..."well pool are on a run 2-1 or a draw
and the last few are history ref at fault
Sturrock substitutions wrong
Roberts is pants ...all comments after the event
intersting watching the sensible posters after we scored " they look comfortable' and we did
then they start comparing the other games that they could make a comeback in
bring on Walsall

I agree with all of that and if I supported anyone else then I'd put money on Hartlepool being in the top three, in fact its been said quite a lot on Swindon and Walsall boards.

But......... being a Poolie I'm just waiting for the sky to crash down. It won't of course but we've kind of gotten used to it happening so half expect it.

I do see your point - but IMHO this time IT WON'T

cowboy said
I thought the run would end when Duffy went back to Hull - But it didn't



Wilsons comments on radio borer before the game lean towards a deal still being possible and not just a loan deal

How though? The transfer window is closed - unless there is some loophole?

we can sign him is he is unregistered

ie hull pay his contract up

lost transfer would equate to saved salary

then we sign him on the usual stipendary income but with a healthy signing on fee -

Ah! I see - I think!!!

i think i'm right

i think they are classed as "free agents"

even a loan till the end of the season is possible

Loan to end of the season with fee and terms agreed could be the way forward.

I'd take that, it would leave Mr Wilson with a bit of a problem though what would our best team?

Keeper picks himself
Back four picks itself

Now the (nice) problem...

James Brown is playing superbly at the moment, but Barker is going to start up front as would duffy. So with all the midfield fit you can't really leave out on performance alone any of Monkhouse, Sweeney, Boland, or Liddle. But you can't leave out James Brown!!

If we get DD we WILL win the league.

I am back on the land of smoke now after watching the lads at Swindon this afternoon and have to say I am possibly the most satisfied I have ever been in 16 years of watching Pools.

This might sound like a back-slapping exercise but to be quite frank I couldn't give a shiny shite if people think it is. Pools have just given me a quality afternoon so I don't mind! I was so proud of the lads.

In my opinion the back four was most sound I have ever seen it. Maybe Swindon were not at the races, and this may be true to a certain extent, but I firmly believe the fact that Clark and Nelson not giving them a fucking sniff put them off, anyway. The whole team looked up for it, even Bullock up front looked as though he wanted it. It's unbelievable what confidence does for a team but to be honest I thought Swindon looked VERY average this afternoon.

My Swindon-supporting work mate didn't have any argument for us winning this afternoon. What a fantastic day!

POOLS ARE GOING UP!!!! :sweet: :sweet: :sweet: :sweet:

wommers
on their board a poster is not so up beat about our back four and says the full backs are the weak link
when you think how frugal the defence has been during this run
how did they perform today
and was Roberts as bad as he was at the Vic ? yet still getting his place

Poolpower - Ritchie made more *crucial* interceptions today than I have ever seen him make; Barron was immense until he has had to go off.

In fairness on reflection they did they some joy down the flanks, but their delivery was that poor they never had a chance to exploit. Plus Nelson and Clark were right down their throats when they looked like doing so, anyway.

Swindon were poor today, their fans cannot hide that fact. We played just about as well as we could have.

BTW, Roberts still looks pretty lively, although whether I'd swap him for Taffy on current form (for example) remains to be seen... pretty ineffectual..

What were Swindon thinking in letting Monkhouse going?? He's a big effer, he wins headers, he's not the most skillful but he still beats a man.. and I know I'd like him kicking around for a corner!! Within a couple of months he's made himself into a Poolie!

Cheers Swindon!!!!

As much as it would be nice to finish championees, and I'm not ruling that out, surely the most important thing is to get out of this League.
We have now secured a top three spot, and as much as I'd like to see some silverware in the cupboard, I think the the priority is to consolidate that position.
Obviously three points next week is essential in achieving that aim, but that still leaves 14 games to create a substantial gap between us and the fourth place team.
We want to going into the last few games, not having to look over our shoulders.
I enjoyed Cardiff, but I'd rather give it a miss this year, thankyou !

Duffy...? we seem to be managing OK thank you very much with our present staff, if he comes he comes, if he doesn't he doesn't..... can we stop putting him on some imaginary pedesatal and making him the new Messiah or the missing link......GET BEHIND THE LADS WE HAVE ... the ones who are doing the business for us now!!!

I disagree with Wommers on Monkhouse's level of skill - I think he's a VERY skilful player for a tall lad when he's boxed in against the touchline. The number of times he works the ball out of those situations, I have come to expect it from him now. He's not fast, but he's deceptively tricky and he can move the ball out of his feet well and sit the defender on his arse. The number of times he gets fouled shows this!!!