https://gloverscast.co.uk/five-conclusi ... ol-united/

The Goverscast bloke (commentator for BBC Radio Somerset) calls the game "a war... it was physical, it was long ball and it was knock downs from the big man Dieseruvwe."

After Pools took the lead we were "a resilient side that often went into a back six and, as is their right, burned away the time by any means necessary... Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall were the nasty bastards you’d expect from a Darren Sarll defence."

For all that, you can tell he's got grudging respect for Sarll and he doesn't pretend the result wasn't fair.

Music to my ears really. Beyond sick of watching us get muscled out of games in recent seasons - if it's Pools turn to be Biffa Bacon, bring it on!

Can see it finishing 9-a-side when we play the likes of Maidenhead

The performance was similar to what was on display in preseason, hard working, physical, direct style of play.

Sarll has spoke of the importance of Carl Dickinson and you see that in the high fitness levels that we have.

The game was comfortable, we didn't look like conceding bar the last minute mix up between Dixon and Onaraise.

We didn't threaten a great deal in the first half although Mani D was inches away from getting on the end of a Charman cross.

We stepped things up in the second half and had a period of 5-10 minutes where Campbell & Sheron had shots well saved by the keeper. Yeovil really struggled and we got our deserved goal.

We then shut up shop and saw the game out, a bit of shit housery and time wasting but nothing too serious.

It wasn't the most attractive football, but it was effective. Aside from the last minute error Dixon did well, as did the whole defence and team. We will beat last seasons record of clean sheets by September I think.

Mancini got a run out for around 15 min but barely touched the ball, positive to see him and not a problem he couldn't have an impact, he didn't really need to.

People (including me) who were worried about the squad size can relax a little, we have the squad to win games in August. In 4-5 weeks time Sarll will get the final 2-3 players we need, it's worth being patient if they're going to be of the calibre of Hunter, Sheron, Charman & Campbell.

Hopefully we can get a decent crowd vs Southend, get behind the team and it might encourage Raj to pay that little bit more for these 2-3 players Sarll wants.

Cheers for the match report Bosh. If Southend bring a few hundred I think the gate will be close to 5,000, even with some doing other stuff because of the holidays.

SARFend never bring that many to be fair, given the size of their home gates, reckon about 250 max in the Rink End next Saturday

Looking forward to seeing Sloggett, Supposed to be a bit special.

He makes very clever runs forward and is intelligent with his passes. Got a superb engine and is yet another work horse type player. I reckon he will be a fans favorite.

Hopefully he makes the bench next week, assume starting 11 will be unchanged if injuries allow, and too much to hope we get another fwd in, so assume it would be Mani O or Feather to make way on the bench

I agree but being the summer hols it might just make for more than usual esoecially early season as well, but we’ll see.

Think they will bring a few more than that but so far they have only shifted 180 or so. Pools havent sold many either judging by how many seats are left.

I’m having physio at the moment & the physio played for Dundalk (I think) & said Sloggett is a cracking player.

Yeovil reminded me of Pools the last few seasons,plenty of possession,but all sideways/ backwards passing going nowhere.

There isn't the need to purchase a great deal in advance as the system is very convenient.

Takes 2 mins to purchase, no additional fee and tickets instantly to your phone to be scanned at the gate.

Most people will end up buying Friday or Saturday, so no clue what attendance will be at this stage, could be well below 4,000 or could be more than 5,000 - who knows.

there is nearly a week to go and some will be waiting for the result and how we played before making a decision to go. then there will always be those who pay on the day and i,d be disappointed if we do not make the 5k figure gate. the lads sound as if they deserve our support unlike some in the past who should have thanked us all personally for our attendance.

I agree, trying to copy Man City with non league players is not going to get us out of the NL. At last we have a manager that understands the demands of non league football. Some fans will not like a direct (hoofball style?) but we need results not possession for possession's sake.
One minor downside could be our not getting loanees from EFL clubs.

Yeh i think we all know now this league doesnt warrant the tippy tappy keep possession and look for breaks in the lines etc...

good old fashioned football - end to end - get the ball in the box - run at men - use the wingers .... its standard stuff but works.

think we will see alot of that from this DS team which will be nice as id rather not touch the ball for 70 mins but come away 1-0 rather than look like man city and end 0-0 or more so like we have on so so many occasions - given the ball away and conceded from a corner.

there is nothing worse in football watching teams spend minutes passing the ball sideways in their own half only to play it back to the keeper eventually who hoofs it upfield. he could have done that at the outset as everytime you make a pass to somebody a mistake can be made and its better to make one well inside your opponents half.

Remind me of the many occasions Pools have drawn 0-0. Only happened once last season - home to Southend as it happens...

Don't fancy not touching the ball for 70 minutes either - or even 7 minutes

Totally agree, like watching England , lots of short passes working on the misplaced idea that having long spells of possession are good…they are if you score goals and win matches but it doesn’t work like that…in the end it’s points that count, points win prizes.
The old win one, draw one, lose one format gives you mid table constipation….basically it’s getting the plan right, sticking to it and running your heart out to get your reward….with a bit of football Blitzkrieg thrown in for good measure….any reputation has an advantage, about time we got one so opposition fans say …”Aw shit, we’re playing them”.

and the horror that come from the pundits when one team beats another by only having a 20% position stat in their favour. its as if that gives em a goal down because of some pointless meaningless stat.

One of the best club sides ever was Don Revies' Leeds side with the likes of Hunter and Bremner. They did not achieve success by being nice to the opposition. If we have a few 'bastards' like them, all the better.

every team have at least one real bastard in the side when they achieve success. bremner showed with giles that you do not have to we well over 6ft to be one. on the whole pools have always been a team who have tried to buck that trend.

Is that what Mark Cooper meant when he called us a team of "Blokes"?

Exactly, And he was being polite.

Don't be silly, they won all their "pots and pans by cheating" according to Cloughie. They were also called "Dirty Leeds" a name which still sticks with them now, 50 years later.

We need to get out of this shit league as quick as possible & if that means we kick our way out, then so be it!!