Will the last one out turn out the lights.

I think this could be a realistic possibility at the end of the season.

Well thanks for that terrific insight, certainly worthy of an entire thread.

To be fair though as the season ends in May, will the will the lights even be on? It would be a terrible waste of electricity if you ask me.

For the millionth time, stop exaggerating!!!

At least these characters normally wait until the season starts it's not even August yet

I always thought that term was for teams selling loads of players?

We haven't sold any

Maybe he's confusing us with Southampton.

Meaningless pre-season friendly knee jerk reaction shocker.

You do realize that if we do well/ badly this thread will be dug up by the happy clappy/ moronically negative group to prove how correct they are ..

I'm indifferent to pools at the minute. Maybe we'll do well, maybe we won't. Not that bothered to be honest, it's all a bit.... meh.

It's been a very meh pre season

Exactly how I feel.

Without some good signings I cant see how we will be anywhere other than the bottom 6. A few good signings could make all the difference though.

In previous seasons I would have been on here complaining after the last few results but I just dont see the point now, maybe because im losing interest and maybe because friendlies dont count for an awful lot (Although I do feel the warning signs are there that we must strengthen significantly)

For me it's also that I haven't got a season ticket this year. I won't get to more than 10 games so it made no sense to get one, I also won't pay daft amounts on the gate. The gap is too big and basically forces people into either getting a season ticket or not going at all.

Might take in a few away games when I'm off work and go to homes when there's a season ticket available for a tenner.

Pools could have sold on the day tickets for £12, still had season ticket holders making a saving and got more people in the ground on a weekly basis. As it is there's going to be no floating support and just people going because they feel they have to.

That's why it all feels a bit meh for me.

Im kinda the same. I get the impression Cooper is still unsure of what formation to play and the squad feels very unbalanced imo. Monkhouse will be a bigger loss than expected imo. He was always an outball and generally open to receive the ball to feet so playing passing football was always easier than say attempting a through ball to Compton etc. Plus if Cooper still wants to play the diamond formation then Monkhouse was more suited to that than Compton/Franks/Walker etc.

Cooper seems unhappy with the players energy levels last night but we lack energy in the middle especially (Walker, Parnaby and Greening aint exactly the most energtic and mobile centre mid) so im not sure what else he expected there? Imo we need someone to hassle and niggle at the opposition in the middle and be a nuisance but with the ability to do it for 90minutes. Kinda like that blonde lad who played for Rochdale? I forget his name.

However im sure 2 or 3 young lads busting for first team minutes on loan would soon change things!

I also feel no excitement towards this season at all, I haven't been to any pre-season games and yet to get my season ticket (Getting one tomorrow like)

My opinion is not based on pre season friendlys but the lack of investment on the field. I don't think for one minute the amount of managers that have come and gone were all poor, the reason one or two went was the backing wasn't there from IOR. The squad has not improved since our defeat at Cardiff in the play off final. Looking at the bench last night must be the weakest one we have had in years.

one or two people on here need to get their head out of the sand and look around what is going on, it may be the case to make the most of this season because it could be the last of the league we see for many years.

I honestly hope I'm wrong.

Colin Cooper's latest interview in the Mail today makes interesting reading - basically he lays out his blueprint for success in League Two.

He says he's looking to sign experienced pros who are good role models (he calls them "solid citizens") and then get "a sprinkling of gold dust" i.e. exciting young loan players from the Boro and Sunderland. So Greening or Miller will be signing if either of them is willing to accept the deal that Pools can put in front of them (sounds like Greening gets first dibs), and the likes of Burgess could very well be coming back on loan.

Fair enough up to a point, though a lot depends on what Poyet and Karanka/Hignett are willing to make available. I hope Cooper is still willing to look hard at non-League for new talent. Baldwin and Duckworth are the best signings Pools have made in recent years,

Did he mention "technical spec" and his new favourite word "verve"?

I see the words 'head in the sand' and 'happy clappy' have depressingly been used in this thread now....

Why are you basing the strength in the squad on the bench last night a pointless game on July 30th when Cooper has consistently said he's looking to bring in another 4 players? Do you not believe him?

Let's wait and see and put a bit of trust in the manager. He's been saying since the end of the season that signings might come late why do some choose to completely ignore that?

We know, you've already said it.

I think the issue is not that we don't believe him, it's that we've heard it all before and too much can happen that's out of his control. That can be down to the support he receives (he can wish for all he wants, doesn't mean he'll get it) or whether his targets want to come for the money available. I don't think you can blame people for getting a little nervous right now, as the squad is looking threadbare.

The good thing is Cooper isnt panicking and just signing anyone (Bort and Bopp both moving on etc and im presuming Miller too since he wasnt on Bench?). Hopefully he is very confident that he knows who else is coming in so isnt at the desperate stage yet.

I still think Cooper could do with an old head beside him (Wadsworth type of character) as im not convinved he is 100% certain himself of the best way for us to play/advance.

I'll you'll find it's 'thread bear' actually.

Someone was 'Towing the line' yesterday. I giggled.

The problem is that in seasons gone by we have looked alright in these "pointless" pre-season games.

We could have played for hours and hours last night and never scored and all teams have their moments. Besides Compton's strikes we had nothing. Of course, we should all reserve judgment until the proper football starts but these pre season games should be about both fitness and a little bit of confidence. With James yet to notch and Harewood doing very little but backing into players your wondering where the goals are coming from and how confident they truly are in themselves.

We've sat back off both Boro and Sunderland and the fact James spent a lot of his time on the left wing last night shows we don't really know our formation. Whenever the Pools players attacked they look frightened and a little lost as to where to go next. Quite a few of them were guilty of shying away last night.

Things could certainly look a bit better with 3 to 4 new signings but if they don't come (a fair possibility) its probably the thinnest squad we've gone into a season with for a very long time.

For anyone who wasn't there, the Boro game was just so deflating its hard not to get a little downbeat. The players just didn't really seem that up for it against the kind of opposition you'd expect them to raise their games for.

The good thing is Cooper isnt panicking and just signing anyone (Bort and Bopp both moving on etc and im presuming Miller too since he wasnt on Bench?). Hopefully he is very confident that he knows who else is coming in so isnt at the desperate stage yet.

I still think Cooper could do with an old head beside him (Wadsworth type of character) as im not convinved he is 100% certain himself of the best way for us to play/advance.[/quote]

Miller had a slight injury last night, he's still around and Cooper wants him and Greening to play in the next friendly.Whether they do or not remains to be seen.

Incidentally, preferred Greening with long hair to the Ayatollah look.

Get a grip lads, at least wait until we get beat at Wimbledon 23rd August before writing the season off.

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

Whereas I discuss all three; what does that make me, then?

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