Well hopefully we start off the new season with the current Manager in place and we should be kicking on from day 1, I am the ever optimist.

You have to be Mr Jamie, but I agree with you 100%

With Askey in charge we start the season off with a decent manager, maybe the N.L. will be better suited to some of the current squad, we might even see a revitalised Hastie ?

Let's hope we actually get a squad together for pre season or are we going to have the farce of the last two? I trust askey to get a team that actually wants to play for us.

there is no excuse this time for not getting a squad together early like the last 2 seasons when the better ones got took early.

revitalised Hastie, Steady on.

Initial prediction for National League top 10 next season (presuming Notts County go up in Play-Offs)

1. Chesterfield
2. Oldham Athletic
3. Woking
4. Barnet
5. Solihull
6. Boreham Wood
7. Bromley
8. Pools
9. Rochdale
10. Gateshead

Not sure how you can make predictions given we don’t know what players we will have here next season?

You may well have a point there.

We have a pretty good idea what half the squad will look like from the number of Hartley and Curle signings who are already under contract for next season. Askey won't be able to move them all on - nor will he want to as some are decent players.

As things stand, a prediction that with Askey as a manager Pools won't struggle but won't be good enough for a play off spot either looks fair enough to me.

The X factor that might change that in a positive way will have to come from new signings - and you're right, we don't know who they are or how good they will be.

The Hartlepool United team as it stands today would be a top 10 side no doubt about it. Unfortunately we already know next season will see us without the following (few unknowns but id more than imagine):

Loan Returns
- Kemp
- Stol
- Hamilton

Potential Sold/no contract

- Sylla
- Umerah
- McDonald
- Feaths ?
- Sterry ?

there may be more but lets be frank - there is alot of players we do have that still are not good enough to put on a show in the NL and get us out first time of asking. We would need a sugar daddy of the Wrexham sorts to fire the cash in and get us some very good above par playing staff !

This also boils down to JA getting his way and how he does things - plus the players and other people he feels he needs to work alongside.
will we see any more coaches etc and what does the future hold for Mr Sweeney ? do we have the cash to sustain a decent non playing staff needed to push for promotion.

for me - its going to be a while before we see the League again. We know what is needed and so does JA - fingers crossed we get a smooth takeover and things can start to happen how we want them too !

in the same way others will be predicting all the league tables before a ball is kicked and bookies put out their odds with little knowledge of lower league football. one thing about non league is there are rarely big shocks and teams coming from no where.