0-0 against one of the worst teams we will play this year
Some positives and negatives but we are way off playoff standard squad wise--absolute state of our bench being the biggest negative.


Ratings

Cartwright-7 Didnt have much to do but seemed solid and came out of his box
Parkes 7 Standard good performance
McNally 7 Looks solid
John 6 - did ok, tried to be the overalpping CB--less effective as a wing back

Benn 5 Very poor set pieces
Topalju 7 --MoM for us--looks a good one - no idea why Grayson took hm off

Miley 7 Did well overall stupid booking
Sheron 6--didnt do much but kept at it

Francis 7 - Looked lively but worried he will burn out

Johnson 5 - Did nothing--going to be the sort of player who looks poor when he doesnt score but is quality there
Reid 5-- Missed some of our best chances--will have better games

Subs N/A none of them did anything

I agree that his set pieces were poor, but other than that I thought Benn played really well.

Johnson and Reid will improve as a pairing, but I through that there were very positive signs there. Both could, have scored, and should definitely have tested their keeper a bit more, but we’re creating and they are bedding in.

I agree about the bench though, Kouogun came on and slotted in well, but Daly and Charman offered nothing and we lost all threat.

Solid start, clean sheet away from home with a team that had 8 debuts.

One of the highlights of the season will be seeing all of the different spellings of Toppers though…

yeh I think Benn, Johnson and Reid will all improve--the 2 fwds especially--Benn looks like a decent player but his set pieces were just floated in and he struggled a bit defensively at the end.

I think Yeovil by their managers admission have been thrown together and are a few players short-so a perfect time to play them and disappointing we didnt win.

Was the Pools side not hastily thrown together over the course of a few weeks? Happy with the clean sheet but not surprised that we failed to score after stupidly allowing our proven 20+ goals per season striker to leave and start scoring goals for Rochdale today. Great move Messrs Singh and Monks.

See Rochdale's new striker scored two today on his debut.

Problem with this 532 formation is that there are only 3 goal scorers on the pitch, Johnson, Reid and Francis. Last season we had Cleary as the left wing back but this year both of the wing backs are defenders. Hopefully the 3 attackers all get 15 to 20 goals each and then this won’t be such a problem.

After reading your unbiased ‘assessment’ I’m surprised we managed a draw

wait till the season gets going for the biased reports and the new player the big gobs love to hate and others follow them like sheep.

To have had the upheaval lack of a decent pre season, players cobbled together and losing our best player, to a club who will probably be up there, whoever made that decision should be shot. We did remarkably well to get anything yesterday.

I do worry were the goals will come from, hopefully we look at bit different at home and take a few chances, we really do need to win next week to give what will no doubt be a very poor crowd for a first day game, a big lift.

We always need to ‘win’…but the say ‘we really need to win’ about the second game off the season is amateur dramatics personified.
I’m not happy with things, but the players and manger are nowt to do with it.

for many including me its love pools hate the club.

Nicely summed up.
The club and fans are forever, the rest are just passing through.

wish they,d throw a double six and get off the free parking square and jog along round the board.

wish they,d throw a double six and get off the free parking square and jog along round the board.

Hardly dramatics to say we need to beat Braintree at home. Whether its 2nd game or 45th you dont get anywhere in this league by not winning your home games.

no team is going to win every home game in a season or be undefeated. its just the first one of the season seems more important than one in the middle of a long season.

See your prediction that Yeovil would put 4 past Pools was a tad pessimistic...

Yes it certainly was, maybe we have a manager now who can organise our team. Let's see how we do at home next week in a game we should win though. I still stick with my gut that we're really going to struggle, one or two injuries to key players and we're stuffed very little strength in depth if any. Let's be honest we weren't playing a team thats probably going to be up their this season. Be interesting to see how we get on against the Southends rochdales and Yorks this year, whether we are going to be the soft touch we were last year.

No ones going to but if we have any intentions of doing reasonably well briantree would be a game we expect to take points from.

i,d have said the same thing until i saw they hammered halifax so they cannot be a load of mugs.

All teams have got something about them in this league, but for the first home game of the season you can't ask for much better than getting rank outsiders braintree.

Heard this patter since the Vic had Vikings attending.. clubs considered not worthy …..who we should beat, so we expect to beat, then they plant one on us.
I’d give them a bit of respect, not expect…. it never goes wrong.
We’d like a win, we’d welcome a win, but ‘really needing to win’…. approaching game two is over egging the pudding, ask Halifax.

On the other hand we aren't playing Barcelona. We are at home to Braintree however we dress it up we should be winning this game.

It’s Braintree at home ffs …don’t win that and it points to a very poor season

Given we got a tuffy at Alty game 3.
Then Braintree is a must win simple as that.
Surely thats not being over ambitious.

We the mighty HUFC with fananatical loud fans.
UTP.

Feck me, more dramatics and vapours than audition night at ‘Dame Hilda’s Young Ladies Academy for the Entitled’
The season’s started with a ..pop.

Reading yesterday's results the one which made me sit up was Braintree putting three up Halifax.
I too was expecting three points next Saturday but that result has made me a bit more concerned.

The times I’ve heard the old overconfidence cracks is legion, seen too many get pie in the face to expect anything..I just hope we win.

It’s not over confidence, I don’t know if we’ll win or not
I do know Grayson has said we are going for promotion via the playoffs, if that’s the aim we should be taking 3 points off a team of part timers whose goal for
The season is to avoid relegation
Fail to do that would be a suggestion promotion or playoff talk is not realistic

So if we've only got 1 or 2 points after Saturday the seasons over?
Failing to beat Braintree next week means we weren't good enough on the day and that's it, it won't necessarily define the season.

Me too but, there again, before every game I hope we win.

Not over but failing to beat Braintree and Yeovil would be a good indicator the current team won’t be troubling the playoffs

You sure Braintree are part-time? There were reports last season that they'd gone full-time. Their Wikipedia page says "Braintree Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Braintree, Essex" - same as Truro, who have definitely gone full-time.

Fair enough if they are now full time…still should be 3 points if we are serious about the playoffs

Why ‘should’…….?

Because they are expected to struggle and our stated ambition is the playoffs….or are you going to make excuses for
Half the season again then act surprised we’ve done fuck all?

It's a fixture we hope n expect to win.
Even Larry has said 3 pts is the target n objective.

Maybe some fans can't quite grasp we supposed to beat these shitter teams.

This is a division 5 fixture on our own patch.


I

You got the first line right.

I expect us to win every home game, never happens though. I don't think it's a good thing to write off the 'shitty teams' though, it used to annoy the hell out of me when we were in league one and you had wanky Leeds fans saying they should be beating the likes of Hartlepool. No one has the right to walk overs. Braintree had a decent second half of the season last season, a good win yesterday, they'll be up for it coming here. I'm expecting us to win, but there shouldn't be a sense of entitlement about it.

I am greatly honoured old man.

I might have to do one line posts in future.
Are you PJ Poolies dad

Best ask his mam



















Cheeky bugger

if we were playing york or rochdale the same overconfident ones will be all doom expecting us to get a right old hammering. all teams have something in common. they start with 11 on the pitch who have one of something and two of other things.

The thing is we don't know if these supposedly shitter teams are actually shit do we?
It's far too early to assess the relative value of a goalless draw at Yeovil. Let's face it old school principles for doing well were pretty well accepted as win most of your home games and draw most of your away games. Now it seems as if the season can be declared dead after a draw away and anything other than winning our first home game.

I gave listening to post match interviews,managers have 3 prepared scripts, one for when they lose, one for a win and one for a draw.

We've been blessed with a relatively easy August n September fixtures wise.
Lots stop pussy footing about and get them battered.

We Hartlepool Utd.
Not Tickle Rovers.

Fully expecting us to be in the top 7 5pm Saturday.

Think positive it makes all the difference.

But the assessment that they are easy fixtures is based on what, history? What if they've improved since last season and what if we haven't?
Hoping and wanting a win on Saturday is one thing, expecting is another - I like a bet on the football but I'll rarely bet on Pools because of our usual inconsistencies.

Last season we couldnt beat Braintree hoping we can improve on that.

I’m not expecting a win, but given Graysons claim we are going for playoffs and Braintree are expected to struggle I assume he is expecting the win!

Yes it’s early days etc but if we don’t beat either of Yeovil or Braintree while not a guarantee we won’t do much this season, it’s the best indicator we have so far

Here’s hoping we are celebrating our first goals and win of the season come 5pm Saturday

Jeez, the season has just begun, this is lunacy at this stage….and I’d expect Grayson to be expecting a win…he’s the bleedin manager…every manager expects a win, it’s their job.

So why then have you got a major problem with this game.
And what result are you expecting.
Remember the aim is Promotion from the owner n manager.
Should be a home win but not a banker.

See what Saturday brings its a bit to early for pointless argueing.

And good luck with the eye test.