I throw it up for consideration, no more than that.

Is he starting every week for Port Vale?

He started the last two games against Northampton (won 2-0) and Forest (1-1).

No.

Wonder how much we can get from PV if we do decide to sell. Now they are backed by Robbie Williams wedge there must be a few quid to be had.

If he is playing every week for them I reckon they will be keen to purchase.

I personally would be a keen enough seller too, although if he did come back and performed how we know he can in a winning team then it wouldn't be a problem either.

It's taken a long time to get a settled team which has finally broken the loser mould. You don't change a team like that when they're scoring goals for the hell of it*, not even if Stevie Gerrard were to be sent here on a month's loan.
And as long as our current left sided duo are playing in a winning team it's not costing us anything to give them the experience and help them improve.

So what is Ritchie's attitude going to be if he comes back and finds himself at best sitting on the bench? (that's a genuine question: I'm not insinuating anything).



*Of course if our settled team now starts losing then that casts a whole different light on the matter.

left back wise I still think he's a more consistent defender than Bracka. Only problem was his set pieces were getting awful - and thats what Bracka is best at.
Bit of a catch 22 there. I'd like to combine the two of them.
Think Humpty could do a job for us still, especially in this league, so would like to see him stay this season. According to the papers Port Vale are likely to wait til the summer as his contract runs out then.
I'd like him back. Its going to be a long season and we dont have many options down the left. If we sign better players in January for that side then great, maybe let him go. But I dont think we'd get much money for him and I want to see how he responds to being farmed out. If he does love it at Hartlepool then it'll be time to prove it (if he can get back in the team)

"I want my shirt back"

Do you think he'll stand by his words? He's a very proud man methinks (in a good way) so I think it'll be out of character if he doesn't return.

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/ViewArt ... ID=1802482

Taken from the mail, That should answer your question for the time being.

i think he's played his last game for pools, but i honestly believe that ritchie is as passionate about pools as any of us fans, and that he would like nothing better than to be part of our push for promotion this season.

i do hope that DW gives him another chance, because i still think that he could do a good job for us, and that our SQUAD is better with him in it than without.

Whatever the final decision is, theres no denying the commitment and effort ritchie has given to pools over the years, might not be the most talented but never give anything less than 100%.

I simply do not accept that. Too many poor performances indicate that he has been playing on auto pilot for a long time.

For some reason Ritchie lost his swagger, his cavalier approach, resorted to the easy ball every time. I'm sure it's still within hin him but sometimes in these circumstances, the answer is simply to move on and rediscover it. I'm sure we've all become stale within a job and chosen to shift?? You rediscover your ambitions and regain your self belief. Maybe's Ritchies time to do that has come??

Or stale in a pub and chosen to sell....

MR I, i agree that he wasnt at his best at time's last season but lets face it, who was??? and if there was too many poor performances then howcome he's just been awarded north-east player of the year???

PoolieKev's point about him becoming stale and time to move on could be spot on, im sure that comes in nearly most players career at sometime or another.

The point i was trying to make is that when you look back over ritchies time at pools as a whole, he always gave his all and would run through a brick wall for this club, ok some games he might not have been good enough, but (in my opinion) it wasnt for the lack of trying or being on 'autopilot!!'.

Ex-players like, joe allon, paul baker, bob newton, brian honour etc... are idolised by the fans because of their passion and commitment shown to hufc and their willingness to simply do their best when they pull on the shirt, but they had bad spells like every other player does, when they were out of form and struggling, yet fans look back at their time at the club and say i wish we had 11 players giving their all like brian honour did, or i wish we had 11 bob newtons in the team, the same will be said about ritchie in the future.

there is your answer

http://www.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=9 ... id=8425080

A great servant to the club, but the writing was on the wall when Wilson took over. He got rid of him from Sheff. Wed. He's been nothing better than average for a couple of years.
If he's extended his loan at Port Vale, it doesn't sound like he's coming back