http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/ ... 56852.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21443737

It doesn't really need freshening up. OK we didn't win on Tuesday but we're 4 games unbeaten. Surely thats what a bench is for if it not working during a game.

It depends on what he means / intends.

If a fully fit, on form and can-be-arsed Andy Monkhouse is put into the starting line up that would potentially improve the team.

If it's just that Steve Howard has had a shower so he's going straight back into the first eleven then that's not so good.

So whats up with Sweeney? I thought Howards injury was more severe than his.

I'm guessing/hoping that, "He'll certainly play his part" is manager speak for, "He'll play the part I tell him to, which is sub."

Good to read that Baldwin makes strong eye contact when you talk to him. That's the sign of a good trainable puppy but it probably works for centre halfs as well.

He says one or two are showing a bit of fatigue. Humphreys is one of them looking at Tuesday night.

If Howard walks back into the team after those lads have gone 4 games unbeaten its wrong.

of course he will, he's barrons best mate.

We can sit here n preach to high heaven, but we all know howard will be back in and play till the season ends 90 minutes every week.

the days of players being picked on merit are long gone.

I really hope not chief

Howard trained for one day. I wonder if he got overtime?

This worries me too about Baldwin:

"Sometimes he gets beyond the play and we're trying to get him to sit behind it, pick up second balls, feed it wide and not get caught gung-ho."

Who else was meant to be going forward on Tuesday night then? Walton was practically in a back 5, were we seriously playing for a draw? We needed gung ho and I didn't see any of it.

More tongue twisting nonsense from our boss then.

Jesus wept - he criticised Baldwin for that? What the fuck does he see when Sweeney gets a game?

I'm going to kill him if he puts Howard and Sweenmey in and drops Wyke or Baldwin or Walton.

I really am.

I'm gonna do it

Him and Barron

They are, in a rather unsubtle way, preparing us for changes to come with comments like "We might have to look to freshen it up." ...and the ominous ......"Maybe there was a bit of fatigue the other night" which got my alarm bells ringing
Please, no more talk of 'Big Stevie'.

Sounds like he is preparing the fans for the return of the Cumbersome One. Let's hope Sweeney is still some way off fitness.

If Howard starts on Saturday, I'm stopping in the millhouse. It would be a kick in the teeth for whoever was dropped after the last 4 games, Howard and Sweeney should never be allowed near the first team again.

He's nailed on to start, he obviously was desperate to get involved on Tuesday.

With a goal record of 3 in 28 starts, then who can blame him!


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Was there any talk of freshening things up and concerns about fatigue when the old guard were in place ....?

I heard earlier today that Richards is out for the season, with a knee injury, why couldn't it have been SH!!

you can take the 2 exclamation marks to mean whatever you like.

Yogi is a thick bounder.

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I think the main change will be Monkhouse coming in for Humphreys. From what Hughes said today, as was quoted in the Echo, he said that Howard would have been useful coming on as a sub in the last fifteen minutes as a sub for the Portsmouth game and might make the squad Saturday. Although, if he starts and the ball is lumped up to him for the first half hour, then im walking out. Quite simple.

Walton was playing far too deep to be a midfielder on Tuesday, and I don't think it was Walton's fault as he wasn't bad just ineffective. Baldwin had the best game I've seen from him in midfield, so if Hughes is criticising him for putting in a man of the match performance while playing out of position with a knackered player alongside him and shite tactics from the bench then his opinion is not worth listening to as he has to be saying what Barron tells him to.

Iv always reserved judgement about Hughes and dont think iv said a bad word about him so far but this takes the fucking piss. Is the guy really as thick and clueless as he is coming accross?

Also agreeing with whoever posted above, when I check twitter and see the line ups, if Howard is starting il stop in. Likewise if Baldwin is dropped after one of the performances of the season.

Im hoping he was simply dropping deep to do his best to keep Hartley off the ball.