Where's the Wrexham thread then?

Now we are 9 games into the season we know now what we are up against and how we should play.
Just looking at Saturday the amount of times the ball came back at us was a major red flag and must be sorted .
So why not if he is fit play Harrison as our center forehead he is a strong lad should be able to run the line given his size and strength i know people will say Simpson but he is so young and as Saturday proved he isn't ready yet.

So phil why do you think Harrison wouldnt score goals given the fact that we havent got a prolific goal scorer at the club unless you know something the rest of us dont.
All i am saying is try it why not it could turn out really well you just never know.

Depending on fitness I think Oates should start. Would think more instead of Rodney though.

The downside to playing him instead of Simpson is his first touch often lets him down - if we want someone to hold it up if ever a bit isolated up top then I am not sure if Oates can do that effectively enough

Same side won't it? No need to tinker unless the younger players need a rest or some protection. Harrison as a CF? He's always scoring from corners. He must have one goal in 50?

Just how bad was young Simpson yesterday because only last week he looked to have an excellent touch decent mobility and he won everything in the air. Now he's bombed out of the team. I mean playing Scott Harrison centre forehead? That's the type of shite I should be coming out with now I live abroad and can't see games. Liam Donnelly could supply him the bullets from the right wing. I'm a bit confused I might have been guilty or saying it myself but when Amond was up there not getting in the game it was because of the tactics and him being isolated. Now it's because our forwards aren't ready. Sometimes you need to dig in and get the result and move onto the next game when we might get a bit more joy in the final after another confidence bolstering win.

I sort of agree that another forward would be good for competition for places but I think both these young lads can do a job and a bit of faith and support is needed. Obviously Franks is proving a revelation as well, like a said all along just the type of player we needed who would transform our season.

Keep Scott Harrison away from the starting 11 please for as long as possible.

He got released whenever it was and was the correct decision and somehow was resigned, become our first choice centre back and played every game since. He's diabolical and half the problem we have with shipping goals, and sloppy ones at that

I can't see Oates starting any time soon, he looked knackered at the end and he'd only been on half an hour or so. The only change I can maybe see is Rodney out and someone with a bit more defensive discipline in.

Despite Scott Harrison's disappointing goals to games ratio I hope he turns things round for himself over the next couple of months. He didn't look that bad at all I thought when he first signed.

You have to give players a chance, particularly new ones and young ones, especially at this level. They are at this level because they may only have one really good game in 5, that was the problem with Franks during his last spell, he was inconsistent, but was always getting substituted, which couldn't of helped his confidence.. Give them a run in the side and it may become 2 in every five then 3. You can't just bin players on the strength of one bad game. Simpson shouldn't of been hauled off Saturday and shouldn't be dropped tomorrow. You have to persevere, at least give them 6 games on the bounce to prove themselves.

He never got hauled off, he got subbed because he's young and was probably tired and replaced by another striker with a bit more energy for the final 20 or whatever it was

We have to play Oates as he is doing well on my Football Manager game for me.

If you don't understand the difference physically in terms of stamina between a 17 year who has started 2 professional games and a fully grown/developed experienced footballer then you need help.

Laing and Harrison should be shipped out immediately - as soon as those guys are not in the team we win games. Simple... they are pish ! Get rid ! use the money/wages and get Watson in full time. that's the quality you need to get out of this league and its shown. There are some quality footballers in this league, which if I'm being honest has surprised me slightly.

I'd like to back the call for defenders who have been dropped to be fielded as strikers. It is always good to change a winning team and best of all if you do it by orchestrating a range of mystifying position changes. I'd also play Scott Loach in the centre of midfield - he did very well on Saturday so lets get him where he'll be involved more. If he can save shots and catch crosses he can obviously dominate play from the centre circle.

I stopped reading at Harrison upfront


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Simpson looks a prospect. My argument is simply as one of the pre season favourites for promotion we find ourselves extremely weak up front.

Chip has rightly pointed out that it's better to take your time and sign the right player rather than rush, but if we want to finish top 7 we need more strength in depth.

With 2 difficult matches to come it would be nice if we could get someone in this week.

I was gobsmacked at lot of our fans, especially in town end reacting like they did to simpson being substituted.

He'd just had treatment about 5 mins earlier for a knock to knee and could see him hobbling around; but no lets have uproar. It's ridiculous what people see sometimes......the lad is 17 and was carrying a knock. Considering he's 1 of 3 fit out and out central strikers (if classing oates as one too as he probably is) we don't want to force him playing full 90 if possible, especially carrying an injury.

I like you

Simpson reminds me of a young Steve Fletcher, a bit gangly but there's promise. Early days for him.

We signed Paul Baker as a centre back from Carlisle. Not saying Harrison could turn out the same just putting it out there that it might not be as daft as it sounds if we find ourselves stuck with injuries.

Nah, we signed Baker as a Striker. Moncur put him back at CH the following season. The best comparison for Simpson is Keith Houchen. I can remember vividly Pools fans asking why the fuck an 18 yr Old was playing instead of Bob Newton. He soon shut them up...

The game is literally littered with centre halfs who have converted to Centre Forwards, many of which, having occurred in the lower echelons of the league, have seen legends created, club goal scoring records eclipsed and international honours aplenty. Many premier league sides are monitoring national league defenders for this very reason. We 'll be lucky to hang on to any of our defenders at this rate. No wonder good defenders are hard to get hold of. Money has ruined the game. Driving round in their cars and what have you, national league defenders one minute, the next they're warming the bench at the San Seero or wherever. Just look at that Gareth Bail. And there's err some others. That jap Stan left Man U cos they wouldn't stick him up front. Lesson learned. Don't park it, get on the bus of change or get left behind.

Paul Warhurst. There's another. Only missed an England cap through injury. 13 goals from 144 games in the prem. Prolific.

Didnt we shove Micky Nelson up top for 1 game? Pretty sure I had £20 on at 33/1 first goal or summit.

He was shite and totally out of place.

Graeme Lee an all, that didnt work either.

Damien Henderson, or did he go from striker to centre back?

Seem to remember if his second spell we whacked Howard to centre back for 20 mins or so, he took a strop and then stupidly played someone on side for them to score.

Apart from Baker, I cant think of a centre back - forward swap we have done that has worked out, even in the short term.


And I may be wrong but I dont think Harrison has ever scored with his head yet? Couple of decent volleys/half volleys I seem to remember but he is hardly a massive threat at corners.

I think that was Ronnie Moores point about turning him into a striker not necessarily because he's a massive target man but because technically he isn't bad footballer and strikes a ball well. I always thought Brad Walker could have been tried up front at some point as well.

Houchen was only 17 wasn't he? when he made his debut.

Anybody who can remember the shambles that Moncur created will be shuddering with horror. Cyril Knowles, being a bit of an old-fashioned type, moved Baker back up front into his proper position, added a couple of free signings at the back and turned us into a promotion team.

Haven't seen enough of Simpson to give much of an opinion but most of the best young players I've seen at Pools have looked perfectly capable of a regular first team place at 18/19. Filling out a bit will always make that sort of player stronger but if he's a good prospect a run in the first team at 18 won't do him any harm.

Then again there have been a few sportsmen who have crossed sporting boundaries. Ian Botham for example. Cricket and football. There have been quite a fee. The one that really sticks out for me though is Capt. Robert Hatch who, in the early 1980's, I think it was, made the incredible transition from boxing to keeping goal.

Erm... you got the wrong centre back

No disrespect to the J there, but I just felt like my post could have warranted more really. Maybes not.

And Chris Balderstone and Arnold Sidebottom

And that Jimmy Grimble was one hell of a player for a while too it has to be said.

Ray Winstones son?

Was he his son though? He went out with Debbie for a while like.