A new era begins. Given who's gone, who we've got in, and the renewed hope, what are your realistic expectations for the 2018/19 season?

1st.

Anything less than 1st by at least 20 points must surely be a failure for club the size of Pools?

So, why do people start a feckin sentence with So

Because they is thick American wannabes?

I've been waiting for that, as soon as I posted it I regretted it but couldn't be bothered to change it. I'm amazed it's taken a week for anyone to mention it! I should imagine there'll be a few people wanting to change their votes after this incredible start. Play offs my arse.

23rd

After the first game we were 20/1
At lunchtime today I managed to get 40/1 outright promotion, that has now gone up to 66/1, I thought it may have been about 200/1

If you are backing Pools to win the league outright... you might as well put your money in the bin.

If you are backing Pools to win the league outright... you might as well put your money in the bin.

If you were ever backing Pools to win the league outright then you need to seek psychiatric support I'm afraid.

I cannot disagree with Joe. He was the only one to predict a defeat against Ebbsfleet and has not been conned into thinking much has changed from last season.

If Andrew Davies plays most games I predict a solid mid-table position. He looks a division or two above the rest but he is now injured and I fear that without him, we would be little better than last season. The reason is obvious to all. Our forwards are not goalscorers! The priority signings should have been goalscorers. The best defence last season got Wrexham nowhere. I have just watched them win 3-0 (on tv) with a gate of 4,356 so they appear to have solved the 'goals for' problem and could be in with a shout at a return to the EFL. Let's face reality; there are many more clubs ahead of us worthy of EFL status so non league football could be here to stay.

You could take into consideration that a bloke has just taken over a club devastated by mismanagement, apathy and downright fraud over the past decade and it may take more than a fortnight to turn all that around.

Be grateful that Raj Singh put his hand in his pocket when no one else would and be realistic, it’ll take a couple of years to rebuild and start to think about promotion.

Except that very little cost saving seems to have taken place and it looks like the eggs are in one promotion this year basket!, how long will the money last for a 2 year rebuild and no promotion?

I am grateful and I would imagine so is everyone else. As for the promotion bit, it will only happen if the rebuilding is done correctly , its not just a case of saying we are rebuilding and everything will fall into place.

It’ll last as long as the town do their part. Raj Singh is all about a partnership with the town, he won’t fund the club alone but will as long as the fans and local sponsors keep their end up.

That's original. Every chairman since the year dot has said that.

There are 1.6 million reasons why he deserves to be believed. Don’t forget a far wealthier man just walked away.

Gary Coxhall?

Nope, if he had a shilling to his name he wouldn’t be now working as a rep for an employment agency.

Hope this one has a better website

Or maybe without someone taking money out of the club we just have a lot more to play with?

Can't see is getting promotion this season, I'd say mid table finish 11th or 12th they are far better teams in this division with fr better resources, Chesterfield, Leyton Orient, Wrexham, Salford, Barnet, Dover, And dare I say it I think Gateshead have a better chance than us getting promoted if I'm honest, Also Fylde will be there in the playoffs I think they have invested heavily, All them teams alone av just mentioned have a chance of winning the league or going up via the playoffs, Bates needs to sort this formation problem out and quick for us to even have a slight chance, It's a rebuilding process in my eyes id give it another season or 2 and wel be there or there abouts.

Based on three games? OK give it six then we can possibly write off next season too!

Yeah 100% what we need is a proven goalscorer at this Level, another Andrew Davies or 2 not just one and a half decent creative midfielder who passes forward not like feathershit who gets the ball does a turn on it and passes it backwards or passes it side to side all the time BUT NEVER FORWARDS!,I've watched him since he's been here and rarely do I see him
Make a pass forwards, I'm not writing off our summer recruitment Raj has backed the manager which is pleasing to see but we need a few more if we stand a chance this season I mean Davies could be out forever how long can we really trust Laing as our main defender ? I don't. Like I say another season or 2 and wel be there or there abouts.

Feathershit!

It's a new one, I applaud you on that. The rest of it though, 1/10 for the length of post but the content is franky, shite.

I'm far from saying that we haven't signed any good players, I just think we need another few players like them, I agree with what you said about all the players above they do look a cut above this level, They just need to gel together and become a good team, I think the longer James goes without getting a goal his confidence will get lower so he needs a goal or 2 A.S.A.P he does work his Arse off for the team to, Chases every lost cause, Always trying to get on the end off things plus with him running allover the pitch it Obviosly creates spaces for other players so that's a plus to.

‘What more do people actually want?’

How about;
1) More than 1 gpg?
2) A clean sheet?
3) A win?

The above will do for starters, surely not a lot to ask in this Godforsaken League?

it's a results game. If we fanny about drawing and losing games until christmas we will be looking at a relegation battle... and with the players we signed consolidation didn't look like the intention for this season.

"So" seems to have crept in over the last few years and taken over from, "Well". "Look" is often used to make a point e.g. by politicians and a strange one that has appeared recently is, "Yeah, No" as favoured by Harry Kane. As for "Like", I'm regularly surrounded by young and not so young individuals who feel cheated if they cannot manage to get the word into a sentence at least half a dozen times. They can talk for several minutes without actually saying anything. What a fucking awful habit to have to live with although I dare say that they are totally unaware of how it sounds.

Regarding Pools, we are already in a position where we require a string of wins just to catch up with the leaders, in addition to them dropping points. It goes without saying that the longer this situation persists, the more difficult our position becomes. But it is only early days and time is on our side, or is it?

You are spot on Smithy1. Keep viewing things as they really are rather than the hopeless optimists who just wish things are going to get better. Failure to beat a poor side on Saturday would be the start of another relegation battle.