...that was poor. Team just didn’t look sharp enough at all, Davies goon off was a tough one, bringing Laing on killed it completely, should have switched to a back 4 instead at that time. McLaughlin was nowhere to be seen and Kitching needs a good dinner in him. Could have done with Woods to bring on to offer something different in the middle. Positives, Kioso looked pretty solid and likes to keep it simple, Magnay as always looked organised and we’ve got potential up front, just need the service into them and to get our sharpness up

Was I imagining things or did the linesman raise his flag when ebbsfleet scored?

My dad was saying that as well by the way! I didn’t see it, but Noble was going off his nut at him. Did anyone else see their number 8 flatten Noble in the first half off the ball? I went mental haha

He did but I think it was for an Ebbsfleet free kick and the ref chose to play the advantage.


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Playoffs are a long, long, long way off if pools keep this up....

and relegation isn,t!

That was really poor. I don't know what game Bates was watching but I thought it was ebbsfleet who had the better possession and saw the game through quite comfortably apart from one save the keeper made. This formation just doesn't work, we have absolutely nothing out wide with wing backs, no great pace to get us forward allowing forwards to get in the box. The best sides in this league just keep it simple and do the basics well and keep the formation simple. Ebbsfleet were organised and solid with decent wide players and every player knew their role where as Bates has over complicated things. We have decent strikers but it's no good them playing out wide and tracking back doing what a winger should do. It's early days in the season but if he persists on this formation I don't see much changing.

We needed a winger to supply the forwards, Jack Blackford scored a hat trick for Shildon midweek, quality crosser but Bates not a fan

Scored from crosses? Sounds like a shite crosser who got lucky to me.

doesn't matter if ref thought otherwise, that's why they are called assistants

I agree, meanwhile it is early days and cuntin chesterfield have 9pts

For me the most annoying thing was Ebbsfleet had two 40 odd stone players in there team. And even though one was in goal both had all the time in the world to wobble about with ease. Worse than that they beat us at fort SuperSix without a problem! Time to get Josh Hawkes in and change this unworkable system before we find ourselves in yet another relegation fight

Get a MANAGER in now, some some ex average league 1 player.

Not sure he ever played in league one, spent most of his career in the championship, admittedly injured like.

As for the sentiment, give over. 3 games with his own players isn't even long enough to sack a manager in Italy. Have some patience, anyone can see the squad is very much improved. Now it's just about finding the right team and I'm sure it will come.

I was not there but lets hope Pools have bouncebackability on Tuesday and Saturday.

Nailed on Pools will win on Tuesday, and maybe even follow it up with another win on Saturday, before going on another bad run, that's the way it usually works at Pools, blowing hot and cold, raising your hopes, then dashing them. This team certainly looks set up to do that.

He will have to change his formation though to get that win.

I'm trying to stay positive and back the manager and his ideas but almost every piece of me says we have to go 442. The fact we have no wingers is the only fathomable reason for not doing so. We have some real quality players for this level and we should be able to rely on their quality to give us the edge in games.

should be doing better but its still only 3 games gone. does anyone really think halifax will be top come next april. get rid of bates after 3 games, bring someone else in for 3 and then get rid of them. lets stick to supporting the club and manager. fans cannot pick the side or formation played. just two choices to make support or stay away.

We have no wing backs either. I'm sure Hawkes and James could do a job on the wing.

That's our problem Accrington , we sack too late. Whilst I agree with you in principle, I think if we are serious about getting out of this league, Bates should be given no more than 8-12 games. Of course it won't happen cos his mate Hignett is there. Its an old pals act, the club is too palsy walsy, jobs for the boys. Recruitment based on helping mates out rather than who is best for the job.

Horden, can I just clarify this. Are you REALLY saying we need to sack Bates 3 games into the new season?

We have a new team, a new system and a manager who managed play off form at the end of last season with what was one of the worst squads in our history.

We had one poor result where if we'd put a chance away 2 minutes before they scored would have been a good result. This is night and day compared to this time last season when it was very apparent we weren't good enough. There's a lot of promise in the team and with a few tweaks I think we could be on for a top half finish.

No , I said between 8 and 12 games if things don't improve , other clubs do it , why do we have to be different. I didn't want him as manager, same as many others. It was yet another cheap option and yet again I believe it will cost us. We had a new team , new system , new manager last season, so what. It wasn't the worst squad, it was the worst manager in our history.

Let’s just keep sacking managers, it’s worked well the last 10 years


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I don't think there is a lot of clamouring to sack the manager, the vast majority of people want him to succeed. The problem is, in the main, with his tactics. People are sceptical over the system which allows opposition wide men to run riot down our flanks. Personally I think the first thing we have to work on is the number of crosses that are raining into our box at an alarming rate. I love the idea of three front men but if we want to play with wing backs we need to get specialists in that position. so far I have not been impressed with what I've seen.
Two things that Bates did on Saturday worried me immensely, apart from his preferred formation, were, 1. when he took Cassidy off and brought the Kid from Burton on, I expected us to play it on the deck and so run their centre halves ragged but no, we played the same hoofball and 2. When Davies was injured and subsequently came off, he was allowed to walk off in obvious agony. Every time he made contact with the ground with his injured foot he was wincing. Nobody knew the extent of the injury, therefore he should have been stretchered off as a precaution. Even the referee signalled for a stretcher. That could turn out to be a huge mistake, like the one when Scott refused to take Boydy off, resulting in him being sidelined for months. I hope he recovers quickly because, in my eyes, we can't do without him.
I think Bates has gone too far with 343. If he wants to play with wing backs, and can get the right men there, start with 352. I think the extra man in midfield just might make the difference. Just an opinion like.

Look at the squad of players we have now and nearly 50% are midfielders so you would assume that is were our strength is so bates at present is using the absolute minimum of these players that tells us what that they are not good enough in his opinion, if that is the case we are in for a long hard season or will he come to the conclusion he is not playing the correct tactics we shall see

My take on Saturday. I hadn't been for a season and a half previously and finally felt guilt tripped into going.

Firstly, the team look like individuals at the moment and not a fully gelled team, which considering around 7 of them were signed in the summer is no great surprise. Biggest improvement for me on previous years is the defence, finally when all fit we have the basis of a solid back 3 depending on how you look at it. Biggest surprise (and a pleasant one at that) was Kioso, he was absolutely flawless and had that fat get Kedwell in his back pocket. He was vocal and the spring on him is unreal considering he's not the tallest centre half I've seen. He won't stay with us for long. Davies was awesome till he went off, exactly what we need. Kitching looks a decent enough full back but that's all he is, his attacking sense leaves a lot to be desired. I thought Kenton was bullied and was disappointed in him considering he's 6 foot plus.

Noble looks just what we need in midfield at long last, a ratter and looks like he could be a grade A "lovely lovely person" when required. McLaughlin looked neat and tidy while Muir played excellently, his first touch was blob on every time, although i'd like to see him play more centrally he was too deep I thought. Luke James played his usual game, never stopped running and looks like he's filled out a lot more now. However, I thought Cassidy was very poor. I would like to see Muir and James up top and we possibly play Woods as a number 10 if we must insist in 3 up top.

Saying all that though, performance wise I was very frustrated and thought in the main it was a shite performance. Ebbsfleet were very tippy-tappy and kept the ball well enough but only because we allowed them to do so and dropped off far too deep as though they were Real Madrid or something. Some of our quality of football was quite poor to be fair and I think we should avoid the hoofball, Noble on a few occassions was trying some Stevie G worldie balls and they just didn't come off often enough.

The secret is , when you sack someone, you replace them with someone better, then you do away with the need to sack again. Replace with someone worse ( or cheaper ) than the last one and it becomes cyclical, and therein lies the problem with Pools.

BATES OUT!

Non of our recent managers seemed capable or had the funds to sort the midfield out. Hopefully Bates who has done pretty well in his stints as manager so far can sort this out. Think people have a right to be concerned but i have more faith in him than harrison, still needs to sort it out pretty sharpish though if we want to be involved.

4 games, zero wins. pathetic

1-1. Fuck off

Something tells me Bates does not have a foooking clue . He changes players by as many as 4 players after only 3 games into a new season ( but tells the media we are playing well and the system will work and are very unlucky not to have won all of these games and we are robbed or raped by lesser opponents) yet also changes the formation ( which I agree with due to the fact he totally fucked up our first 3 games ) but is still no nearer now than when the season started in getting a very good squad of players organised to play to there ability Taxi for Bates ...its time for Higgy to organize this well talented squad before we waste yet another season in this totally micky mouse league! He was given a huge amount of players but simply has got no idea AT ALL how to organize a piss up in a brewery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! get rid before its way way too late..................

Absolutely gutted with the result of course, but pleased with how Bates changed things today. He put three in midfield and we looked much, much better.

It's not an exaggeration to say we deserved to win by three or four and on another day we would have done. It's hardly his fault that Woods missed two key chances and Noble missed a penalty.

I'd be concerned if the performance wasn't there, but it was. The points total is obviously disappointing but we'll win on Saturday and have 6 from 5. Not the start anyone wanted but talk of Singh taking action and getting rid of Bates ASAP is daft.

We switched off after 70 minutes as always. Braintree manager saw this a changed his tactics. Bates was reactive (like a fire fighter) to little to late.
We looked like the part timers at the end of the game. Our players don't have mental capacity to get pass full time whistle.
Our goal keeper coach Mr Turnbull said we can't blame the Management for late goals it football. However were full timers and looking like part timers.

Everyone calm down! We brought 9 new signings in over the summer, most of whom are much better than those who left. Even those with pickled onions for eyes can see that.

Have some patience and Bates will turn this around. In his own words we could have scored 7 last night, that's what really matters how many we could have scored. We also could have taken 12 points from these opening games and been sat top of the league.

In all seriousness though, I'm still behind Bates. He's not let us down before now and I was all for him getting the job permanently. Give him time to get a settled team and I'm still confident we can have a successful season.

we have 50% more points than at this time last season - if we can finish the season with that ratio then our 56 points from last season will become 84 - that got 2nd place last season..
Hope springs eternal !!!!!

we have 50% more points than at this time last season - if we can finish the season with that ratio then our 56 points from last season will become 84 - that got 2nd place last season..
Hope springs eternal !!!!!

Yes agree we must take the positives and all this defeatist talk must cease.
A month in a Gulag in South Bank might sort em!!!!

Only two late goals have cost us 4 points and we could have been 8th.

same again. just like last season where there is no ability to see games out. is it a fitness problem or a mental one. needs sorting quickly whatever it is.

Lack of game management again. That’s 4 points lost in stoppage time in 2 of the 4 games, plus Saturday was lost due to the all too familiar defensive lapse.

Worrying trend

. is it a fitness problem or a mental one. needs sorting quickly whatever it is.[/quote]

Either of these problems can be sorted.........expectations were too high at the start of the season.... players tense.