Looks more balanced thank goodness bates has seen some tacticle sense.

Shame Fatty Featherstone is back in

Featherstone is a good footballer but makes a bad pass then that's it for the rest of the game he gets tortured. Just fans scapegoat no matter what he does

https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news ... team-news/

Four changes, Woods back, looks more like 3-5-2 with him behind a front two of Muir and James.

Anderson needs to step up and prove that he's a better option than Laing. Could the bar be set any lower?

Why?

Far better formation than the nonsense of the first three games.

PJ you need to insult our plyers before a ball has been kicked.

Loach can fuck off, long armed twat.

One of Alanis Morissette's lesser known lines?

How come Woodsy is back in the squad anyway? Was he even moving or is he staying? Hopefully he's staying he's the only aggressive midfielder we have, Loves a 50/50! Also loves a goal or 2.

Fuck's sake.

Poor second half

ABSOULOUTE JOKE, CAN NEVER HOLD ONTO A LEAD!! we need to learn to hold onto leads in games if we have any chance off going up in a season or 2, I knew that penalty would bite us on the Arse!

Absolutely at the end of my tether

Since we went Non League just how many 90+ goals have we conceded?

We have shipped two in a week tossing away 4 points never to be seen again, chances wise that sounded like a 5 or 6 nil performance.

This is a seriously poor start to the season now, not a disaster but we have got to be winning games like tonight. Bollocks to this slow and steady wins the race shite that is a poor result.

Sitting Deep again Master Bates!! How many times do we have to concede late in games to realise THIS DOESN"T WORK!!!! Doh!!

Mr Singh must be seriously worried by the performances so far after backing the club to the hilt - just how long will he let it continue?

We surely shouldn’t be even a position where we are 1-0 going into injury time tonight it sounded like as well as a missed penalty we missed several other great opportunities.

But what do we do? I would love a stat for 85+ minute goals and points lost as a result since the start of last season.

The misery of supporting pools just seems never ending and I don't know how much more I can take of it. The misery just seems to go on and on regardless of who the manager is or who's on the pitch. It's taken all of 4 games for all the excitement of the summer to fade away. It may yet end up an ok season but I just can't see it.

not too long hopefully, Bates is not the man for the job.

The performances have probably been alright apart from Saturday (and some think that was alright) but’s a very dissapointing points return so far.

Anyone advocating us sacking yet another manager after four games basically wants setting on fire.

HAHAHA Master BATES!

It means wanking haha!

Fucking hell, between this and people blaming Cassidy directly for the draw (yes seriously) I'm really beginning to doubt whether I should even bother with Pools anymore. Everyone's an expert these days and the internet gives them a soapbox to spout their absolute shite.

Been a poor start but if you miss that many chances then I think it is harsh slating the Manager.

As gutted as I am, still knowing that we are creating chances is a big positive for me.

There is one on there (probably the same one) that has so many digs at him it is borderline obsessive

If you mean Hackworth then yeah, that's right. I did reply to him but my post was deleted and I was removed from their facebook page. Oh well, I guess he won

Simply not good enough I’m afraid, so much for being ‘ruthless in both boxes’ as Matthew Bates urged earlier this week. Bates says this is different to last season well it looks like a mirror image as far as I can see. This revamped side is obviously incapable of keeping a clean sheet, struggles to score more than a single goal and seemingly lacks bottle and leadership. All issues that were supposed to have been addressed by Hignett and Bates during the summer.

It is worrying that Braintree appear to be one of the poorest sides in this league. Failure to record a win against bottom side Maidenhead Utd on Saturday should result in serious questions being asked of the usual overhyped summer ‘rebuilding’ process.

Raj Singh, Sir Jeff and above all, the fans deserve much better than this. Please get it sorted Bates & Hignett.

Even aside from him it seems others hate a player and then whenever something doesn’t go out way they find some link to them

Featherstone and Newton seem to be others escape goats

Magnay seems to escape criticism despite being part of our woeful defence for 3 years now.

Coz he got a decent fist pump

Did I say he needs 'sacking now' NO. As for your charming comment that I need 'setting on fire' that is uncalled for, and frankly quite pathetic. I will not stoop to your level, tempted as I am.

I think Bates subs look a bit questionable tonight , sometimes I think you should just stick with who's on the pitch when it's late in the game and your a goal up, hopefully Bates will learn from this. Yes I'm pissed off but it's not Bates fault we didn't take numerous chances tonight.

You need to take a reality check Phil and give your noggin a shake Phil. Of course Bates doesn’t take penalties or do the defending etc but both he and Hignett were well aware of the failings of last season and were charged with strengthening the team accordingly and also with applying tactics and motivation to ensure that those failings were not repeated this time around. Given the performances and results to date there is insufficient confidence as yet that this will not be the case.

I’m certainly not advocating the sacking of Bates nor the removal of Higgy after just four games - that is plainly stupid. However the early warning signs of yet another season of struggle against the drop are already in evidence. Yes there are also signs of promise from a handful of the new signings but the form of several others is already disappointing and one or two appear to be playing above their true level, alarmingly similar to the majority of last season’s intake that almost got the club relegated.

Lets keep the same team and tactics for the next couple of games and hopefully put a good run together and for all you featherstone haters give it a rest the only game we got beat he didnt play granted we should have picked up more points but the way i see it for me that was down to inexperience not one player.

let's all be happy with a draw against Braintree, after all that's our level isn't it? It's a lot of things but most importantly it's embarrassing. A win on Saturday is absolutely imperative, although at present to be honest I couldn't give two fucks.

I've been saying This for months and months, We NEED a manger who knows this league inside and out not a INEXPERIENCED rookie manager in his first job specially in this league, Come on pools shape up and get half decent manager someone who can pull a half decent player in and bring his knowledge with them, It's Bate's first job and to be honest I can't see him lasting until Christmas, I love this club to bits I've been with them through the good times and the bad but it's getting Soooooo frustrating watching them every season and somehow getting worse, I mean actually try and attract a half decent manger, Lay some decent month on the table for him take a gamble! Instead off going for the cheap option all the time.

Are you for sacking Bates after 4 games or not? He said only those who are for it should be said on fire, you can't have it both ways just so you can be outraged!

^THIS WITH FUCKING BELLS ON^

I wonder if Macclesfield supporters were as unhappy at this stage last season. Only got a draw in their first 2 home games, the first one being against us. Only having 5 points after 5 games and having just been beaten 3-0 off Gateshead. Or Tranmere. Only having 5 points after 5 games and only drawing with Torquay and Guiseley, 2 of the relegated teams. If we draw on Saturday we will have as good a start this season as they both did last season. A win and we will be 2 points up on both of their starts last season.
It's still early days. The start isn't as good as we had all hoped for, but the performances are a lot better than this stage last season. Take a look back at the teams that were leading the way early on last season. They all fell away. Plenty of time for Bates and his staff to get the problems sorted and start getting the results that we all want to see.

Well said your stats prove just how early on this is in the season!