Looking over our squad going into transfer window, its really surprising we are not further adrift--my opinion (as little as its worth)

GK

Killip--Solid at this level (others may disagree)
Letheren--Not fit enough to be a genuine back up

Def

Murray, Tumility, Patterson....way way below the standard needed, conf North level maybe...at least Patterson and Tumility were signed as back ups
Lacey--Released by a conference team--enough said
Menayse-Average defender at this level, the fact he stands out as a lynchpin shows how bad the rest are
Sterry--Best player at this level but struggled with injury
Ferguson--good at this level but played out of position and surrounded by shite his form fell off a cliff--hopefully gets better when put in his actual position

Mid

Sylla :- Best signing we made and good player at this level
Feather :- We know what he can and cant do--getting on
Cooke- Decent player at this level but we havent learned where to play him fully
Shelton :- Trier but conf level
Crawford :- Most overrated player we have, contributes v little
Niang :- Potential but very raw, always injured

Wide players

Hastie :- Been abject, looks disinterested and nowhere near good enough
Ndojie :- really poor
Mcdonald:- Flashes of skill but v raw needs a lot of coaching
Grey:- Been injured, not convinced at this level but not the worst of our problems

Fwd

How come we only have 2!

Umerah :- Done very well--would benefit from someone alongside him
Hamiltion :- Not as bad as the other signings from Scotland but doesnt currently look good enough to be a 3rd div 1st team player

New signings

Hartely---34 years old and not played at this level in a couple of years--but likely to be an improvement on what we have
Dolan --should be competent at this level, though unless we playing him CB not sure he's a dramatic improvement on the other midfielders
Dodds :- an unknown sounds promising by if sterry fit not sure where he would play, maybe further fwd.

Killip - not good enough
Letherhen - retired
Boyes - haven't seen him play but must not be good enough

Tumilty - not good enough
Sterry - very good but always crocked
Murray - not good enough
Menayese - good player, would definitely benefit from playing alongside more experienced players i.e. a Gary Liddle
Lacey - not good enough, could maybe do a job as 4th choice
Ferguson - good player

Sylla - good player
Feaths - good player but slow
Cooke - good player
Crawford - not good enough, but alright for backup
Shelton - not good enough
Niang - haven't seen enough of

Hastie - not good enough
Ndjoli - not good enough
McDonald - too inconsistent but our squad is so poor he should be kept
Grey - good bench player

Umerah - very good player
Hamilton - not good enough

I think the three signings made so far will really help. Unsure about how much pace Dolan and Hartley will have tho at CB, maybe Menayese can cover that

think thats a good assesment of what we have. not too bothered about the possibility of lack of pace of dolan and hartley as long as the line up does not expose it too much. said it loads of times once players get older the ball seems like a magnet to them and always seem to be where it matters. its those with pace and sod all else who suffer with age.

The older players make up for lack of pace with better positional play, better use of the offside rule and dark tactics, IE getting the odd red card by scything someone down when needed.....which is probably what Shelton should've done when that guy outpaced him v Harrogate. I can understand when you've just got back in the team you don't want to get sent off but we may have been two points better off now being brutally honest.

TBH over the years of following Pools I don’t remember anyone taking a red card card for the team.

Wafer thin.

I can think of one but can’t remember who it was. Handball on the line at Rochdale when we lost when going for the title. Might have been Barker or Monkhouse.

been too nice for too many years for me.

I Saw Ben Clarke take one for the team. Pools v Notts County in the season we were promoted as runners up to Walsall. The score was 1-1 in the latter stages of the second half when a County forward was clean through on goal only to be brought down by Ben. He was sent off and a penalty was awarded and missed with the game ending 1-1. I recall he waved to the fans as he left because his suspension meant that was the end of the season for him. Such times!

Barker got sent off for handling on the line and Monkhouse got red for a fracas. It was Rochdale.

Fracas? It was assault.

Peter Billing against Torquay--turniong circle like the titanic....sadly he also conceded a pen they scored from if I recall correctly.

Yes I know but he's one of us, so it was a fracas.

[/quote]Yes I know but he's one of us, so it was a fracas. [/quote]

I am sure it was just a misunderstanding.

loved Monkhouse one of the last genuine shithouses we had, remember him lamping someone in a melee with MK Dons

Yes I know but he's one of us, so it was a fracas. [/quote]

I am sure it was just a misunderstanding. [/quote]

Absolutely.