Whilst you can’t judge the whole game with the highlights Pools appeared to be trying to play football not just hoofing it up the park.
What I did like was the camaraderie among the Pools when Pools scored.
Who was the fella with the beard ?

Like you say Mr Jamie, from those limited highlights I liked what I saw, God forbid there were also clear signs of organisation on the pitch in contrast to last season.

on your first point its fine if the opposition allow you to play football. there will be many coming to the vic next season doing their upmost to stop it. how we come out in these arm wrestle games will be more important.

Why is there so many bloody pessimists on the Bunker !

I think you mean realist's.!

thats what the optimists call pessimists.

How come whenever someone is mildly optimistic, the bell of doom and desolation rings out to stifle hope.
It was a ‘friendly’, no one was declaring Pools world beaters, just being a bit positive..
You were right Mr Jamie.

Loonies n Doomies
With not much in between.

I prefer Optimists to Glums.

Do you mean their ears.

Used to like a few wine glums, Get stuck in me teeth now.

I like realists, but they have to be consistent.
Realistically I don’t see us going up this year, I’ll be over the moon if we did, but realistically ….no.
Then again I don’t realistically expect the club to go on a spending bender either, because I’m being …..realistic… why would anyone apart from a financial illiterate putting a club up for sale spend any money at all in those circumstances, so realistically, we’re lucky to have signed the players we have….realistically.

I am amazed but actually pleased that Raj has backed JA on a bit of recruitment. He is doing a bit more than I expected he would. Yes he has to protect his asset in order to maximise his income from the sale but it's not just numbers this time, there is also a bit of quality and I'm a bit more optimistic than I was at the end of the season. If Raj continues to back JA and the manager can get a bit more quality through the door, I think we will do ok. Not expecting promotion but would be over the moon if we threaten competing for it.

Mancini. People who were at the game were well impressed by him.

well at the start of last season i thought we,d either get into the play offs or be relegated. i was not wrong. it wasn,t hedging my bets but more about whether the scottish experiment came off or not. it has in the past at clubs but they were not pools. building the blocks for the season after is the important thing next season with a full squad of JA players by 2024. i,d take a top 10 finish now even without making the play offs.

said somewhere else that he could not be that bad by making 2 starts on loan at division 1 accrington last year who have a reputation of taking players on loan and the best they get is being a non playing sub to make up the numbers.

He was head and shoulders above what we had been watching mostly last season

seemed to move alot more than Feaths as he should given his age and set Fergy up nicely for his goal. Showed composure and read the game well too - if we can get him and he starts playing more i can see him being a right gem

Unfortunately your prediction is more realistic which will result in the early season decent crowds dropping off as the season goes on.
Start 24/25 with more or less JAs own squad.
A lot can happen between now n then.
Good or bad.
New Ownership could fast track things for the better like.
Goffys Consortium gone very quiet.
Sure i read on here it was a aledgedly a done deal.

He has to somewhat back the team, he has managed to ship out what is it 12 players? Featherstone and one missing in action as well probobly gone too. So around 14 wages saved, the club be worth nothing in the conference north so replace what you have keep the club ticking over till you sell it.

The ammont of shit players weve took on and released is unreal since Promotion.
Less better players looks like JAs method.
Hopefully the new owners are on the same Wavelength.

He did say that is what he intended to do until a buyer emerged and that is what is happening but recruitment under Askey seems to be more structured, with more optimism emerging. As I said I am pleasantly surprised at the progress being made as I think what Raj is doing, along with JA, is a bit better than just ticking over. There is very little mention if dropping down further nowadays and that is a sign that confidence is growing.

JA said he wanted more physicality and it looks like that's what we're going to get, at his previous clubs he's got a reputation for playing good football too rather than hoofball.
I know it was only a friendly against Boro who fielded 5 or 6 first teamers, but reading the Boro Gazette we were the stronger and fitter side - when was the last time that was the case?
A few more in and out the door, them roll on the season proper.

It's pretty obvious we have a manager who knows what he is doing. He proved that towards the end of last season with some good results, unfortunately a few players let him down when he needed them.

at least he is getting a bit closer to his side and not an inherited one where some would not have the same vision for the clubs future as he has. the most annoying thing is i can see us starting this season more fitter and better organised than 12 months ago with a better squad of players on top of it. just hope our better players are more able to carry the ones having off days that did not happen pre JA with a few having their worst ever season with us either due to form or injuries.

Equally obvious is the fact that Raj is backing him.

I wouldn't say it is. Raj is clearly giving Askey and Kelly a budget which allows the club to make a small profit/breakeven. While this is prudent and how all clubs should be run, it isn't backing the manager.

We'll obviously see a smaller budget from last season with us losing out on half of the EFL money for this season, and then another half the season after. I believe this season we lose out on around £400-500,000 due to relegation.

So while the budget last season was £1.7 million, to keep the club breaking even you'd see a drop in that to say £1.2 million to keep the club on an even keel. All contracted players will have a relegation wage drop of ~10-20% in their contract, normally closer to 20%. So the playing budget drops to around £1.35 million before we even release/send back 17 players from last seasons squad. We've since brought in 7 players as well as getting rid of our goalkeeping coach and analyst. I'd say Raj is running the club within it's means.

Which sounds fine to me…too many clubs make a death or glory charges with finances that indicate champagne ambition but lemonade capability.

Well if Raj isn't backing the manager who is.
As for budgets that is how businesses are run and monitored. If Raj is running the club within it's means, surely that has to be applauded or do you want him to have a budget that's unsustainable and give JA unlimited funds before you are happy to say he is being backed.
If Raj is running the club within it's means as you say then he is backing the manager within an affordable budget as well as anybody else he is employing within the budget.
Isn't that how businesses are operated.

with raj wanting to sell the club its also inhis interest to make us look as better proposition as possible. attempting to be scunthorpe mark 2 would make what he got far less than it would now. you would not run your car down without chucking a few quid at it when you put it up for sale and expect close to your asking price.