Here are some statistics to pour over...

Keith Curle sacked on 22 February 2023
John Askey appointed on 23 February 2023

Keith Curle was appointed manager on 3 December 2022
His managerial record at Pools was: P13 W4 D3 L6 F17 A23 GD -6 PTS15 Squeezed in was also a 0-3 home defeat to Stoke City FA Cup 3rd round.

Now I am in no way advocating a case for KC but thought it interesting to draw attention to what has happened since JA took over.

John Askey (appointed on 23 February 2023). His managerial record at Pools so far... reads...P26 W9 D8 L9 F41 A44 GD -3 PTS 35
In his time at Pools no J Askey's team has managed a clean sheet and in fact to find the last Pools clean sheet was back on 4 February 2023 with a 1-0 win at Donny. (Dodds 88 mins). So Pools have actually gone 30 league games without keeping a clean sheet and 31 if we chuck in the Stoke City home defeat. 8 months in total on Wednesday.

Josh Umerah's drought for whatever reason continues and it stand at 19 games since he last scored. That was probably his best ever in that 4-1 demolition of Grimsby Town back on 7 March 2023.
If we include the 5 friendly games pre-season Josh actually scored his last goal at Redcar Athletic in a 5-1 Pools win. Note also a 0-0 draw away at Blythe Spartans yielded a clean sheet but not sure it counts in my analysis.

So, thanks for ploughing through this. It seems ions ago when we took a Sunderland team apart and made one defender in particular look stupid that night.

I am not offering what I think has happened or what the solution is but an observation matches what someone on here said recently concerning the players body language. Earlier in the season when things were going well and the ball was rolling for us, it was noticeable that the players were gelling, laughing and enjoying their football in contrast to what has happened lately. I have noticed that big Josh has seemed unhappy since the first ball was kicked and has not joined in players goal celebrations. Something is obviously not right. Transfer that fell through? Doesn't get on with his team mates? Jealous of Mani D? Who knows? As for the defence? Well again, I haven't a clue.

And so its off to the Wood Borers on Wednesday night. Surely a clean sheet has to happen at some point? The law of statistics says so. But then again with our defence, or lack of it...Who knows?

Boreham Wood. Pizza Hut has its UK headquarters there. What are we doing in this league? AGAIN!

Askey got a 1-0 away win at D & R

Josh scored at Barnet

OK folks two errors. Thank you and put it down to my age.

I would say that JAs stats are far better than Curle's. We have more quality but obviously hampered by injuries and lack of depth

Whereas Curle's team in the main was just shite.(due in large part to that fat scotch knacker, who left him a woeful squad) Though Curle was eventually allowed to bring in numbers- again the majority were duds.

The football has been much more entertaining and JA says it like it is, and seems much more professional in general.

Rather than Curle talking in riddles, referring to stakeholders, going on about hot chocolate and how he might hopefully bone his missus.

No competition for me- JA every time.
Not saying things are all rosy, far from it- but I have more faith and belief that things will come good in time.

Remember seeing Curle's team that lost at home in the last minute v Newport. They (Newport) were shite but we were worse- not one shot on goal against a very poor struggling side at home.
Was no surprise he got axed after that debacle.

double post

Im sure both had 2 promotions on their CVs prior to coming to Pools.
KC Carlisle n Northampton
JA Maccy n York lower level.

Maybe the Pools job is a bridge to far.

"Askey got a 1-0 away win at D & R." Leggie 43
True mate. Put my hand up if I'm capable. Strongarm again must be too strong!

a bit unfare to compare one manager with another. they have both been unable to do what they might have wanted to do re signings. JA has had a summer transfer period curle did not. overall its JA for me as i cannot remember a decent game with curle but JA did before the injuries came about. plus we look physically fitter.

It just feels better than the others irrespective of the stats. Just wonder how we will have done if all the injuries had not happened.

I agree with Mr Bluestreak. Curle didn't give me much confidence, he came across a bit scattergun in his approach. The signing of Leon Clarke was really bad and for him to think that was a good move (and his interview, if I remember correctly, was along the lines of 'I know what we're getting, I've worked with him before'...yeah when he was much younger!) tells you all you need to know.

John Askey appears to have a calm, steady approach backed up with knowledge and a decent history at managerial level. I trust the bloke to get it right and for that, he should be given the thing no managers get these days and that's time.

Without Gibson at the helm I reckon Michael Carrick could have been on his bike after Middlesbro's shit start but they appear to have turned a corner. Similar could be said at West Ham. They were pretty dire last season but stuck with Moyes and it was the clubs who dispensed with their managers who went down.

I recently read a book called The Longest Winter and it's all about Rochdale having the worst ever season in the league. The gaffer didn't leave until the middle of the following season! Imagine that today?!

I, for one, back Askey completely for a couple of reasons. 1) and this is the most important, I like and trust his approach and judgement and I have complete confidence, for now, that he's capable of turning us into a team that will go up. Maybe not this season. In fact, I very much doubt it'll be this season but that's ok. Long term gain for short term pain...and 2) who else is available or would come that can match his record?

The all too fickle, boom and bust type of fan of any club (and we've got PLENTY on here) really get on my tits. You go into rage mode far too quickly and start calling out players, the manager, the owner, the kit man, the physio, the tea lady....you really need to calm your tits, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. No fan enjoys watching a run of defeats but why do you have to have instant gratification all the time? Do we have a God given right to win all the time? It's pretty arrogant and childish and shows a complete lack of understanding about the game in general. Take as many factors into account before lashing out. There are pretty big reasons why we've lost a few.

Those injuries to key players has properly disrupted our season. I mean really badly. You can't just replace this level of ability over night or in fact, probably at all. Just how good is/was Mancini?! How do you replace him? Players that good are hardly 10 a penny.

Why do you expect any club at this level to have strength in depth? You've no chance. If they're good enough to be in the first team but aren't in it because your competition in the squad is marginally better you're gonna fuck off and play every game for someone else.

Adding to the fickle fan bit above and another thing that gets on my tits are those fans who think they know better. Look, face facts, because you're a fucking legend on Football Manager it doesn't make you a footballing guru and if you in fact are a footballing genius, get a job in football and show us. You, like the vast majority of us, have fuck all idea of what is going on behind the scenes. You have no idea what's going on in the players heads when they cross the white line and/or why that has meant they're having a mare today. There are countless reasons why clubs lose games of football yet some fans believe they have all the answers - play this player/formation/tactic, sack the manager/get the owner out, buy Haaland.

It's just not as easy as that otherwise every club would be doing it.

Well said sir!

To be fair to Curle,he did sign Jennings,Kemp,Dodds & Jakob,who were very good players.

Thanks Shilts for your comments. I wasn't actually comparing KC to J Askey and would rather have John Askey here as manager. I believe the same. Give him time. It would appear he has a bucketful of probs to deal with so let him get on with it. If you don't want to play for Pools then fuck off. If you do and you are not the most gifted but graft and put in a shift they you are my player. I could never play for HUFC and wanted to so let me see you so committed and see how the fans take to you.

Agree with Mr Shilts - it is tiresome that some seem to revel in defeat and gloom. Things aren't going for us at the moment but that's down to no lack of effort on the manager's part.

If JA departs, jumped or pushed anytime soon it would be a disaster - stability is key in the long run not just short term sticking plasters as that hardly ever works.

and hartley actually signed umerah, sylla and menayese on loan. problem is like curle he signed so much crap to make a team out of the rest.