Not a long period of time to gauge where we are, but can always add to it later.

Yeovil - a good footballing side with a decent (although a bitter wanker) manager in Mark Cooper. It's no surprise they have 6 points from 3 games, it's been highlighted that they beat Braintree and Ebbsfleet who aren't great side, never the less there are plenty of NL teams that they will beat. Their chairman has stated they have additional funds to make signings.

Yeovil will not be relegated and likely to finish mid table.


Southend - a very strong NL side who won't concede a great deal. A very good manager in Kevin Maher and some strong, experienced players. They have just signed George Moncur from Leyton Orient to fill their gap of creative midfielder. The type of signing I would love at Pools, he scored and assisted 20 EFL goals in past 2 seasons, with last season playing almost every game in league one. They were credibly linked to be in for Tshimanga and Peterborough chairman confirmed that they accepted bids from NL teams but the player refuses to come to this level. Their takeover has clearly freed up funds and these guys will be serious contenders for playoffs, if not top 3 depending on how they spend their money.

Tamworth - a poor NL side, but strong and hard working non the less. They are dangerous from set pieces and their 50 yard thrower plus dangerous down the left wing. They haven't been hammered and had previously been 12 games unbeaten at home till we took the 3 points. They will beat teams but are likely to be fighting relegation all season. They won't be whipping boys and may finish around 30-40 points, no team can expect a gimme from Tamworth at their ground.


Upon review this wasn't an easy start for Pools nor was it difficult. Two away games and one home I would say it was an average start in terms of difficulty.

Our next 7 games are
Wealdstone (H)
Woking (A)
Braintree (H)
Halifax (H)
Boston (A)
Ebbsfleet (A)
Dagenham (H)

In which I don't believe any of those teams are as good as Southend, some are on par with Tamworth but there is only maybe Halifax better than Yeovil.

This is an easy run of games without doubt, a 10 game period to really pick up some points before we play the likes of Barnet, FGR, Gateshead, Oldham, Rochdale or Sutton.

Cheers Bosh I think D & R will be top 10 at least. The next seven games could determine our season. We could win them all it's well possible and the longer we keep a clean sheet the more confident the team will perform. Being realistic very very few teams at this level have won 8 out of win ( counting Tamworth ) so only a fool would predict that but we can hope. I see one or two getting a drawn from us because that's what happens in this league of crazy results but I do reckon we will pick up 17 points I this period. Now that would make us favourites to win this league and maybe our best ever start to a season. Mixed that with a at least a few more clean sheets and will will take some stopping that's for sure. Some of you may say " what have you been drinking " my answer is a huge bottle of D.S. Trust.

Cheers Bosh:

1 or 2 on here stated that the Lge this season would be poor, I stated that for me, The Lge would be competitive. (46 Games not 3/4)
1 or 2 also stated that Yeovil was not a difficult start, And even saying Yeovil would struggle this season, I stated Yeovil for me would finish Mid table.

No matter what Pools do off/on the field some will never give credit where credit is due, Always reciting the past.
Becomes boring/tiresome after a while, My glass is half full.

while I think Southend will be in playoffs or thereabouts and Yeovil may not go down--it is true of both that they expect to significantly upgrade their squads in the coming weeks--so we have been fortunate to play them when we did
Tamworth beforehand I said should be easy-but while they are shite i think we did well to get a win on that lottery of a pitch so definitely more difficult than I expected

Obviously no guarantees but yes this is as easy a start as we could have written for ourselves and we need to rack up the wins before sterner tests

Halifax at home likely the hardest, and Woking away a bit of a lottery with the quick turnaround

Reckon Dag n Red will be our toughest game from those fixtures. Umerah will be out to prove a point, without a doubt.

Woking away - Sarll will be desperate to beat his former team.

Would be happy to be averaging just over 2 points a game after 10 games, about 21 points would be a very good start- more than that and we could do a Cheaterfield, leaving the rest to scrap it out in the playoffs!

Keep scrolling then. It's easy. I'm dead chuffed with our start and our new number 9 but people who think otherwise are guilty of nothing more than having a different opinion.

Thanks bosh for a very realistic review.
Provided we continue the 100% effort seen in the first three games, there is every reason to hope for a top three spot after ten games. True there will be stronger opponents subsequently but by then Pools should be a solid unit that no team will relish playing.

Yes, decent analysis and I can't disagree with any of it. I do think we will start to get the ball down in games when Mancini gets more game time. He is a class above and a technician, also sloggett to come. We know how good Dodds is and when he is back will help the transition from our solid back line to the technical players. I am very optimistic with proceedings thus far.

I will say this, I don't think Kev Phillips would have had the qualities to get the lads being so solid this early in the season, some might say he was harshly treated but I think the change to DS was needed. Results in the early part of the season are all that matter and lay the foundation for a fruitful season.

UTP
PTID

Agree

i always put a season into groups of 6 games where i,m always happy getting 12 points out of them. anything more is a bonus to keep in the bank if in a 6 we manage less. that more or less guarentees promotion and if you win 4 out of those 6 you can afford to lose 2. its just draws that can kill you in the end.

At last, someone who agrees with me regarding draws.

oh id imagine we see alot of 1-1 and 0-0 with this setup - there will be teams who we cannot break down nor will they break us down. There will be a tonne of games also like Tamworth only neither breaking the deadlock. Even Chesterfield had those type of games.
Be teams also who park the bus and just dont want to loose given they may be sitting bottom. We sometimes find it difficult with those teams but then again this is a new team and so far they have surprised and went above all expectations for me.
Cant look past Gateshead and Eastliegh just now but one of those will tail off as there is always a team who starts well and fades off. (could say that was us last season tbh). Also Oldham who where heavily tipped for a good season and yet again bookies being right with their start too. Dont think this season will see a run away team - be very similar to the season we went up id imagine with a strong 7 all changing positions weekly.

feel if we actually make the play offs and we haven,t got our better players injured with the type of togetherness we have seen could get us over the line.

Loyal have you ever thought of becoming a pundit, Jermaine has just got the bullet.

only time i,ll take one is like the southend game last week or a last minute type of equaliser when there isn,t time to go for a winner.

tell ya who will be vying for top spot and none of us will have expected it - York. Started really well and actually look like they have signed some good players and its starting to click for them.

really both pools and york really should be in the positions they are in unless they are basket cases off the pitch.

That Akinyewi bloke is a very good player at this level and they are spending some money---be interesting to see how they do at Sutton--2 very different styles--if they go there and win that will be some result

More like a bottle of Turps.
But you n Gray still top of the VIP list for the beer garden promotion party.

I,m up for that , You Charmer