After last night's display, where do you start?

We were second best again.

We were lucky to get a point.

And week by week it looks like our manager doesn't have a clue what he is doing.

We're playing with half a team, some of the players in the starting line up shouldn't be anywhere near a Third Division football field and he substitutes the better players.

It's clear that he has his favourites, and it is seemingly becoming clearer that there are other players who won't get a fair crack of the whip so long as they have a hole in their arse.

Jan Budtz? Shaky again last night and at fault for the goals. No interest in even looking at the cross for the first, over his head for the second. But obviously he has been promised the no.1 shirt in spite of all the bull that DW spouted at the start of the season regarding it being "up for grabs".

Godwin Antwi? Good God. Gets worse and worse with every game. Micky Nelson was colossal last night carrying Godwin as a one man centre half pairing. It wouldn't surprise me to see Godwin and Jan run out for the next match with coppers hats on and truncheons in their hands doing a poor impression of the chuckle brothers. If I was Ben Clark I'd punch the boss in the mouth.

James Brown and David Foley on the wings? Two youth team centre forwards expected to play out of position on the wing? Yes, Brown has talent, but he's not a winger. Similarly with Foley, who last night they were shit scared of but because of where DW played him he was getting the ball in positions where they could get away with kicking lumps out of him.

Richard Barker? Sorry, but in spite of his goal last night he just isn't up to this level. He's completely ineffective and it's a piece of piss for the centre halves to mark him out of the game. Yet DW still picks him every week and leaves him on last night? No doubt today's propoganda will be about how the goal will give him a lift and guarantee his place in the starting line up for the next three months.

I hate to think negatively, but realistically if we continue to play like we have in the last three home games then we are in for a long hard season. Our home form should be crucial, but to date we've got away with it by beating a couple of really poor teams away from home- Port Vale and Orient (so Orient are top? see where they are in May, they're cack but have had a bit of a good start).

The more I watch DW and the teams he picks the more he reminds me of Martin Scott. And that is of huge concern.

I really am starting to think that we got promoted last season in spite of him, not because of him. Look at his track record too.

He got Pools out of Div 4 with one of, if not the, biggest budgets in the division.

With an average budget he managed to have MK Dongs 5th bottom one season and relegated the next.

With one of, if not the, biggest budgets in the Third Division he failed repeatedly to get Bristol City promoted. Now he's gone they're flying.

So now that he's working in Div 3 with a small to average budget what do we have to look forward to? A season trying to grind out results at home in order to see if we can just about avoid relegation like he played with MK Dongs?

I'm just seeing too many comparisons with Scotty's lot right now- not picking his best players (Clark, Porter), playing his favourites even though they're not up to it (Budtz, Antwi, Barker) and not picking up enough points while people walk around grinning saying that we're doing well to be in this division, don't moan, what do you expect, you can't say we're rubbish, we're too good to go down, blah blah blah blah blah.

Is Stevo gonna be asked to try and save us again next March?

great post! Could not have put it better myself

I remember thinking similarly to how you are now when people started worrying about Mr Scott.

I'm not wearing rose tinteds this time around.

We have just been promoted and are 5th in the table by the way...

Did you not manage to read my whole post or are you just being selective?

Maybe. Maybe not.

If last night was evidence of him thinking then I don't think that he's very good at it.

I did read it all yes, Mr Ripper, but I think you are being way too negative. Our last three home performances are not what we have come to expect but there is no need to start talking of a 'winter of discontent'. Teams are starting to find us out but I still think we can finish in the top half, even a play-off spot

I hope that you're right, but at the moment I fear that you are wrong.

It reads like you went and got that dog you were on about, and when you woke up this morning it had eaten all your duty frees and pissed in your slippers.

But, whoah, I get in enough trouble by commenting on comments on here in the commentary forum so I'm not going to comment further on your comments. Or say owt about where I live.

Who likes big tits??

I would be interested to hear what you think...

Well over the top IMO (and I'm not just agreeing with ECG!).

The problem is, after having five or six years of battering teams at home and going on long unbeaten runs people think we just have to turn up and beat teams. We forget that Carlisle are actually a fooking good side who just missed out on the play-offs last season and already made a strong start to this season. The fact we matched them for the majority of the match should be a sign of progress. We are no longer playing the Accringtons, Chesters and Bury's that are utter shite football teams, we're not going to win every match.

The team is far from perfect but we are matching (and sometimes more than matching) the best teams in League 1. I don't really know what more you can ask for.

To look dangerous as an attacking force and solid enough at the back so as not to be worried about conceding every time the opposition have the ball would be a start.

Well of course things need tweaking in those departments but even if we stuck with the current starting XI it's hardly going to be a winter of discontent. More like a 'winter of not meeting over inflated expectations' which still won't be as bad a thing as your first post makes out.

Have to agree, With you there TPP, Carlisle were a good side last night, I think its the effect of the Walsall defeat that people are more dissapointed about, My concern is when we attack we dont look massively threatening!
and although Wilsons substitutions last night were baffling, We managed to battle back and looked a better team with those players he brought on. I can see a few more frustrating games at home again this season, Its up to the players to beat the styles of the likes of Walsall and there 2 banks of 4 coming for a point and pinching all 3.

Last night I thought Carlisle were a very good side and the 2 goals they scored came from lovely passing and moving, Which is what were lacking at the moment and we all know thats what the side is good at!

"Now is the Winter of our Discontent, made Glorious Summer by this Sun of York(shire)...?"

I need a bit of persuading that we should be worrying just yet, we've had a decent start to the season results-wise until the last two games after all....

In terms of the squad (note, squad) Wilson has after all seen some of the needs. Over the summer we signed players for both full back positions, both of which were potential problems, and given it's the defence that's leaking goals then signing another defender makes a kind of sense. We have options (and decent ones) in most positions now - IMO Scott didn't, particularly in the middle.

OK so he doesn't always pick the players we want him to or think we should, but then what manager does? I can understand why there are questions - Ben Clark was part of one of the best defences in the division last season, Porter has shown before that he is a big threat at this level and no doubt wants to show he can still do it after a couple of bad years with injury... However things aren't exactly looking too bad in the table right now so he can point at that as justifying his decisions.

Should we go on a run where we don't win for another half a dozen and gradually fall away, without looking like we know how to counter it, then there will be reason to have doubts about DW. For the moment though I can guarantee that if you said to the majority of other fans of teams in this division that you had concerns about Wilson and whether we'd stay up with him in charge they'd look at you like you'd grown another head.....

That pretty much sums up how I feel Mr Chip.

In his most successful season 70 minutes was the norm though wasn't it. And I believe it was deliberate, so that he didn't withhold anything by pacing himself.

Aye, but a run of consecutive 70 minute appearances would do him the world of good.

Especially alongside a partner rather than trying to carry Barker like he did last week.

I think that was what Mr Chip was meaning too.

Mr Ripper

The problem here is you are failing to give any credit to firstly Walsall and then Carlisle.

Walsall did a good job on us, they defended well for 89 mins and capitalised with some fresh legs vs Godwin Antwi, obviously this is majorly frustrating as defensive mistakes like that should be cut out, and im sure Wilson is working on it.

Carilse were very similar, although much better at attacking us and Danny Graham proved to be a right handful. If you had a league table on the amount of ground covered by a teams players, based on last nights performance im sure Carlisle would be top. Every single Carlisle player on that pitch put 100% effort into getting the ball back when Pools were in possession, they began the game flying in and finished the game flying in just as quick (just look at how many fouls they gave away).

It was like have 11 Willie Bolands playing for Carlisle, this man is a true legend.

This is one of the main reasons Liddle looked like a 'sideways' player. He was constantly closed down and had little time on the ball. On numerous occasions Pools were caught out in possession and Carlisle looked dangerous on the counter attack, I guess Liddle was aware of this. Carlisle also committed many cynical fouls vs Foley+Brown, they knew exactly what they were doing, whatever position they were on the pitch if either Foley or Brown beat their man, they were fouled - unfortunately the referee allowed this to go on for 90 mins without nipping it in the bud.

Basically Carlisle neutrilised Liddle, Foley and Brown. Along with Barker who this season seems to neautrilise himself (unfortunately he only ever seems dangerous on the end of a cross, and not with the ball at his feet - perhaps a bit unfair as he held the ball up well and scored a cracking goal), but thats four of our players who didnt have much impact on the game - not neccessarily their fault, but simply good play by Carlisle. However Foley did manage a superb cross which we scored off, top lad.


Danny Wilson not knowning what he was doing? Im amazed at this. Each substitute was inspirational, and we managed to claw back a point and actually looked like we might nick it near the end. I have great faith in Wilson and am amazed that there is even 1 single Poolie out there who does not share that faith.

So Mr Ripper I suggest to you this, please be aware that we do not play against ourselves. We play against some very well organised and prepared teams in this division, and they often do actually deserve some credit. We have come a long way from last season in the opposition we face, last season we could simply play football and win, this is not the case this season.

Where's the joke, one man needs replacing in each department = tweaking.

Clark for Antwi and Porter for Barker?

The problem is that everybody but DW can see it.

And if he doesn't fix it then we're in bother.

Like I said originally.

After watching DW's substitutions in the last few matches, especially Walsall and Carlisle, I'm not convinced that it's not just luck of the draw. In addition he seems to be trying to change too much and confusing the players. A bit like Scotty perhaps?

Taking off three players who looked like they could get in behind the defence?

Leaving Barker on for God's sake?

If you threw a dice three times there's a chance that you'd get a "6".

Last night DW threw a "6", Saturday he didn't.

Not everybody.

Not me.

"Until ten days ago everyone was saying Porter for Moore. Management by fickle-as-fook supporters' committee?"

Yes but in the last ten days Antwi and Barker performances have got worse.
This is a game of playing in form players and dropping out of form players.

Everyone watching last night saw that Moore give 100% yet he gets taken off and Barker who looked heavy legged stays on.
It must be time to give these two + the keeper the kick up the backside they need and drop them to the bench and give the others a chance.

we played well against Orient who werent a bad team.
We played great football against Leeds, and they got us on the break.
We pushed Sheffield Wednesday all the way with a solid performance.
We are fifth in the league and aren't looking too bad if not for a few adjustments needed.

Lee-Barat should get his chance.
Ben Clark should be in.
Richie Barker should not be playing.

Do I detect a recurring theme here

Just saying its not all that bad as some people seem to be making out

I had written an incisive & well thought out response to all of this - but the fucking board keeps loging me out & I lose the post - can't be arsed to type it all again

Suffice to say I don't think it's as bad as Ripper thinks, but I do have some concerns

Well?

Is this "National Dig Old Posts Up Sunday" or what?

Historical context I call it.........the only people who seem to object are those who don't like to be proved wrong....

fair play to Mr Ripper the Soothsayer, he has been proved absolutely right.
I kept out of this one at the time because, like so many others, I was quite happy with the results.
The seeds of the problems back then have now grown very large roots, and it's going to take a good manager to have everything in the garden looking rosy again.

bloody hell ripper


were do you think well finish

lets see if you dig this otu again in a few month