But I'm not going to do a match report until I calm down. We gifted those points to an average at best Forest team. Today has to be the last time that Antwi and Nelson are first choice partnership. Danny please change it they do not work together. The local radio commentator described them as 'playing statues' when the first goal went in. I wouldn't argue with that.

We had a spell in the second half when we played tippy tappy for a while without threatening but other than than it was mostly Forest.

Defence 4/10 poor
Midfield 7/10 decent
Attack 5/10 other than Barkers header we huffed and puffed without threatening.

Didnt go but by the radio he was off the pace and heading for a red, early days tho

The fans have been saying that for weeks John - Mr Wilson however either can't or won't see it

We have now won ONCE in the last 6 games, FIVE points from a possible 18

Anyone out there still think we are doing ok?

Just back (to Essex). Coles was poor - looked out of position at right back and was constantly caught out of position. Not sure if he's played recently but to me it looked like he hadn't. Very dissapointing in the first half played a lot better in the second half with James Brown playing as a lone striker up front with support on the wings from Moore & Barker. As Mr I stated we didn't look like scoring - Moore had a chance but blasted over. When they replaced one of their centre backs they tightened, up grew in confidence & got the winner. Notingham Forest didn't look that brilliant. The recent record is looking poor now & something will need to be done. Like most on here I'd have Ben Clark in the team. Surely if anyof the centre backs is to play at right back it should be Antwi as he is fast & can distribute the ball quite well, however my first choice at right back would still be Micky Barron if Wilson doesn't think that McCunnie is up to the task.

McCunnie has been one of our better players of late - really don't understand why he was benched today (well apart from making way for Wilsons "new boy")

I thought Budtz was at fault for the first goal, that wasn't even a good cross he had all day to come out and catch it, the defending after that wasn't great mind.

We should have been leading at half because apart from that very soft goal Forest had done nothing to hurt us. We came out and played really well for 20 minutes after half time but didn't score Moore was denied by a good save, they had twenty minutes in the ascendancy and did score.

A decent performance but nothing to show from it. Our back four needs sorting out though because a pub team would have been disappointed with that first goal today. Coles looked like a centre back playing full back, he did OK though he was solid enough but did get caught tucking inside once or twice giving the likes of Commons too much room. I don't see how McCunnie deserved to lose his place after one average game.

I agree I'll have to be brief until I calm down.

I had a long discussion with fellow Poolies on how we lost today.

Simple answer: Midfield and up front deserved a win, defence and keeper deserved a loss.

How the hell can he drop McCunnie? How the hell can he continue to leave Clark on the bench? How the hell can Butdz stay in goal?

Moore was unlucky not to score and Barker's peformance was improved. Our midfield was as good as ever apart from Monkhouse was off the pace. The midfield deserved to win.

Did we deserve to win? My first thought was 100% yes but then it dawned on me it's a team game and it's not all about the midfield and attack. The defence plays a big role like it did last year and today it was very poor.

I still maintain that it was a VERY harsh loss but if the defence plays like that then we might as well lie down and die.

Exactly Daniel, we can't keep gifting teams soft goals. Even the winner could be questioned after Jans fine save where was a blue shirt to clear the follow up?

I also thought Barker had a good game today and Moore played well. Moore should have scored first half though when he was clean through, and Liddle should have scored the near open goal from the rebound

A draw would have been a fair result today. Both teams had pretty poor defences, the occasional player with above average ability - Brown for us, Commons for them and attacks that didn't look that threatening. We lost down to being slightly sloppier at the back than Forest. I did like their "2-1 to the famous team" song, they must get hacked off with teams look us coming to their once famous ground and pointing out their reduced circumstances to them.

I seen nothing to tell me that this lad is better than what we already have. McCunnie on the bench was ridiculous. Ben Clark on the bench more still. As for your boy, he was excellent when he came on.

Thers been a lot said about scoring goals but in all honesty I don,t think thats where the main problem is. Barker is criticised but is on track for well over 20 golas this season. Problem for me is we are gifting too many goals away. The central pairing haven't gelled and there isn't a lot of confidence in the keeper. We have to tighten up at the back and the results will come.

Absolutely true. To win away we need to score three goals currently. Thats a lot to ask game in game out.

It's harsh to blame Humphreys for the second, he was left isolated one on one with Commons, one of the best players in the division he got past him with a good piece of skill.

I'd guess that if they haven't had a bust up already they will do soon.

Is Rocky 2 on the cards?

That about sums it up, as Mr.I says, we need three to win and we don't have the front line to get them.

More precisely, we don't have the front line on the pitch to get them.
No disrespect to Foley, but to put him on for Brown when Joel's on the bench was absolutely shocking.
Joel for Brown, Foley for Moore (on the right) would have been a better call.

Also, why replace Coles with McCunnie and then drop Liddle to right back and play McCunnie in midfield.

Mr. Wilson is losing the plot !

After all that switching everyone was confused and surprise surprise.... they scored.

It was his job to stop him. He didn't even get close. I make no secret of the fact that I don't really rate him but there's not much to choose between him and Elliott. Personally I'd put Clark and Nelson in the middle and try Antwi at left back.

Coles can play anywhere along the back 4, does that include left back. If so why not stick Coles there...

But dropping McCunnie was mental.

It's worth a try. God I'm depressed !

Am I right in thinking Coles is naturally left footed?

We'd all like to know the answer to that one Chip

I have to admit to being very, very disappointed by our defeat yesterday, but even when it was 1-1, I was thinking to myself,"I wonder what minute they will go 2-1 up"?
Sad indictment on our inability to keep teams out, and not capitalise when we're on top, but true all the same.
Sadder still, Hartlepool will never ever win at a big ground like that. Cursed, whatever you want to call it, but true.
Swansea match already looks like a home banker just for that statistic alone!!!!

We did draw at Swansea last time though

[quote="parmopooly"]I have to admit to being very, very disappointed by our defeat yesterday, but even when it was 1-1, I was thinking to myself,"I wonder what minute they will go 2-1 up"?
Sad indictment on our inability to keep teams out, and not capitalise when we're on top, but true all the same.
Sadder still, Hartlepool will never ever win at a big ground like that. Cursed, whatever you want to call it, but true.
Swansea match already looks like a home banker just for that statistic alone!!!![/quote]

dont be saying that bud im meant to be going

we just know it though, don't we? We predict gallant wins, but once the match kicks off that familiar expectation of our net bulging at least twice before we have a decent attack ourselves, hits home hard!!!!!

Were you not watching?

Coles went down in a heap with cramp about two minutes before he was subbed, he had to come off. No way would Wilson have messed with the back four at 1-1 if it wasn't forced. The winner had nothing to do with the change at right back, it was actually a good piece of interplay from Agogo and Commons in the middle of the park.

"Mr Wilson is losing the plot"

That's interesting - I'd never thought of that before, but now we are playing some clubs with large followings it seems true.
I don't know if MJ or any of the other statisticians out there know, what is the biggest crowd Hartlepool have won against, in say the last 10 - 15 years? Just guessing that the Tranmere play off victory was one of our biggest at home in recent years.

I think your question has been answered by MadJohn in the "So what do we reckon then" thread mate.

Sorry - I thought that thread was about International Playboys and as I'm not in Kev's league I didn't finish the thread.