Two seasons running we are sat in the middle of the table with slight worries of relegation and slight hopes of the play offs. we'll get neither of course, our season is already over other than a game against Stoke. Can't see us worrying them without James Brown. Fortunately there are some awful teams around the bottom so the relegation places will have to do without Hartlepool this year.

There'll be minimal investment in January and more of the same next summer so we can look forward to being all stealers wheel for years to come.

Exciting innit!

but the manager should still make best use of what he's got. Is he really doing that?
Good managers can get small clubs like Pools comfortably safe in this division.
Great managers (eg Cooper) can get us higher up the league. We already have some good quality players at our club, it's how they're being used is the issue for a lot of people at the minute.
There are one or two who should be used as squad players who get a shirt every game, and others who are in and out who should be the regulars. In my opinion.

You've got to say that against a team like Yeovil with limited attacking threat and who have scored so few goals away from home, to leave our best two attacking midfielders at left and right back yesterday was a mistake. Especially when we were without Brown.
Sweeney was MOM against Fleetwood and yet he was shoved back into defense at the expense of McCunnie who also had a good game last week.
This is the infuriating thing with Wilson. A failure to make the most of what we've got.

Yesterdays team should have been;

Budtz

McCunnie
Collins
Nelson
Humphries

Sweeney
Jones
Liddle
Robson

Porter
Kyle/Mackay

To be fair McCunnie had flu as did Ben Clark, Sweeney also was under the weather (he was took some man flu tablets after about 15 minutes of the game) so it was very much the bare bones yesterday. Sam Collins has been hardly been training either. I could have understood a below par performance. But the facts are he still had enough available to play 4-4-2. Nobody knew what they were doing ahead of the back four yesterday. We still should have had enough to have beaten a dreadful side. He picked that team to accommodate Mackay because he scored twice against the dog and duck.

The club is missing something at the moment which I can't put my finger on, we don't have any spark as if everythings on hold. We aren't progressing we are standing still and you can only stand still for so long before you start to go backwards. We have already lost about 1,500 people an alarming slump and such a shame after it took so long to attract these extra people. What will it take to get them back?

But that is Danny Wilson mistake after mistake.
Spoke to people yesterday at the game who are going to give the Stoke game a miss.

Theres one thing missing and its the one thing that Pools fans won't stand for. We'll accept poor players giving their all. We'll accept getting beat off a better team but a lack of passion from management and players just won't do.

Agree with that Mri looked like some had given up yesterday.

They're not proper supporters then.

I did it was hilarious, sadly the highlight of the game, that and the Nelson/Wilson ding dong.

I'd sooner settle for mediocrity for the next 2-3 seasons than splash the cash and end up in the same position as the likes of Luton/Bournemouth/Rotherham.

I also agree with some the comments about the manager/players, if Danny Wilson showed any less passion then he'd fall asleep, and it rubs off on the players too, only a handful within the squad who look like they would die for the cause.

No real leaders on the pitch lately, the players seem to play like they have only just met in the dressing room before kick off, an incident yesterday when Matty had time and space to bring the ball down and no one told him, he tried to clear it first time and gave it straight to the oposition.

Basically, Danny stop tinkering and pick the strongest available side and play a formation that suits us and the players are comfortable with (4-4-2).

Players, show a bit of passion, desire to win and talk to each other on the pitch, and ffs someone try to stand out as a leader.

I missed that PJ. What exactly happpened?

That's a fair point if McCunnie was unwell. But we still should have had more than enough to beat them yesterday.
Also, what is wrong with Power? Has he been now consigned permanently to the reserves. He hasn't really been given a chance as far as I can see.
How about;

Budtz

Liddle
Collins
Nelson
Humphries

Sweeney
Power
Jones
Robson

Porter
Mackay/Kyle

They're not proper supporters then.[/quote. Maybe not but they are all gods children..

'ambition' , that's what is missing

Aye. Things certainly were better in the good old days.

In my opinion, one of the reasons for such lacklustre performances is the lack of strength in depth, 8 out of the 11 on the pitch on saturday knew they were guaranteed their shirt next week regardless of how they played, that for me is the main problem, no competition for places breeds complacency.

Yes i know we're skint and haven't got the resources to bring players in, but as long as it stays like that i cant see the problems on the pitch being solved.

I for one would like to see pools sign a couple of good players and push for the championship, but as i said earlier in the thread, i would settle for mid table mediocrity for a couple of seasons rather than live beyond our means and end up in administration.

In all honesty, we'll settle for what we're given, we have no say in the matter.

My growing frustration with Pools over the past couple of years is the utter favouritism of some players irrespective of performances as had aready been said. I know its my regular soapbox but for example; I take Humphreys unbroken run of appearances with a large pinch of salt because for a large portion of that time he didn't deserve the shirt but his face fitted so he played. He's not alone though.

We've lost passionate lads like Effion Williams and Jim Provett and brought in lesser players. We all know that there are a few young lads on the verge of the first team but they never get a run out because Foley has to play first.

It's next season I worry about most. We will lose Porter in the summer because he was blocked from moving last close season despite his personal problems. That must have hurt and he won't be any hurry to sign for us again. So without Porter, we're condemmed to more of the sort of performances like that served up yesterday. The passion has gone from the club and a growing number of fans. The only answer I can think of is to bring in a Cooper-esque boss who will give our primadonnas a boot up the arse.

But have you even seen Rowell play yet?? And as for hammering DW for his formation, well a few weeks ago there were people on here saying Ritchie shouldn't play left-back, now he's been replaced there are people saying he should be back there. It's mental.

I'm not trying to be an arse but there's only one man who gets to make the decisions, and he doesn't get to change his mind three weeks after the event - much like many people on here do without any problems.

We're in a division that we've only been in for a very few seasons during our 100 year history and we'll hold our own depsite the economic climate plus the injuries/suspension/illness and yet still people are unhappy. What more can we do?

I have. A lot. And I think he's great when in possession but not that great when not. Yet. But he will be. He's a very talented kid.

My point is that we had a depleted squad going up against a team who were quite happy to sit back and defend and break when they could. And now we've not won it's all "wilson out". There were two teams out there...

....well if you don't give him a chance we'll never know will we?

Not being funny Snowy, but a run around in the reserves is hardly the same is it?

and just imagine if he has a bad game!! bloody hell....

I've seen him a few times for the Reserves, I know not anywhere near the level of the first team, but I think he has got that little spark that can change a game. Also MadJohn really rates him,and that's a good enough recommendation for me.

A bit of passion and effort wouldn't hurt. I thought that there was a great deal of going through the motions on Saturday. Robson seems to be the only one providing that.

BTW. Do the players get a bollocking for shooting from the edge of the box? The lack of shots on Saturday was alarming.

Don't talk wet.

If Pools want to change what they've done for years and sell 2 tickets per season ticket so that some fairweather bod can turn up and see a Premiershit team then I'm tempted not to go myself.

It's fkin disgraceful.

that started because Liddle shirked responsibility - I said it at the time, before Collins had even passed it back to Budtz. Liddle may as well have attempted a forward pass if the result was going to be putting us under pressure and giving the ball away anyway.
It only highlights why Wilson doesn't know what he's doing by putting Liddle in there instead of Sweeney in the first place.
Utter cluelessness and beggaring belief. He's been in the professional game for decades, yet he obviously knows nothing, and has learned nothing in all that time if he thinks Liddle is a better midfielder than Sweeney.

But he didn't sign Sweeney.

And Liddle didn't score against Wilson's team in a play off semi.

Grave, you can't get into a trap of calling you everyone you don't agree with 'Danny Wilson' (and we all know what that translates to ). I know what cassy is saying, if a young lad comes in he has to deal with playing in front of a (albeit dwindling) crowd. He might not be ready for that. I'd go the other way though, I think we'd be far more supportive and understanding of a young lad from the youth team making his way than someone who's had chance after chance. It can't be nice for Baby David to enter the field to a chorus of boos and the worst thing is it's not even his fault he's doing his best but is it not up to it and shouldn't be continually put in that position.

From the very little I've seen of Rowell he looks a confident enough lad, take the Leicester paint pot game for example his brief cameo was the highlight of the evening!

yeah - but just imagine if he has a good one................................

Er, what are you on about? If you read my post, I'm advocating the lad is given a chance in the first team...do you have problem with the idea....?

Hey Ripper, how do you feel now with the Leicester game rearranged?

This season, for the first time in my life, I'm indifferent to what they get up to down there. If I like what they're doing on and / or off the pitch then I'll go. If I don't like it I'll simply keep my cash to spend on something else. Well done Danny Wilson.