Everyone around us is making signings and ones that look decent whether it on loan or permanent.

We cant even seem to finalise a deal to sign a donkey striker on loan from Barnsley who couldnt even hit a barn door?

Whats wrong with us?

You should post more often, never got bored of that avatar image!

I often just look at it instead of reading Trees insights on Pools

Is it that bint off Gaven & Stacey?

Not the fat one, obviously.

Did he post something like? Didn't bother reading it!

There should definitely be a reward for the person who finds more of that footage.

In a half-hearted attempt to answer the question: lots of clubs make signings, quite a few of which look half decent. But if they always improved a team's performance, then the overall standard would keep going up and up wouldn't it.

Funny how it doesn't like.

When Pools got promoted in 91, a fair few players had been together at the club for a number of years by then, and formed the nucleus of that side (Honour, Baker, Allon, Nobbs, McKinnon, Dalton) and I believe at our level keeping players together over a periods of time - if they are good enough overall - is the best policy.
Not long after we went up, York did the same and had a successful half a dozen seasons in this division, because they had kept the nucleus of the side together for 3 or 4 years prior to them winning promotion.
They get to know each other's game inside out, and what they may lack in quality is more than made up for in teamwork and understanding of each other's roles in any given situation on the pitch. A lot more points are earned over a season through this than teams who are constantly chopping and changing the entire squad during each close season.
If Nelson and Clark are allowed to resume their partnership, that's one example of long serving players able to do a job for us. That's why I would like to see the club keep people like Sweeney, Monkhouse, Brown,Clark, Nelson, Humphreys, Robson, Liddle (nice to think Porter as well) - because the players have grown together as a team and as has been seen with some loan signings, new faces don't necessarily slot into the team pattern (Scott's signings, plus the many loan signings of Wilson last season and this). If they come in they have to be able to complement the players already here, eg Jones has done well and will get better the longer he's here.
I would much rather we had the players listed above who have an affinity for Pools, and who know each other's game well enough to compete in this league. We know what the players are capable of and we know they can play good football as we have seen this season.
I don't think we need wholesale changes, just one or two new faces to strengthen the areas we are short of cover.
PS the keeping situation is not good, admittedly, but we all know who we would like back in there at some point !!!

Not long after we went up, York did the same and had a successful half a dozen seasons in this division, because they had kept the nucleus of the side together for 3 or 4 years prior to them winning promotion.

And the reverse of that was called Hull Syndrome, they went through a 3 or 4 year period of getting 8 to 10 new platers every season, top quality players from Championship & Premier sides and struggled and in the end got nowhere.

Since they stopped doing it they seem to have done rather well for themselves.

Which will do you no good at all if you're not in the shipbuilding game.

Utterly top post Mick. There's eight great players in there and only a few gaps. No we don't have strength in depth, when did we ever have? But hand on heart we're only three players away from a good team, patience is what's needed, but I appreciate when you spend your cash you want value today. It's certainly not going to be this season, but if Mr Turner sticks at the job I feel sure he'll come good next.

I always laugh when certain players names come up and the question is asked why aren't we after them, on the assumption they'll automatically improve things. The trouble is, that their skill is just part of the factor, some rather mundane players playing as part of a team find their role and are key parts of a team despite their limited capabilities. Last night, Carlisle came to do a job with man marking and Pools utter inability to adapt made them look like a disorganised rabble whose confidence was visibly draining. For some reason, the back four have no width when the opposition get near the box, standing too far off till they're near the six yard box. Robson showed his old traits and combined skill with complete puzzlement when he had the ball. The goalkeeping situation needs resolving, ALB looks the part but fills me with no confidence at all. The Henderson signing ... why? a still fairly raw teenager isn't really what we need, the pluses of this particular loan signing are all in Watfords favour.

Not many players want to come to the North East!

Lets see if you get shot down in flames for an opinion I expressed immediately after he signed

I am as disappointed as everyone about the lack of signings but no doubt whoever they are in for wants top dollar (are footballers unaware of the financial meltdown the country/globe is facing) and Ken refuses to pay, which in the present financial circumstances I can understand.

It's all a big game of bluff to see who will hold there nerve, that's why so many transfers go through on the final day and in the final minutes.