in the summer?

The dullest summer of lack of signings, and team investment in years.

Our team, players, look jaded, tired.

Too many of them have had too many games whilst not really being good enough.

And now we are paying the price? Are IOR accountable? I think they are. They gambled big style, and its going wrong.

But there is still time to put it right. Hand in pocket time again Ken.

I think it started earlier than that, we failed to make any significant transfer progress the summer before and as a consequence we struggled season 2007/8. We again failed to correct any of the same obvious deficiencies in the summer of 2008 (and throughout most of this season) and surprise surprise we are struggling again.

Entirely predicatable and Uncle Ken wonders why the crowds are falling.

But what's the alternative? We are losing how much each year?

I disagree with you that IOR are accountable to a point. In hindsight the problem over the last 2 seasons has to be placed at the previous manager's door, and remember I was a Wilson supporter.

Over the last couple of seasons the team as a whole has lost to many experienced pro's and to many inexperienced player's who dont know what a battle is brought in. I not going to say whether ,I consider the following good or bad, but they were experienced and knew what a battle was.

Barron Williams(E) Tinkler Provett, Dimi,Barker Bullock Barker.

All lost ,for one reason or another and replaced by kids, now Im not having a go at kids here but how many times over the years have Pools went out and brought kids in on loan and played them. If we are going to blood kids let us blood our own, at least those kids will have some affinity with the club, while other's are simply here to get experience and to return to their parent club as soon as the loan period is over. The fact we do bring kids in may have something to do with finances and therefore IOR but surely at times like this then we could bring an experienced lower league player in and use say,for example, Tymon off the bench, we already paying Tymon so why pay Henderson. Yes a more experienced player will cost more in wages but as loan player's are always a short term fix it wouldn't be to much more.

The problem is our experienced pro's, Nelson Humphreys, Clark, Sweeney, Porter arent grabbing each other by the throat(metaphorically speaking) when they mess up and giving each other mouthfuls regardless of who they are. Barron not the greatest right back ever at Pools but could he organise and sort the defence when necessary, it's that type of thing we need now.

Players standing up and being counted, starting Tuesday.

In resonse to OO.

Well lets gve up then?

A couple of inspirational signings can add 1500-2000 on to the crowd. peter Beardsley anyone? Gordon Watson?

Or lets keep gambling, go down, and have 2000 fans?

Its a no brainer now, surely?

No the players need to pull their fingers out. I can't see Uncle Ken allowing many more signings. He has allowed five is it?

I blame Wilson for our unbalanced squad. The Pools job was just that, a job, to him he had little regard for the long term future of Hartlepool United. Things were allowed to go stale, put lack of summers signings into the mix and injuries in to key players (Brown, Boland) it's little wonder why we are struggling.

Wilson should have gone after the end of last season, we just drifted from last season into this season nothing had changed we have exactly the same strengths and weaknesses as last term. Hopefully we can get enough points to stay in this division and start again in the summer.

In my view its the 'experienced pros' that are the problem. Too many are completely secure in their positions no matter how badly they perform. They know how thin the squad is and whether they play badly or not they will get selected irrespectively.

I think we'll survive the season out then I want to see some sacred cows slaughtered.

Chip's last paragraph hits the nail on the head.

So, in short you're blaming Richie Humphreys again............

I wouldn't blame KH or IOR at all - it just seems that the managers at Pools lack common sense. We all know the weak area's but they do nothing about them.

It's not just me thought is it, I just seen it first.

Saw what exactly

Thats he's a very weak link. That he is way below what people profess him to be. That that long run of his was a farce given that any good manager would have dropped him countless times.

He's played under 6 different managers, have non of them been 'any good?'. The fact he is playing left back is hardly his fault, he's struggled a little of late and maybe needs dropping but I'd still have him at the club as a valuable member of the squad.

Any Pools fan who fails to recognise Ritchie Humphreys as one of the best signings we've ever made is open to question for me. Your hatred towards him is quite frankly baffling. The extent to which you say he's been a weak link is also a massive exaggeration. He's still more than capable of doing a job for Pools, his form is suffering with a few others at the moment, in the earlier part of the season he was actually playing very well.

For me, I feel it seems to be a number of things.

Garbage away form.
A complete lack of passion against the lesser teams in the division.
A clear fitness / concentration problem in the last 10 minutes.
A keeper with no confidence.
Players playing out of position.

Just look at the bench yesterday. 3 strikers on there makes me think that Turner knew that Joel might struggle.

I reckon that if ALL of the players give 100% effort for the rest of the season, it'll be enough. I just can't see all players giving 100% which will make it a lottery.

At this stage, I can't see us picking up many points away from home. We could pick a few up at home but it depends on wether the players can be arsed.

Please prove me wrong!

I'm sorry I don't see a lack of effort. What I do see is lack of confidence that's clearly been drained by 2 wins in 17, the effort is their the belief and quality on the ball isn't at times. Our midfield went missing yesterday when the chips are down you need people who willing to take responsibility and show for the ball, after Porter went off we lost that yesterday.

I must say I think he is a weak link too and is NOT capable of doing a job for pools. His legs have gone despite only being 31 and his passing is woeful, positioning poor and cannot tackle. That sort of makes it tough for him to do a job in midfield or as a left back.

By effort, I mean players backing up their fellow players, having the intelligence to stay onside (how many times were we caught offside yesterday near the halfway line?), having a shot when they get in a shooting position etc.

Didn't see much (if any) of that yesterday. I saw a lot of running around like headless chickens.

'His legs have gone' what a load of bollocks!!

Thankyou PJ, I thought it was just me.

I see OAP's shuffling down post office queues quicker

it was realised on here early season that we only actually have 3 defenders (all being centre backs) at the club. Which means playing at least 2 players out of position. the 2 Centre Backs that have been playing mosst of the season don't seem to have a good partnership. Couple that with sub-standard Goalkeeping throughout and we have had a recipe for disaster all season. Wilsons fault completely, however, Turner doesn't appear to have realised this or hasn't (so far) done anything to resolve it.

The defence has been neglected for 2 year and is the reason why we could get relegated this season.

Any good manager would have dropped him? Do you mean any of the good managers that got us promoted? Or that got us to the play-off semi-finals, or that got us to the play-off final?

In my opinion he's been a great servant to pools and some of the things said about him have been extremely harsh and unwarranted.

There is no question that he has been a great servant to the club. He has played his heart out but the sad fact is that he is just not the player he was two or three years back. You're not comparing like for like when you talk about the play-off final days and now. Humphreys has not and never will be a left-back, he is an attacker/midfielder who has been moved back there as age has crept up on him. He is a steady player who will give his all, but his positioning and turn of pace for a full back in League One just aren't there, he is caught out too many times to be effective. One-on-one against a pacy winger he might not as well be there. The question is, do we accept this and move on for a younger natural defender or do we let sentiment cloud our judgement on this one?

Its not about sentiment.

Its about, so called, intelligent people on here, slagging the bloke off beyond belief, saying shite that he has been carried for years. He is not a left back, never has been. But who the hell at pools at the moment is? And is that Humphreys fault?

I would love to see us get a left back in. Anyone know one available?

Humphreys still has a lot to give, but not at left back. But he wasnt to blame on saturday. We were supposed to have taken on the saviours on loan, werent we? At least Humphreys played like he cared.

this sounds sh-it, but.......... I've given up hope we'll be anything but a League Two side next season!!
Sorry!!!!
If we do survive it will be a pleasant surprise, but I don't expect us to finish higher than 22nd to be brutally honest.
Crewe, Swindon, Brighton, Hereford, Orient and Yeovil have all showed the qualities required to get out of this recently. They have all strung two wins out of three or whatever in the past few weeks - we've strung 2 wins out of 18!!!!!!
Only Northampton are on such a wretched run as we are, and I think they'll bomb out with us, Cheltenham and one of the others.

in fact , Northampton have been so bad that our only League win in two months was against them!!!!!!

So who appoints these "senseless" managers then?