I've just been watching the extended highlights from Saturday and I'm surprised that no-one else has mentioned that yet again Andy Monkhouse was lucky not to leave us down to ten men.

Late on in the game he is tackled, loses the ball tries to exact rough justice on one of the Colchester players and then poleaxes another making absolutely no attempt to play the ball.

I can't remember a player for Pools with a worse temperament. He will cost us games in the future leaving us down to ten unless he gets a grip - and you just know it will be important ones.

Can anyone remember a more petulant Pools player - I've rarely missed since 1983/4 and I can't think of one. Probably only Houchen, when the stress of being boss was destroying him, goes close. 'Doris' Butler wasn't even close and is the most recent hissy-fit taker I can remember.

Anyone got any nominations for the all-time 'toys out of pram ' player?

Gus de lella

Tony Skedd

Skeddy.

Micky Barron used to hack people down all the time if they took him on.

I remember a time he was very lucky to stay on the field when he was playing right back, a guy was running down the wing and he pretty much rugby tackled him.

Thing is your just watching the highlights of a single few seconds of the game, for all you know monky may have been hacked, kicked and abused all game by that fella and i'm not saying it's right but after so long there is only so much a man can take.

I'd forgotten about Gus. That's a great shout.

I went to the cup tie at Fulham when he was sent off and then went to the player's bar and whacked their enormous centre back.

I've met Simon Morgan since - he works for the FA now, I asked him about Gus and he pretended not to remember but I could see in his face that he did.

How about the all time legend that is Paul Baker.

If anybody narked him he just chinned them.

No but I have seen Monkhouse on 3 or 4 occasions in the last 2 years behave disgracefully and completely unprofessionally by attacking (no other word for it) players who have annoyed him and when he feels hard-done by.

The luckiest thing that has ever happened to him is that he got enough headstart at Rochdale, when sent off , for 16 stone of John Doolan not to be able to catch him when he was then sent off. And he tried.

I was told they had a altercation in the tunnel. I know it was wrong by Monkhouse but he did make me laugh that game (game was already lost and am not condoning it) The guy would take anyone on, no doubt about it.

If you gunna get sent off you may aswell do it for summit worthwhile, and that's speaking from experience!

Monkhouse does continually manage to find himself in some sort of niggle in nearly every game I watch. This may not always result in any bad tackles but can result in verbal exchanges etc.
I've no doubt that monkhouse will costs us points at some point in his career but I'd take that and have him fired up all of the time. You can just tell that he hates getting beat. Also I don't approve what he did at Rochdale but I was pretty wound up that game too and I wasn't even playing. His "in for a penny in for a pound" mentality to that sending off was funny.

My only concern is what he does for team spirit and if he has a "Bowyer / Dyer" moment at some stage this season. He's always twisting at his own teammates if he doesn't get the ball and I can see him losing it at some point in time (my money is on Sweeny or Behan)

He's been sent off once in 115 games.

Alright that was in some style but I'd hardly suggest that is a temperament that is 'costing us' I can't recall him being suspended for bookings either

Future tense was used. I just think he has been remarkably lucky that it has only been once that he has been sent off. He could easily have gone on Saturday. Earlier this season (I believe against Norwich) he got angry and made exactly the type of scything, no attempt to play the ball challenge that referees hate. As it happens he only got yellow but he was fortunate.

The bizarre thing is he isn't playing in a position where anger and aggression are helpful. If he was a centre back, or central midfielder it would be useful. In what we want him to do (ie beat players with skill and cross the ball) it's no use at all.

He is the only one in our midfield at the moment with a bit of aggresion.

Excellent post, PJ.

He tackles like a forward sometimes when he's lost the ball or things aren't going his way, I wouldn't say he's ever going to break somones leg. He just gets a bit frustrated. He's only human, a lot of people can't hide frustration.

To suggest his temperament is going to cost us in the future isn't really backed up by the evidence of the rest of his career.

By the way, I don't get your signature, I make the assembled Millhouse pundits right

I think your making a mountain out of molehill here pde1471, he's had one red card in about 3 1/2 season with us.

I can live with that easily.

If he'd had a couple last season and one this season then fair enough, until then let's just look at this agression as a positive that he gives a shit.

Pde is talking about Monky's temperament, not his aggression. Ie his reactions when things don't go his way. It is indeed human nature to react to situations but it is HOW he reacts that may get him into trouble.

Although he has only one red card to date, there have been many obvious signs that Monkhouse is hot headed and that will inevitably lead to problems before long.

Nowt wrong with a bit of aggression ,but it needs to be controlled and channeled in the right direction.

He's been sent off once in 115 games.

For me that shows he is using it correctly.

End.

And how many of those 115 games have you seen?

Pde says there have been two or three occasions that have lead him to express concern, I would say I've seen at least treble that.

I love the way Monkhouse plays but he WILL leave us with ten men in games in the future. I also just hope it doesn't cost us points.

I've left the signature the same for 3 years I think. It frustrated me to death when the Millhouse whingers (that I stand amongst) destroyed the confidence of Jermaine Easter. He was raw, missed lots of chance but was very strong and had real pace. He definitely wasn't ready but he had potential. Cue the torrents of abuse that have been with us since the same morons abused Steve Howard when he was a young, raw player.

Jermaine has proved to be a player:

http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24357

7 international caps and holding down a place in teams at the top of our league and lower reaches of the championship.


Already last year there was enough improvement in Matty to suggest that he'll have a decent career. For an all to brief 8/9 game spell after Christmas last year I thought he was our best player.


I do sometimes wonder if the fact that the production line of exciting players from the youth team that we had 5 years ago stopped because management of the youth scheme got worse. Or is it managers taking the view that there is no point sending out a kid so that the first time he gives the ball away the millhouse pundits can decide that he is 'shite'. I guess we'll see with Johnny Rowell.

Yeah I reckon if he plays another 200 games he might get sent off twice.

Not only could these hypothetical sending offs cost us points, I reckon we need some cover for the hypothetical suspensions, and if he's going to be as pontentially reckless as you're suggesting we are looking at 3 games that's for sure.

In short we're fooked.

Oh so that's why I see the word 'poo' so often.

I didn't type shite, I typed shite. Unbelievably shite that you can't say shite.

Oh and by the way when Monkhouse gets sent off on Saturday (which is inevitable now, and let's face it, he's due given how reckless he is) it will be all this threads fault.

If I was manager and I coyuld change his temprement, then id refuse. Imo its not a bad thing but a benefit.

Nowt wrong with a bit of 'red mist' as long as it's used positively.

Unlike the red mist hanging over Sydney.

I am more concerned with Monkhouse being inability to take players on since we got into League One than his temperament....

I sometimes get the feeling that you don't rate him as highly as some others do.

On his day he has proved to be excellent, the way he tortured that right back from Leicester last season was superb viewing and I hear he had a similarly excellent game against Burnley in the cup this season but for the vast vast majority of games I can't understand people's love affair with the guy.

From what I've read, being our best midfielder this season is hardly the most prestigious of accolades so don't really see the point you're making.

leg-end