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 Post subject: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:58 pm 
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Happy with a point tonight (as Elvis said to me, always take a point away from home) though we might even have taken all three, but then again after the first half...

We started brightly enough, playing some neat football, but then it all started to go horribly wrong. Stockport showed themselves capable of playing the ball on the ground as well, the pressure we'd put their players under even in their own half evaporated, and then came a mad 90 seconds or so - two crosses in from the Pools right, first a close range header that Flinders could have done better with (though if it had been a clean header he might have stopped it, as it was it dribbled across the line via his legs), second looped back across him. One Pools chance cleared off the line, but Stockport were knocking it across the back four and looking thoroughly in control. IMO the problem was the midfield and in particular the central midfield - no-one getting a foot in, no-one coming to collect the ball from the defence, no-one picking up on loose balls, and when they did have the ball failing to find an orange shirt - Humphreys in particular kept trying to find Brown and was instead being picked off by Rose and his colleague on the left wing. We looked like we were crying out for someone in the Mark Tinkler or Tommy Widdrington mould (dare I say Willie Boland?) to break up attacks, collect the ball, and make the simple passes consistently. Come half time I thought we still had a chance of something, but mainly because despite all their possession Stockport hadn't really been putting the effort in at 2-0 - had they pushed a bit harder they might have been further in front.

No changes at the break, but the difference was that suddenly the midfield started working. Brown began to drift inside a but more, the middle two suddenly remembered how to play, Monky started to look interested. Suddenly Boyd gets on the end of a move and lifts the ball over the keeper and it's game on. Stockport still seemed to want to play possession football and wear our forwards out by making them chase across the back four, but this was now starting to work to our advantage as they lost their momentum.

Behan got booked and rightly so when he left his foot in going for the ball with the Keeper - less good was the sight of Fon Williams even after the yellow was shown trying to get him sent off by pointedly showing the Ref the stud marks on his thigh.

By now it was pretty much all Pools, but we were a bit lucky to still have 11 on the pitch after about 65 minutes. Behan took a free kick about 35 yards out, it whistled past the post at speed but looked like it took a deflection; Ref signalled a goal kick and the incensed Behan looked to be having a real go at him. Some Refs would have shown him a second yellow as soon as look at him, but he gave him a final warning (with Behan still chuntering) and left it at that. Relief, but you could tell that when Behan popped up from nowhere to stick the ball in just before the keeper claimed it after a corner he was probably thinking about it still! He enjoyed his celebration all right... When he was subbed a few minutes later it was probably for his own good - he'd have either got sent off or burst a blood vessel if he'd stayed on!

Bjornsson showed promise in his few minutes, looking to be good in the air and decent on the floor as well - a very good player to have as a different option up front on this showing as he can cope with the ball to feet as well as in the air, shield it, lay it off, he certainly wasn't out of place.

All in all decent entertainment - both sides wanted to play passing football, four goals (all in front of the away fans) and we could even have snatched it towards the end. I'm not sure what CT said to them at the break but they did in the second half the things that they hadn't in the first and it payed off. I'm still not certain that Humphreys and Sweeney is the way forward in the centre, but if they can play the way they did second half then who knows?

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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:23 pm 
Good write-up Mr.Tross....cheers!!!! clappp :grin:


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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:59 am 
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Albatross wrote:
I'm still not certain that Humphreys and Sweeney is the way forward in the centre, but if they can play the way they did second half then who knows?


Great write up. Thanks.

How did Ritchie do? I was worried after Saturdays game that we would be overrun in midfield playing him in the centre.

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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:11 am 
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ElvisAintDead wrote:
He played very well....once the Midfield AS A WHOLE had got the drift that it probably wasn't a very good idea to step back 10 yards every time Stockport had the ball.

We needed Humphreys on the pitch last night, the bollocking he was dishing out to Hartley shortly after the second goal was monumental.

Tell you who was SUPERB last night. Neil Austin. What a signing.

Seriously, CT and Pools will have got more out of that last night than they would have if we'd won 3-0.

Very, very impressed with the spirit AND skill shown after such a disastrous 2 minutes. Some of the passing was fantastic.


Excellent! Our players have often been guilty of playing too deep over recent seasons and we always struggle when doing so. Hopefully, like you say, the penny will have finally dropped last night. Austin was great on Saturday too. A brilliant signing and too good to be sitting on the bench. I am still keeping my fingers crossed that Sweeney gets moved to right back with Austin on the left. Im still not convinced about Hartley.

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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:13 am 
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Aye, Austin did very well, Haslam is solid but Austin is much more comfortable on the ball, and if anything is also better defensively.

I've not seen many games this season but I wasn't totally convinced with Sweeney and Humps as a midfield unit, humps sprayed some great passess around but didn't seem to want to press their midfield at all in the first half. He is coming back from injury so it will take time. Still think we need a ball winner in there.

Brown was a bit anonymous, Behan and Boydy worked well, Monkhouse was great in the second half. Thought the centre backs should have done better with the goals.


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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:14 am 
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In terms of Humphreys - what others have said! First half he wasn't at the races but then neither was Sweeney or Monkhouse - and Brown was getting isolated on the right and not seeing much of the ball. Second half he played a lot better, put himself about more, and started to find his range with the passing. It was noticable for example that he started to pick the right ball more often - so instead of trying to thread a risky pass through to Monkhouse he'd play it more safely to Hartley as he came forward to join the attack.

I think what helped as much as anything was that Monky and particularly Brown started to tuck in more especially when Stockport were in possession as it gave us that extra help in the central midfield. I think there is potential for Humphreys to play the holding role in front of the back four - he hasn't really got the pace for the wing or full-back on a regular basis, but if he can break up play and then use his passing skills to pull the strings from inside the Pools half then pace matters a lot less. He's at the stage now that he needs to start becoming the Midfield General - the second half showed that he can do that, the question is can he do it consistently.

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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:43 am 
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Humphreys can play the "Tommy Widdrington" role certainly for my money. He reads the game well and in my opinion is still the best at the club for the one touch, quick, short, passing stuff which Pools can do so well when the players get their minds set to it. He just can't play left back, which is after all not what he's trained all his career for. So it makes sense to play him in a position he should be in.

Two passes before the first Walsall goal, one probing, the second the killer ball in behind for Monkhouse - Jones and Sweeney would not have played them balls - and we wouldn't have scored the goal - so he has to stay in there for me.

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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:01 am 
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Agree with what most people have said but would like to add that I thought Brown was very disappointing last night went missing far too often and also why on earth does Peter Hartley take throw ins, he must be the worst throw in taker in the world and I'm suprised that last night was the first time a foul throw has been given against him (that i've seen anyway). He just seems to aim for a piece of grass 2 feet in front of him, its laughable.
Anyway the 2nd half performance was much better from everyone and gives us plenty of promise if we can pick up some more home points as well.
Oh yes, I nearly forgot, Boydy ran his socks off last night, he's definately on his way back like, very good game from him.
Overall, well done Pools and to the good turnout of Poolies. clappp

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 Post subject: Re: A Game of Two Halves, Brian - Stockport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:39 am 
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Austin was brilliant last night, but I wouldn't put him left back....not long term anyway. I still think we need to sign a left back, particularly one who can cross a ball.
Apart from a twenty minute spell in the first half, I thought we dominated the game.
Both their goals could have been prevented, although their lad should have tucked it away when clean through on goal. That would have made it three and probably meant we were going home with nothing.
I wasn't too disappointed with our midfield, apart from that twenty minute spell, where I thought we could have pressed the ball a bit more. I think it is safe to expect that when we are playing away the opposition will have purple patches. I agree with what Elvis said, I think the coaching staff will have learnt from that and will concentrate on closing the ball down during these spells.
Boydie also impressed me.
Good point, which I would have taken if offered before the game, although at the end I was just a tad disappointed we didn't get all three.
I thought the referee was poor but he redeemed himself a bit when he allowed Behan to stay on the pitch. A lot of referees would have lost their patience with Mr Behan. Got to control it Denis, no matter how aggrieved you may be.

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