http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10326~2093417,00.html

Given no signings have been made (yet) I could see the trialists been given contracts and so last nights starting eleven could go up against Rochdale.

Not a chance of last nights starting eleven , starting against Rochdale.

Unless we have a Sunday League coach in charge who plays a banned Liddle.

And we all know that wont happen.

Maybe one of Turner's new formation changes has 2 out of the 3 you've mentioned (Gamble/Humphreys/Murray) in midfield with a quick skilful creative midfielder and he's playing 1 up front , with that skilful creative player who can score goals just behind the front man.

We don't know yet.

Though the lack of transfer activity is worrying, though on the other hand maybe the signings that never really appeared last season have settled in more and will be the players Turner said he had last season where they will give competition for all players.

On one hand some posters on here slated Turner last season for bringing in players they said weren't good enough and now when Turner/Wadsworth are looking at players prior to making a decision, he's wrong again.

Now I'm not defending Turner here I may have my optimistic head on, but I still believe Turner's not the man for the job, but for people to slag him off on two different approaches to bringing players in, shows that they just slagging off for slagging off purposes.If he was wrong (in their opinion) last season, then surely by taking a different approach this season, he should be right (in their opinion)

What options has any manager got when comes to signing players.

1. Sign them after watching them in games
2. Sign them after they've been recommended (and these triallists must have been recommended by someone) without watching them
3. Sign them after watching them in training and couple games.

Last year it was option 1 ,this year it's option 3 and only a Sunday league coach would use option 2.

Maybe and this is with my real optimistic head on, there are 1 possible 2 season long loans lined up (whet the fans appetites) and both clubs have agreed that the players in question will only join Pools after the Holland tour still giving them time to get to know the players who already here.

Ok maybe a tad over optimistic but, least we can be that for the time being.

We have half a dozen players at most who last season were of league one standard, and we stayed up because we loaned someone from Sunderland.

Without that player we would have gone down and this season we look to have those same players with the addition of an old man (in football terms ) released from a mid table league 2 club and a South American with a dodgy knee. We still don't know about Horwood and even the other two haven't been signed up.

As for hanging your hat on CT coming up with some miracle new formation - don't count on it!

I admire your optimism Bob but without major signings then bottom four is a foregone conclusion.

And I missed something off, why does it have to be a midfield of Gamble/Humphreys/Murray

Maybe it a back 4 of

Austin....Collins....Hartley.... Horwood....

Then a midfield made up of something like

McSweeney.... Gamble.... Liddle.... Monkhouse

With Boyd/Sweeney linking up the midfield and Brown up front or

Brown....Gamble....Liddle....Monkhouse

With Boyd/Sweeney linking up the midfield and Behan up front.

I'm not advocating any of the above, I'm attempting to read Turner's mind and he has said we will be playing different formations. But Chip you stated and rightly so that at times last season especially away from home how often we were over-run in midfield. With 5 that wont happen as often, not as nice to watch but it's results that matter.

So I'm trying to put the players we currently have into those different formations.

Yes Liddle had a good season at centre half but he was a midfielder converted to that position, maybe he's going back to it, I don't know and neither does anyone else on here.

Let's just give the team and Wadsworth's training ideas sometime before we write off this season.

Hopefully we will see a couple players come in, but if not we need to support the 11 that cross the line each Saturday during the season.

in your opinion of course!

My opinion is all I have to contribute.

I dont think he even knows his own mind regarding tactics or our best formation. So good luck with that.

I agree we I think we should play 4-5-1 with someone "playing in the hole"

Isn't that what we all put on here, our opinions.

yes, it was a pretty stupid post in all honesty.

Wasn't having a go at any particular poster, Chip. And it may have been another board, cant be a****d to trawl through previous posts.

Maybe there's just no money in the pot.
Its the only reason i can think why we are bringing in journeyman footballers from a division below.
But why did turner promised us exciting signings only 3 weeks ago

Liam Bridcutt played about dozen or so games and against us in the game at their place.

I think it was Fetish Bob and a few others about a fortnight or so back.

Only if my pessimistic head was on, but could well of had a go, not at triallists but lack of activity as such.

to those who are putting Liddle in the eleven for rochdale must be reminded of his suspension

3 days late. See 2nd post on this thread.....

I just thought i would make sure everyone knew what you were saying Bob!