Had Swindon not scored their second people would be booking hotel rooms near Wembley, instead we have a board full of suicidal sids. Last week was a decent away draw against Rochdale which told us now't because they have no track record in this division. Swindon on the other hand were a top six side last season and look like they might well be again this time around. Additionally, its a better result that we managed against them last time.

The biggest plus point for me is that the management have finally got the point that the Brown/Boyd is not only obvious, it works.

I thought we could have won it yesterday if Sweeney had been a bit braver. That cross at the end where Rose ducked it..

Darlo beat Rochdale at there place , back in April ......

Would that be April 1957?

and that means.....? Switzerland beat Spain so that mean they must be world champions as well

We should have 6 points on the board. (or at least 4). If people are sounding suicidal then it is a combination of things not just the result. Poor attendances, still no clarification on manager, IOR distancing themselves from fans, poor tactical decisions are all making people edgy.

We threw it away yesterday, no matter how people want to dress it up. I don't care if Swindon are a good team or not, we were better in the first half but played like sitting ducks after the barmy changes early in the second half. We can't afford to continue making this sort of cock up.

Or maybe they are a very good team who underperformed in the second half. I'm not wearing rose coloured glasses, I have no doubt that we are in a relegation fight. The difference is that this season we seem to have the will to throw a few punches back.

What a great post as ever. It excels in so many ways but in particular it's simplicity and relevance shine through.

Never lets you down, does he?

He was actually getting a bar on because they had 2000 rattling around in the chamber yesterday.

Try 'THEIR' place Sussex. Makes you look much more credible

That hurt fell on some scaffold friday knacked me spleen..ouch

Sussex.you are as thick as an elephants foreskin


h.th

Could have been as brave as he wanted, and scored but I'm afraid it wouldn't have counted, the idiot of a linesman(yes not assistant referee) was flagging, incorrectly from my place in the town end, for offside.

"We threw it away yesterday, no matter how people want to dress it up. I don't care if Swindon are a good team or not, we were better in the first half but played like sitting ducks after the barmy changes early in the second half. We can't afford to continue making this sort of cock up."

I wasn't at the match so I'm not going to argue about your wider point but I thought the "barmy changes" were because neither Boyd or Brown are fully fit. With hindsight subbing them both so early looks barmy but at the time, from what I could hear, we looked like being able to defend the two goal lead. It turned out we weren't up to the job but if fitness was the reason for the subbing the questions are-

If Brown and Boyd can only do an hour each should we alternate them, maybe with Yantorno on for 90, or play them together?

If we play them together what do we do when they go off?

Is it better to drop back to one up front to defend the lead? Or should it be 2 for 2, keep the pressure off the defence by attacking? In that case which two should come on?

The answers aren't easy to find but as long as the obvious front two aren't fully fit Wadsworth and Turner have to try to find a solution. If they get it wrong it isn't because protecting players long term fitness by limiting their playing time is barmy.

Neither Boyd or Brown looked like they were flagging - and how could they be? They'd had 15 minutes rest followed by 11-12 minutes of football. I don't see how any player can only last 15 minutes of the second half when the half time break is so long. The double sub was naive, they weren't both struggling and the management team were too keen to get Fabian on despite the other players doing a job. It was the sort of double sub you make when the game is won not when there is loads of football still to be played.

If one of them had a knock or had tightened then take one off, when you have a 2-0 lead subs should be used to break the flow of the game up especially if you are under the cosh a bit.

I can see your point there Jonny but I thought the issue with Brown was a long running knee problem. He won't look like he is flagging because aerobically he might be very fit, the problem is accumulated wear on the knee. So if Brown has to be used sparingly what about Boyd? Might be wrong but I thought he was still on the way back from injury, if that's right it would make no sense to play him up front on his own.

Looked at like that the idea of going to one up and shoring up the midfield doesn't seem barmy. It obviously didn't work though so what should Pools do when the best front two can't manage a full game? If there is no option but to limit them to an hour or so each how should Pools manage the situation?