...if he's a footballer I'm a nuclear scientist.....not got a clue what he's doing, seems to get worse with every game I see him play. Why have we so many young players who seem to get worse and not better?

Holden had a decent game it's clear Moore asked him to be disciplined and play left back he did that all day, closed down, tackled, marked and headed. Defensively for the first time ever he was sound.

Out of everyone on the pitch you pick Holden no goal came from anything he did, he held his shape by instruction I hope unlike the last two previous muppets and offered a slight attack option with a long throw into the box. Some people are really special and got beyond the half way more than once. This is a joke about some idiot screaming at Holden during the match please tell me it's this?

I thought he was poor again. Dreadful ball control which did the defending on Oxford's behalf when we tried to get forward. He is nowhere near good enough, yes he did his defensive duties today but past form suggests he will revert to type and we will concede goals because he simply isn't up to the standard required for the football league

It is just a sad fact and he is not the only one by any stretch

All round it was a better defensive display and yet someone has to complain about a young player yet we were badly let down by our mire experienced full back on the right. Get a grip and support the players as a whole we can only get out.of this by being a team not individuals.

Not having a go at you or holden but pools are only going to get out of this with better players not by just getting 100% behind shit players. Which most of them are.

Just who has allowed this many shit players to get contracts.

And where are the quality kids?

He's 100% not good enough in the long term, I just thought he did alright today and what was asked of him.

I thought austin was a lot worse

I thought the full back four looked far better than previous weeks, they kept their shape and formation. Yes 1or 2 individual mistakes but overall great improvement.

Obviously at Dyke house mate!

Supporting players makes no difference to their ability I am afraid. Dibbles is correct. If they can't control a ball under pressure, what are they even doing out there? And who allowed them to be at the club in the first place?

Moore will know this, but the lack of quality caused them to not win the game yesterday, not the lack of support. They got plenty of support, including from me

They are not good enough to get wins

They will get great support on Boxing Day but they will still get beat!!! Cos they have no ability

ok then I promise not to mention the breakaway in the second half played into his feet with acres to run into and a great chance of a second goal, by the time he controlled the ball the entire Oxford team was in the 18 yard box, and he he even gave them a throw in!!

Oops I said I wouldn't!!

Sorry and stuff, but ..... that is why we are a team where we are cos the opponents in the same situation would not have let us off the hook like that!!!

PS It is not his fault he's not good enough, it's the fault of a succession of people...from Ken Hodcroft, Russ Green, Sam Collins and more than likely Colin Cooper

anyway, if Evans is signed this entire thread may become a moot point for a few of us regardless!!!!

I'm with you on that score. I don't think I could sit with that and try to defend it against the inevitable questioning it would incur from all my Boro supporting work colleagues.

I couldn't... and I wouldn't

Not sure why Austin is getting the blame for their goal.
Tha bloke who put the ball in the net was surrounded by three Pools players who all faied to react quick enough when the cross came in.

He certainly should not have been favourite to get his shot away first time like that

At a guess because Austin let him get the cross in so easily.

Great guess, obviously getting the cross in was a contributing factor, but 3 other players in the box should have dealt with it.

Makes me laugh when people say keep off the 'lads' back. Apart from the fact he's 22 coming up, and made his first appearance for Pools in April 2011, he's made nearly 60 starts for us now.
People will also say why single out one player, well yes Austin was poor too, but as Parmo said at one point during the game he was attacking down the left wing and could not get full control of the ball, and ended up nearly tripping over it, we then lost our advantage. His long throws consistently found the Oxford centre-halfs, we had them under a spell of pressure second-half and his overhit through ball went straight out of play in the Town End.
He cleared one ball from the left back position over the CK Stand side and it went clear out of play on the MH terrace side!. I could go on, but his close control for a pro' was awful. If fan's are happy to accept this level of ineptitude consistently over many season's it doesn't surprise me we find ourselves in the predicament we are in.
I've tried supporting and encouraging a lot of these players over the last 5 miserable season's and I've come to the conclusion now that they actually come off the pitch thinking they've played well because nobody's criticised them when they have been appallingly p.ss poor.

He was picked to play left back though and I'd say of all the games I've ever seen Darren Holden play yesterday defensively and positionally it's the best I've seen him perform. He was solid enough. He normally bombs forward and leaves huge gaps, yesterday he changed his game and did what was asked for the team by the manager.

I seem a bloke slagging Harewood off on Facebook saying he should have been subbed a half time for Fenwick!! He worked his bollocks off yesterday and was a real outlet especially after midfield got tired again after half an hour and vanished from the game. Without Harewood working hard and being a handful up top we'd have been hugely under the cosh, to be fair Ironside held it up alright as well but for someone to think Woods was man of the match is comical, he can't contribute to a game for more than 45 minutes him and Featherstone got deeper and deeper and less involved as the game went on.

Clueless!!

He was picked to play left back though and I'd say of all the games I've ever seen Darren Holden play yesterday defensively and positionally it's the best I've seen him perform. He was solid enough. He normally bombs forward and leaves huge gaps, yesterday he changed his game and did what was asked for the team by the manager.

I seem a bloke slagging Harewood off on Facebook saying he should have been subbed a half time for Fenwick!! He worked his bollocks off yesterday and was a real outlet especially after midfield got tired again after half an hour and vanished from the game. Without Harewood working hard and being a handful up top we'd have been hugely under the cosh, to be fair Ironside held it up alright as well but for someone to think Woods was man of the match is comical, he can't contribute to a game for more than 45 minutes him and Featherstone got deeper and deeper and less involved as the game went on.

Clueless!![/quote

Agree, hopefully Ronnie seen the same and will put it right.

Because when he launches a long throw into the box he doesn't make his way in the box and header it? Not sure if Holden knows the rules and believes this to be a foul. I was hoping these football experts would of highlighted featherstones input to the team or how jones played at center half. To say Holden is bad for something he will do in the future let it go it will eat away at you. It could be better Murray could still be here no Holden, the Italian stallion at the back, walker a shoe in, another six signings that cannot get a game and the Christmas log formation. Saturday for me was a slight upturn in form but it is evident that they are not fit enough.

Jones played center half because he is a center half, not a left back. Darren Holden is a left back and an attacking left back. You all realise that the manager tells the players how to play tactically. So when you are talking about Darren and pushing foward or sitting back, give the lad a break. I thought the young lads did well on Saturday. I was dissapointed Hawkes wasn't in the mix. I would rather have him playing than woods any day! I'm also glad that Walker was left out, because that lad cares too much about drink than the game at present. I like the way Ronnie talks, hopefully after a few new players this will be our best shot at survival.

Holden was looking for direction and taking instructions from the bench throughout the match.

I am unsure what that says about the player, but maybe that is the way it needs to be for him.

I agree we need an experienced left back, and the sooner Duckworth is back the better for me. its easy to blame the defence when we are in this position, yes I agree that defensivley we aren't strong BUT how do you expect to win games if you aren't scoring. Look at our strike rate this season, it's a joke. We don't have any consistent finishers, even if we could keep the back door shut, there's no fire power up front.

Haha, if Jones was my son I'd be getting him to bring the lads round so I could tell some of the lazy shits to put a shift in. That's because Schmeltz is shite. Every second ball usually goes to the opposition, he looks busy yes, but busy isn't necessarily good. He gets bullied off the ball far to easily. Austin is far too inconsistent lately. But no doubt he will be slotted in at left back on one of our five right backs return.

Shite or not it was a cracking through ball. One of these days Franks might actually set something up.

Yeah.... One ball in over 90 minutes. I was over the moon when we signed him, looked like a good prospect but i honestly don't rate him at all. Franks has always struggled with confidence and consistency.

He did get subbed so wasnt over 90 minutes to be honest.

Unlike Franks who got the full game and did nothing but lose the ball and slow the attack down every time we had numbers and a chance to break.

Hey ho lets stick to Schmeltz and Holden for this last game.

Must be using Wilsons tombola to pick these players out.

It's not exactly like we've got a large squad to choose from is it.

Chip, most games the midfield go missing.

Theres obviously gunna be a mass clearout in may but who would you keep to build a team around?

Duckwort still under contract .
Flinders undecided.
The rest can all go for me

It depends what league we end up in.

We will be hard pressed to get promotion now.

Haha Beardy lad, Never say die

Holden is not good enough by far. Certainly the general fitness of the team needs improving

Holden reminds me of a puppy running around!!!