I know there only friendlies but these last two games ive seen prove that its not the system for us. Harrison looks uncomfortable covering the right hand side and worley is so slow that forwards can get in behind him and theres no cover. We did start making a lot of changes in the 2nd half but the back 3 remained the same and we conceded some soft goals. Surely it would have been beneficial to try another formation out during the game instead of persisting with something thats not working. Bright points were woods- best player on pitch, Whittle looked good and Bingham scored 3. Im hoping he tries something different next game!

It's worrying that we've played this majority of pre season so to just stop means not a lot of match practice with new players in a new system.

It just doesn't work. There where times on Tuesday night when harrison was pulled even further out right leaving Worley and magnay against two of their players. Decent forwards would love that. We have to revert to 4 at the back. It doesn't leave much time for moore to change things.

Yeh but youse are forgetting about the great escape!! #nsd #itsyouronron #greatescape

4 at the back is a must for the players we have. If we were exposed against a conference team then how are we supposed to stop a league two team

It's funny I was just thinking about last season shortly after moore came here. Quite a few where questioning his decisions, particularly around subs. Hope it works out this season and I think he is a great bloke but just hope we don't let this cloud future judgement. Surely he will change the formation for Chesterfield. And for those who say these pre season friendlies don't matter, you are right so long as you learn from them. We will see next Saturday whether he has.

When the 352 was talked about last season I was aprehensive but with staying I just hoped it would go away. If we play 3 at the back we will lose most weeks

Arguably yes we played 3-5-2, but the left wing back was Austin who never left our half. And we had tshibola who was always going to be a huge loss.

God knows what's happened to walker from that first season but he just hides from the ball

I have been to scunny and spenny games and think walker will have a great season this year. Also scored some very important goals at the end of last season. He is very frustrating at times but he is definately the most talented in squad

Sorry can't agree with that.

He hides away from the ball. Not something you want your midfielders doing as this inevitably results in defence going long

I think that is a little bit harsh. I thought he looked a different player when he got back in to the team towards the end of the season. Only time will tell

Walker was crap on tuesday and today, we need another midfielder in there. We should be playing 4 3 3 like we did in parts last season in my opinion.

It has to be changed. They hit in behind Harrison every time today, and could have scored more. We're also seeing opposition fullbacks bombing on at will, because the wing backs are occupied with wingers.


On the plus side great to see Woods back, he was easily Pools' best player today. Liked the look of Whittle too.

Somebody has to fill in the tony Sweeney invisibility role stood behind wherever the other teams midfielder is

Agreed, we need somebody to run 40 miles within 90 mins without actually touching the ball.

Just seen Moores interview and he says midfield is NOT a problem, well i beg to differ as Walker adds nothing really and looks as poor as last season on the last two games showings.

Agree about Mirfin, even though he had his off days. Not sure whether Tshibola was good enough, but definitely better than what was on offer at Gateshead today.

At the end the day it's about players not formations. The players if they are properly organised should be able to the adapt and do the jobs asked of them, the are professionals. You all talk about it as its a formations that teams don't win football matches playing. We won the two away games that kept us in the League playing it last season and we kept clean sheets.

I still think we are more suited to 4-3-3, it was the best football we played last season especially the game we beat Plymouth. I think with the Bingham, Paynter and Fenwick we have the forwards to play it ego will compliment each other.

It's still no excuse for conceding 5 though that is down to individuals not doing jobs rather than a system.

Oh it's still not a proper game, I'll be concerned once those start if this isn't rectified.

Having placed bets on next season I have just cashed them out. I can't see this squad getting anywhere near the play offs. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

These games are almost entirely meaningless. It's the time to try things and get match fit. Scorelines are irrelevant. I am not worried one bit.

Salisbury beat Bournemouth the other day and didn't the Geordies get spanked by a pub team as well?

Trust in Sir Ron. He knows his shit.

You say that but I've already returned my season ticket and am booked into the Dignitas clinic for 2pm on Wednesday.

I blame the formation.

im not too disheartened. we've signed so many new players, they were always going to need time to settle. we got the big clear out we wanted now we need to be a bit patient

I wouldn't be to disheartened ,that Gateshead team put 2 goals past Darlo last week.

I didn't even realise walker was on the pitch today until he got hooked, he's a big lad and should be bullying others and not being bullied himself.

I see Moore is continuing to portion blame to the full backs as he did with Duckworth last season. Austin always seemed to escape criticism and always assumed that was because he didn't push forward so much but got binned off. Carroll seems to be more effective pushing forward and Moore already looking at another left back? What exactly is he looking for in a full back?

Comments on here about friendlies being meaningless and having no baring on season are a bit naive.

I reckon our pre season is quite in line with season performance. The point being made is how the formation is poor and yes maybe people should be able to learn, but it's not looking that way is it!!! It's ridiculous how easy we are cut open and players like Harrison especially who looked like a world beater, is now looking like a pub player

I don't think they know what he wants from then, damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Can Carroll play left wing? Maybe an option for 4-4-2 and could have this trialist at left back behind him maybe?

Positives from today is that in woods we actually had a midfielder who was box to box and knew what he was doing, unlike bates in midweek.

And hadn't mentioned that whittle who certainly looked like better player in the defence.

He's not looking like anything until we've played a competitive fixture.

We've played two friendlies and he's now looking like a 'pub player' You talk as if these two games are long term long standing issue. To say our pre season performance is in line with season performance is the biggest load of unqualified bobbins I've ever read. According to when? I'd say nobody ever remembers pre season results. Didn't we once beat Man United 6-0 in a pre season friendly? I' m presuming we went on to win major honours that season whilst they imploded.

What the hell are you on about?

You just brush aside problems from pre season games because they aren't competitive. A) I presume you weren't there seen as you commented you don't take on friendlies and b) Seem totally focused on disagreeing with anyone who offers an opinion on the friendlies.

Without knowing for certain I doubt we've had many a great pre season and followed it up with shit season and vice versa.

He's looked poor in the last 2 pre season games, that's a fact. Nothing else. He was outstanding last season, again that's another fact. I've commented on fact I don't think he looks comfortable essentially doing his defensive work where a right back would usually be, this is an opinion but something that looks pretty blatant from the last 2 games.

Pre season games allow us to comment on the team, that's what has been done. I'm not saying we will get relegated or stating how I think we will do. Just that my opinion is formation is poor and if we play like have last 2 friendly games, we'll be in for another long and shit season

He played in that system in competitive fixtures that we won last season, I'm pretty sure in both of those two away games last season he got 8's and 9's out of ten in the papers.

I wouldn't attribute anything about pre season to real football, I've seen us struggle at Blyth with a good side out, get hammered 6-0 in Neale Coopers first game at the Vic. On the flip side I saw Steve Howard score as we beat Sunderland 1-0. He scored one more goal before Christmas and we won one game, one real game that is. Nobody remembers pre season or talks about it once the real stuff starts. I'd rather we had problems now. I have faith in the manager and am not that fickle I'll change my mind in 7 days, we'll be alright this season.

Do you think moore sent his team out on Tuesday night and expected them to play as they did it do you think he would have been disappointed?

You can constantly go on about friendlies meaning fuck all but the way I see it is, even if we where taking it easy tuesday we seem a long way from being able to compete. That is what worries me more than the margin of victory.

PJ you daft tw@t, how many warnings do you need about your common sense FFS ???

Yes I think Moore sent out the team to get stuffed and he was well happy with how it went.

I don't seem to recall someone saying these friendly results means we won't be ok. I see people saying its a worry as we are 2 weeks away and if performance don't improve from these friendlies then yes we will struggle.

It's not so much the Goals conceded but the manner of the performance really

Someone of Harrison's size will always struggle in the channels when pulled out wide. Jones is much better suited to this system playing at left centre back. Might have to be a case of 1 out of Harrison and Worley with somebody a bit quicker on the right.

Barnet 3 - 1 Milton Keynes Dons
Brentford 2 - 0 Stoke City
Radcliffe Borough 2 - 2 Bury
Guiseley 2 - 1 Bradford City
Portland Timbers Reserves 4 - 3 Newcastle United
Harrogate Town 3 - 2 Gateshead
Salisbury City 2 - 1 AFC Bournemouth
AFC Telford United 1 - 0 Walsall

Some friendly results from the past 5 days. Shouldn't be panicking over a couple of friendly losses at all. If we're getting stuffed in the league then panic away...

It's not so much the result as pointed out, it's just how bad in the games we are performing. I can't comment on the previous friendlies but when opposition has been of higher standard, we've massively struggled

Harrison played in the middle of the 3 last season.

Or was it Mirfin?

Chelsea looked awesome against New York. If we're still playing like that 5 games into the season then I'd understand but right now nobody should be worrying.

If followed Chips advice and cashed out also.

Anyone who finds friendly results and/or performances worrying is wasting their energy.

As Mr Mandrake points out above, results are meaningless. I wouldn't be thinking we'd win the league if we won 15-0 in a friendly any more than I'd be thinking we'd get relegated if we lost 15-0.

If we're going to play shit this is exactly the time to do it.

You're all daft putting money on Pools in the first place, a cardinal sin, but even dafter cashing out now before the season has even started Can you 'cash in' when we beat Morcecambe? You daft gets will probably put more money on us.

This place is hilarious at times

Daft get is a term of endearment Chip.

It's still quite funny, the level of investment and the quality of player we've signed has not changed in the last week. A couple of friendlies have been played that's it. We've got a way to go before we can think about promotion just being mid table and alright will be ok for me, for now. Finishing in the top half would be a start.

I'm not sure how people think if you are performing poorly in lead up to season, all of a sudden it all turns out ok come the season starting.

If they weren't worthwhile exercises, nobody would do them

Who had suggested pre season games aren't a worthwhile excercise? Nobody.

They are massively important for the players in terms of fitness and the manager in selecting his first proper team of the season.

You are a bit daft or intentionally missing the point the once the real action starts the results and performances in them are 100% unarguably irrelevant.

I love that everyone is expecting the world from this team by the sounds of it. No one is taking the realisation that it is a brand new team essentially. It's going to take a bit of time to gel and them to get used to this formation. To expect us to be world beaters is just naive. This season the focus should be purely finish mid table and not be in a relegation battle and to allow us to build where necessary for 16/17 season to allow for a playoff/promotion campaign. Yes the friendly results are slightly concerning, but they are not competitive games at the end of the day. Let's see how we do the first game of the season and judge from there. Support the lads and give them the encouragement they need rather than the usual getting on their backs and telling them they are pap.

The last 2 results count for nothing the same as the wins v Billingham n Spennymoor.
Pre -season mainly about fitness and team bonding.

Come Aug 8th i,m sure Ronnie will have the selected players playing there roles to the best of there abilities.
Add in 4000ish partizan poolies to bring the best out of the lads and we will be ok.

I was there too Chip, we didn't play well, they were clearly a better team than us.

However, 3 major, unnecessary mistakes made the result flattering and we were extremely unlucky to not get 2 ourselves. Fitness wise we looked fine, Brad Walker was putting himself about a lot more than last season (to little effect). We just looked like a group of players that had no real knowledge of each others game.

We need to spend the next 2 weeks working really hard on our shape, hopefully ditching 3-5-2 in the process.