Pools 3 - 1 Notts County....Amond, Woods & Deverdics....3,969!!!!

Good to see Hignett putting an emphasis on starting games well. If we can be quick out of the blocks tomorrow, put them under pressure, get Thomas involved early we can put them to bed. I'm going for a 3-0 win - Amond 2 and Thomas to score.

Pools 2 them 1

Thomas , Magnay, again!

4.101

Three nil

A big Billy hat-trick

3,996 Poolies 304 from Nottingham

And I win the Corner Flag meat draw.

2-1 Pools, Paynter and Amond. 4231

2-1 Paynter first scorer as always. Have to get it right once or twice a season

Pools 2 them 1
paynter Amond.
3708.

Tidy start. Go Toto!!!

Tidy start. Go Toto!!! ...or Aristotle according to BBC Sport...

This has the feel of a decent season.

Toto has earned his money today, such a fantastic effort first half from him


...greetings from the CK stand C

Come on Pools

S hit on it x2!

1st half great, second half atrocious. The midfield just didn't look fit and Billy didn't look like his legs were in the game. Pish

Don't know what happened at half time but that was abysmal second half. Hignett had to be questioned as we were ring overran long before he brought Hawkins on and no surprise when their CB strolls through the middle to set stead off without being challenged.

Magnay injury proved how short we are at full back as Richards is not good enough for this level. Podge doesn't seem to offer enough and I'm not sure what was going on with Thomas today. Until the last 10 minutes or so he looked like he didn't want to be here.

Hopefully move on and get 3 points next week but defensively we look terrible.

Terrible tactics 442 they just ran through us at will but once again a blind man could see where the danger was coming from and yet no changes were made until it was to late.

Lets just hope Hignett learns quicker than Ronnie Moore did when we play this horrendous 442 system.

When I read Hignett say he wanted to make the Vic a fortress I had a feeling we'd lose.
Seems to happen every time a manager or player makes that statement. Each time I see it in print it makes me wince.
At work today so can't comment on game but it seems we are a bit suspect defensively, especially as we have one of the better keepers around

We managed to lose to a very poor side today. Toto and Alesandra were excellent. Amond offered little and Thomas was anonymous for long periods. We needed a central midfield change at half time but it never came.

Overall we should have put them to bed before half time but failed to and paid the price.


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Hignett keeps saying he doesn't want to play 4-4-2 but he says it's the only way he can fit his attacking players in and that worries me. We got 6 Centre midfielders in the squad and not one can tackle. None of them look comfortable in a midfield 2 either.

Great display from Toto today but not sure what on earth Carroll and Thomas were playing at today.

We were fucking bobbins

Thank god for the on going ticketing issues and the freebie on offer.

I wont be paying to watch that very often.

Very pedestrian.

“The next goal was always going to be massive and they got it but, to be fair to them, they created some chances because we were so open and you could see the goal coming – the lads just let it happen.
Read more at http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/ ... XkVZ6MV.99

Hignets view and sums it up really!

Almost agree.

We lack legs in midfield big time, Fearherstone is a given sits and makes things tick, Woods, Hawkins can't get around the pitch well enough to support the striker if we play a 3 and definitely haven't got the legs in a 2, but I like them both on the ball. Laurent seems to have legs and can tackle, gets forward well too as we saw in the Preston game, maybe the lack of experience is keeping him out as the reports have been positive. His first contribution was to get into Smith, who seemed to be in total control when he came on.

Toto and Alessadra good today. Thomas when he did look interested far to predictable.

Tactically Hignett got it wrong both with starting formation and whatever subs/changes he made.

Almost Moore-seque.

At last a bit of good news today

Agree - and I didn't win the CF meat draw, again.

A very dreary display from a team lacking any drive, initiative or purpose, both individually and collectively. Particularly in midfield which, for large parts of the game, was non existent. Sadly reminiscent of many recent seasons, different faces, same outcome. At no point did anyone, either on or off the pitch, show any sign of leadership.

It's tiresome being a Pools fan at times.

That's been always the way

And for the vast majority of fans, particularly in the lower leagues. But sticking with your team is what makes the good times great.

Of course. But fingers crossed for a small portion of success this season.

And no daft pitch invasions cos we stayed in the bloody Football League...

Argh. Stabbed through the heart by you again.

That hurts.

Got tbe crowd spot on 3708.
Do i claim £100 from the Trust.

Im convinced some sort of witchcraft curse the VIC about 7 years ago.
Was that the last time we won more home games than we lost.

We played 4-4-2 for 55 minutes and looked comfortable. Hignett changed to 4-3-3 and we concede two goals in minutes.

Carroll got a lot of stick in the second half, but he was up against 2 or 3 players every time as Thomas had clearly been told to stay upfront, and Woods was knackered so wasn't tracking back to cover.

Wow, just wow. People certainly see different games to me

Firstly looked comfortable!? We could have easily shipped three or four first half on another day, they hit the woodwork, Carson made a great save Forte messed up a great opportunity and while some of our defending from Bates and especially Toto was good it was at times last ditch and desperate. At least at the other end first half we looked a threat it could have been easily and fairly 3-3 or 4-3 either way at half time, the game was far too open we had no control at all.

Secondly you are wrong on the system. Hawkins was going to come on in the lead up to the equaliser, he was stripped and waiting as Hignett wanted to shore up the middle of the park as at the time we getting overran and tortured, a goal was coming any minute. Looked comfortable!? We were about as comfortable as Michelle Mcmanus in a wet suit. The goal came as he was waiting and Hignett sat him back down and didn't bring him on until five minutes after the goal on 70 minutes when we reverted to the more narrow 4-3-3 we finished the match with. Shortly after they scored again. We had far more control of the ball with the extra man in midfield for the last 10-15 minutes apart from the joke of a second goal. A totally deserved defeat though in which at no point we looked comfortable and we played 70 of the 90 minutes 4-4-2.

Wow, just wow. People certainly see different games to me

Firstly looked comfortable!? We could have easily shipped three or four first half on another day, they hit the woodwork, Carson made a great save Forte messed up a great opportunity and while some of our defending from Bates and especially Toto was good it was at times last ditch and desperate. At least at the other end first half we looked a threat it could have been easily and fairly 3-3 or 4-3 either way at half time, the game was far too open we had no control at all.

Secondly you are wrong on the system. Hawkins was going to come on in the lead up to the equaliser, he was stripped and waiting as Hignett wanted to shore up the middle of the park as at the time we getting overran and tortured, a goal was coming any minute. Looked comfortable!? We were about as comfortable as Michelle Mcmanus in a wet suit. The goal came as he was waiting and Hignett sat him back down and didn't bring him on until five minutes after the goal on 70 minutes when we reverted to the more narrow 4-3-3 we finished the match with. Shortly after they scored again. We had far more control of the ball with the extra man in midfield for the last 10-15 minutes apart from the joke of a second goal. A totally deserved defeat though in which at no point we looked comfortable and we played 70 of the 90 minutes 4-4-2.

Sorry poolietom but if you think we looked comfortable at any stage other than the last 10 minutes when we went 451 then we must have watched 2 totally different games

A 4-4-2 with Featherstone and Woods as the middle two is a really bad idea. I've got nothing against either player, but they are the definition of 'lightweight' as a midfield combination and County obviously thought so too, 'cause it wasn't the only time one of their players tried running with the ball from deep straight up the middle of the pitch.

I'm pig seek of seeing Pools concede goals like that in home games, and Hignett should be too. I'd like to see him try Donnelly or Laurent to see if they're the type to break up the opposition's play in midfield, or better still get the next Tshibola in on loan!

That should read 'pig sick'
or
'peeg seek gringo'

Central midfield is the only place we really have squad depth but none can play in a 2 man midfield. Featherstone is lost as in 3 man he knows he just sits and has 2 ahead of him.

Hignett for me has to drop one of paynter or amond, not sacrifice others to have them both on together

Agree totally.

Sick of reading he is being 'forced' to play 4-4-2 because its the only formation that allows him to get all his attacking players on the pitch.

He has 5 centre midfielders (6 if including Walker who surely should be loaned out? Cant see any advantage to him being here when he isnt even making the bench? Same with Conner Smith, Nearney, Green etc) and 3 of them need to play to even remotely give us a chance of dominating the middle of the park. Bet there aint may teams with 6 centre midfielders with none of them with a tackle in them.

Thomas has to start presuming he can be arsed, (was pathetic the way he let one of their players simply walk past him on the Mill House side on Saturday, possibly in lead up to Stead hitting bar) Allessandra is one of the first names on teamsheet and then EITHER Paynter or Amond as you say.

Yep; can see his dilemma as Amond isn't one for the future, he's one for now (like Deverdics...)

On the bright side, a 4-3-3 with Amond or Paynter on the bench at least means that there's a goal threat among the subs. Seriously, does anyone expect a goal from a substitute when Oates is the only attacker on the bench?

ps just my eyes or has Laurent suddenly grown? Looks taller and stronger than last year, not seen him a great deal but hopefully can have a bit of physical pretense about him.

I can only recall a good save from Carson where Stead hit the bar, and a theatrical dive to save a Stead header in the first half. Whereas I can recall 4 or 5 chances we had of scoring. Comfortable was probably not the best choice of words, but we were certainly on top in the game.

They made two subs and within a couple of minutes they had scored. Hignett took too long to change - and despite us being under the cosh, opted for an attacking 4-3-3 and we lost our shape completely and resulted in another goal.

They may not have reached Carsons goal but there were about 4 or 5 last ditch blocks going in (usually from Toto) and numerous dangerous crosses. To be honest a 4-4 scoreline at half time wouldnt have been a surprise on another day.

It was resembling a game of basketball at times but at least we are going to see plenty of action this season.

Notts county are a very poor team, yet they have tactically out thought hignett 3 times in quick succession now.

Keep hearing that we have a large number of centre midfield players that either can't tackle or can't get play in a 2. Really unfair when we haven't seen all the CM players either in a 2 or enough of them to see if they can't tackle.

Agreed he has to drop one of the centre forwards and play 3 in the middle, Featherstone and 2 others.

Just watched the extended highlights in case my memory is going. The full 10 minutes is (almost) constant attacks from us. If you can class 'last ditch blocks' (which were just simple blocks of crosses) as good chances, then every attack we had was a good chance.

If the game had stayed 1-0 no one would have any problems with the way we played. Yes, we conceded two goals, but it was more down to the tactical naivety of Hignett who was too slow to react to Notts making two subs, than the performances of the players.

We moaned all of last season 'cos we were boring too watch, creating no chances, having no shots, inevitably conceding a 70th minute goal and losing 1-0. We must've had 15(ish) shots on Saturday. Despite the defeat, it was an exciting game to watch, which is exactly what we were asking for all of last season. But people are wanting to 'pack the midfield' and ultimately become more defensive.

The mind baffles.

I don't think wants to see us 'pack the midfield' at home I think they just want the manager to find the best system and team that suits the players we have or failing that find players more suited the system.

If you think we had any element of control on Saturday and played in entertaining manner then I have no idea what you were watching, seriously no idea second half especially for half an hour until he changed the system we got totally dominated on our own ground by a pretty average team, the goals or goals were coming and Notts County throughly deserved them when they did. If we continue to be that open we will not have a good season and some of the better sides more clinical sides will absolutely run riot against us. I don't need to watch highlights to try to convince myself either I saw the game and how it went and how neither of our central midfielders featured until we stuck an extra body in there. Also players like Thomas got on the ball and started to cause a threat.

Hawkins is the only midfielder who looks like he can tackle, we look better when he plays.

A game that you think could've been 4-4 at half time, and you weren't entertained? God knows how you've felt for the last couple of seasons at half time.

Hignett played a system, 4-4-2, and we were still 1-0 up after 60 minutes. When Notts made the changes, Hignett should've made the changes, but alas he left it too late and we suffered. Naturally when Notts sat back at 2-1 up we looked more in control, but that had nothing to do with the fact we had 3 in midfield, more so that Notts sat deeper and invited us onto them.