Can't believe no one has start this yet.

Really difficult to call I reckon. They have a point to prove after being spanked by Grimsby and we only have one recognised centre half and our second choice keeper in nets (albeit a very capable one) so we could get a hiding.

Or they got spanked because they're bobbins.

First time I've seen dudzinski up close and stick man is a very accurate description I reckon. Twig legs.

Looks like there will be quite a few of us today....come on pools

3-1 defeat. Think we'll get bullied with that midfield and even weaker defensive line up.


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Not been overwhelmed with Deverdics performances yet. Hope he takes this chance to show what he can do.

Come on Pools, Stevenage are there for the taking. 0-2 Amond and Thomas

Goal!!!! Thomas

1-1

2 -1 to Stevenage

Another lack lustre performance. Hignett's record is beginning to equal that of Moore's in terms of victories.


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We're not as good as we think we are, are we?

I don't think that many people actually thought we were? How many convincing performances have we seen this season? A few come backs yes but really convincing?


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It's only half time innit?

I think we have a very good squad. However Hignetts insistence on attack attack attack is ridiculous. How many times now have we conceded 2 or more this season?

Not sure that's the case today we've set up with an extra man in midfield and the wide players dropping into a five man midfield without the ball. We have three centre backs unavailable any team at this level would struggle with that.

3 - 1 now

Staggers me that a club with so many Central Defenders on its books can't name two proper ones in its first X1. No wonder we can't defend corners...

New season...same old shit

4 -1 now!!! shambles

Sky Sports News off, commentary off, Bunker off, see you tomorrow.

Turned the radio off at 1-1 to go to lidl. Came back and it's 4-1.

Least I got some good value beef n veg.


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Nieve in the week to bring in 2 forwards when it's clear to a blind man on a galloping horse we can't defend.
What did he expect? We'll just out score every one?
We don't have a midfield who can dominate a game and we are Shit in defence.

Just wait till we go to the plymouths and portsmouths of the league. I'm sorry but hignett is clueless.

Penalty for Stevenage now

5 -1

Can,t take anymore of this crap, I,m off.

Yep, we've got a great squad. Just need to gel, or something.

5 -1 have a look at this sums it up http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37202496

Gave up at 2-1 down ... Hignett out!

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6 -1 I give up!!!!!

I thought we just had 4 defenders and a keeper out due to injury and international call ups. I didn't release we actually started the game without any.

I'm not sure what the worst of it is, that Stevenage were a poor team, the players didn't look bothered or that Hignett doesn't know what to do.

I've never left a game early and that's the only reason I stayed till the end today but I cant think of many other days I've felt this ashamed.

Just got back to the hotel and this is my take on today.

At 1-0 there is no way you'd have expected things to turn out as they did. They looked average and certainly no better than us and we looked dangerous when attacking. They looked like a side who'd just been given a hiding and shit scared of gettting another.

However that didn't last, from very early on it was clear that they could out muscle us all over the pitch so for me the way to beat them was short sharp passing and good movement with a high tempo, so what did we do? Slow build up, allow them to get behind the ball whilst we passed it across the back four.

Within no time at all they were pushing us back with constant pressing of the ball carrier because we were just far too slow when in possession. It was the same passage of play when we were in possession for the whole 90 minutes. We had plenty of possession and passed it around lovely and neatly until eventually it found it's way back to Bartlett who then hoofed it upfield where they then regained possession because we didn't have anyone capable of winning a header.

Their first goal was caused by Carroll who when, again, he was forced to turn back towards Bartlett because he was being pressed but ended up giving it away to the lad who was pressing him and from there they scored.

Harrison was at fault for the second although their lad took the goal really well (overhead kick) BUT it was Harrison's weak as piss header to nowhere that caused/created the chance. He just nodded it up in the air back into danger. Just put the fucker out for a corner if your not sure for fucks sake.

I expected they'd get a hiding off Hignett at half time and expected a much better Pools in the second half.

Just got more of the same. I THINK the third was a header from a corner. Can't remember the rest of their goals in any great detail. Harrison got the wrong side of his man for one of the goals leaving Bartlett to try to deal with it but the forward got there first and headed it past the outrushing Bartlett. Harrison got done a bit later by one of their players, don't think it ended with a goal but the ease at which he was passed was poor. Just did him on his outside. He had a poor game but what would you expect from a player who looked a stone overweight last month and who hasn't had a pre-season?

We were properly weak in the tackle all over the pitch. All day. It was embarrassing really. So if we are going to get outmuscled we need to play a different game, play to our strengths. If they're going to press, pass it round them, short, sharp passing and movement, stretch them, get them chasing us, tire them out but no, it was all very narrow and slow. Played right into their hands and the worst thing for me was, if I can see it then Hignett definitely can, so do something different. I don't claim to be a footballing genius, far from it, but it does my swede in when I think I can see things / problems but we carry on doing the same shit. If the lads aren't on their game, then accept that and hoof the fucker beyond their full backs for Thomas and Alessandra to chase - turn their defenders, get them worried about the ball over their heads and force them to sit deeper creating either a hole between their defence and midfield we can then play through or at the very least get them to think twice about pressing so high.

Magnay conceded a blatant penalty which was just fucking stupid. Manhandled his man in the box when he went round him.

One plus though was Bartlett who made a couple of brilliant saves, a double save in the first half and what looked an excellent save in the second from a shot from distance.

Trying to put a positive-ish spin on the result, you just have to look at the side we put out. That defence was nothing like it should have been in terms of personnel and the positions they played in which of course played a big part in the result.

In the same way that if we play like we did today against a side that is stronger than us and closes us down we'll get battered, when we get it right we will be capable of battering someone else. Take Newport. We really did give them a hiding with 10 men.

The final thing I have to say is whilst I fully understand people getting really fucking angry and frustrated when we're weak as piss, you travel to watch utter shite and part with hard earned cash etc to do so, it really doesn't help to turn on the players. I'm guilty of reacting badly myself because you can't always keep composed, but rest assured the players know full well how fucked off we are but how much better would it have been for us to keep composed and applaud them when they came over to applaud us? We're all in this together and all that shit. I wasn't applauding their performance, I was applauding them acknowledging us.

Agree with what's said above.

As for the applauding, baring a a few like paynter who I waited to applaud at the end, most only came over after they were told to as they went to leave the pitch.

Applauded they should of been stoned.

You need to get stoned you miserable get, chill out man have a doobie.

For fucks sake I said I was going to give this place a miss and here I am posting.

Cheers for another good report shilts, it good to read stuff from someone who was at the game rather than people spouting bilge like spoilt kids.

Maybe they where stoned???

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toungue In cheek chill out. Do you need to go to the game to know 6-1 isn't a particularly good performance?

I was there.

Just got back - still in shock.

For the first fifteen minutes I thought we were going to give them a right going over; they were awful and we were playing good football.

What happened? They sussed our midfield, Jake made a mistake and then they realised, like Pirlo's Beard, that milk turns faster than Harrison.

And for those who weren't there, Bartlett kept us in it!

For me it was like so many times in recent years, the manager lost it for us......

As long as he perseveres with Woods and Featherstone centre midfield we will struggle. Cannot believe he cannot see it. How and why Hawkins got dropped beggars belief.

I'm not sure Hawkins has played yet well this season to be honest and had done enough to keep his place. I do agree about the central midfield pairing and have been saying the same for a while but they both had really good games only last Saturday. Both go missing far too often in a key area of the pitch. I don't think Hawkins is the answer for a game like yesterday either though. Maybe Laurent deserves a go, he's certainly a more physical presence than the others?

I've just seen the goals by the way, awful. I know he apparently made some good saves but I don't think Bartlett covers himself in glory, he's glued to his line for set pieces.

This is the thing, we can all see that the pairing of Woods and Featherstone does not work, to similar, I think they themselves can also see that, yesterday like many others they both went hiding. Deverdics was poor and has been every chance he's had, I'm not sure what he does. Laurent gives us something different as he can go past a player stretching the opposition's midfield, which no one else can do.

Whatever he does he cannot just persist with the same pairing.

Deverdics seems to want far more time on the ball before making a decision than he's ever going to get, unless he plays in a defensive midfield role which he can't play in because he's so lightweight. He does get brushed off the ball rather easily. On the very odd occasion he has time on the ball he can pick a pass, but I can't see it working out for him at this level based on what I've seen to date.

Just been talking to my step dad about the game and told him I thought Laurent looked decent when he came on (forgot to mention it yesterday because I was only really thinking about the things that didn't work) - what he did was try to take us forward. He at least tried to make forward runs, took a couple on and all that.

I've said before he looks like he can play a bit. I honestly think he could be a quality player with game time.

I don't think Deverdics is up to pace with the league yet, he has good footwork but he takes so long he hasn't got time to do anything. I was very surprised with Woods yesterday, I didn't think he could play that bad. I'd give Laurent a start, he is something different and I'd probably expect Hawkins to be back in the team as well.