To Barrow.

Always thought he had potential, don't think he was given fair crack of the whip, has done little since leaving us , but still only young lad. Have Barrow got a good un or been sold a pup ?

I always liked him, there was talk of off field issues with him

I remember him having a few very good games but they were heavily outnumbered by poor ones unfortunately.

Just couldn't pass the fookin ball at all well.

Nothing against the lad and always want youngsters to do really well but just not good enough for me.

Very few of our recent players can pass the ball well, except Featherstone, but he passes it sidewards or backwards. Left back position a problem for Pools and most clubs in England, or is that something us English imagine?. Always thought he had a good physique for a young lad, more like the sort of physique you usually see on young lads playing against us. For all his faults thought there was something to work on, however if as Monkeybutt implies, if there were off the field problems...

I didn't think he was up to it really, he looked ok as a left sided centre back in a three with Bates playing sweeper but he struggled badly at left back. How many times at our level do you set up the team with three centre backs?

Fair comment PJ, but as you say, as I say, not given fair crack of the whip. We have just signed a 5ft 9 left back, Barrow have signed Jones, I think Jones could of been just as good, but only time will tell. Whether that good is good enough again only time will tell.

I've seen a couple or comments from Notts County fans saying that Adams and the keeper are at least League One standard! I'm cautiously optimistic, all of the signings look good to me so far, even the lad from Chester when was the last time we had a dirty bastard

Think the keeper will be ok, the others, good go either way, fingers crossed. Still think as a minimum we need an experienced centre back in the McNulty/ Dyche/ Jones ( The Sheff W / Donny one ) mould

I reckon if we can get 30+ games out of Bates he'll stroll l through games at this level whenever he's had a run of games and is match fit he's still a classy player. I agree though we need one more, Scott Harrison I reckon will also improve in a team that wins more regularly than we have in the last few years.

Agree about Bates, but cant see it happening , to big a risk expecting him to play 30 games, especially in the congested fixture list, hurly burly of the national league. In fact I don't know why he is still here. New centre back required, but it looks like we are going with what we have.

As for Harrison, again don't think he is good enough, but his aggression if channelled correctly could work a treat at a lower level

Think he's looking at loans too. Might be the end of the permanent signings if that's the budget maxed out. He said he'd be looking for one or two more before pre-season starts so at a guess I think we might be somewhere close to what he's allowed to spend.

I definitely agree that another centre half is needed.

To me it looks like Harrison doesn't fancy having a young lad as cover for centre half given Bates' injury record. If he's freed up the wage to bring in somebody with more experience who should prove a more dependable, possibly long-term, stand in I'd say that was more sensible than gambling on Jones living up to his potential this season.

What does that mean? Could I spell it out any clearer? If you don't agree, say so. If a scratchy head emoji is the best you can do don't bother.

You do know Jones ain't been at the club for 2/3 seasons don't you?

To be honest I'd completely forgot after a few end of the week drinks but Ripper could have just humiliated me by pointing that out rather than doing that scratchy head shit. is it really two or three seasons though? Only seems like one.

Have to confess to typing complete shite anyway.

He did look superb as a left sided centre back of 3 I agree and definitely someone I would have kept and nurtured. Considering how Harrison has been kept a strange decision.

I thought he was someone we should have kept, young lad, agree he was superb as a left sided centre back, and put some really good performances in at left back. Don't forget he was only 19 when he played in the team when we stopped up, lots of time to be brought on and developed with the right coaching and management. Strange decision to let him go and then bring in older players who to be honest were crap.

I thought it was a couple of seasons ago as well but after checking InTheMadCrowd he was only released May 2016

Superb!! That's a bit over the top. To me every kid that gets into the team supporters go overboard. Look at the stats. How many of these kids we should have kept end up in the Northern League.
Jones has been let go straight away by Grimsby and even Gateshead did not keep him any longer than his loan period. As I say I think some of our supports put on their rose tinted glasses at times when watching our own young players.

To be fair I think you may be wearing yours when comparing them with the players we kept!
I agree though, it's rare our youngsters move upwards after being released. I think there was a young striker who ended up at Guisborough then got picked up by another league club. Name escapes me but I don't think he went on to play much.

Danny Johnson, went to Cardiff after scoring about 40 in a season for guisborough then moved to Gateshead and was one of the top scorers in the division last year.

Of course there are players who are released and make it this happens at all clubs.all I am saying is that we or some go overboard when a local lad gets into the first team. We all like to see local lads do well. To be honest I can hardly remember Danny
Johnson he never to my mind did anything at Pools.

Training starts Monday I reckon walker has until then to decide
No doubt we'll get screwed on the pittance of a fee for him


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Whilst I would like to think Boro and co. would still loan us players big clubs don't seem to loan players to conference sides. Just look at our friendly instead of Boro first team they are only sending under 23s.

But the big nasty men in the National League might kick them too hard

The big hairy arsed defenders will get them. I'm never sure why people with hairy arses are meant to be a bigger threat than smooth arsed people but I've been told that National league back fours are full of them. Probably need special shorts their arses are so hairy.

You obviously didn't watch The Last Kingdom