Macclesfield highlights

http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/mat ... /1-2849429

Season 2006-2007 vs 2017-2018.
Lost first game at home - check.
Drew second game away to Macclesfield - check.
Finished on 88 points - well, you never know.

Even if we finish on 88 points it still might not be enough to win the league if last season is anything to go by!

As long as the likes of Harrison, woods and Hawkins are around the first team then I don't see us really managing to progress into a decent side. They don't appear to be able to handle playing at even this level so what is their level?! They have a losing mentality and it affects the other players as well. Non of them have improved in their time at pools and have been part of a club on the brink far to many times. It's time to move them on but who would take them? Hignett has a lot to answer for regarding those players.

Toasted real bread is the way to go, the crunch is amazing, even when moist with bean juice.

Parking near the ground was easy enough, one person selling tickets though to nearly 300 in the rain eh Chip, do they not read the bunker?

One old woman serving said fans and she was shaking like a shitting dog, never seen so many at once, good deal on pint and pie @£5, they had an industrial 4 deck pie warmer and sold out early, obvs not reading the bunker

Floodlights at 4 lamps on each working, it was a bit dusky about 9.15 and couldn`t be that easy to see it, maybe miners lamps would help!

The reason we looked better than Saturday is because the silkworms were a worse team than Dover, quite a few journeymen type players, although Whittaker was a class above what we have.
How Donnelly and Donaldson get a game is beyond me, how he gets a game for Ireland is further beyond that, Donaldson looked fucked after 20minutes and is slow, Jack Blackford I hear you cry, THE ONLY natural winger we have and two footed would be a perfect foil for Jake Cassisdy who is excellent in the air and a bull in a challenge.
Amond is also too slow and runs around a lot but doesn`t reall do much!
Harrison is an accident waiting to happen, lack of focus or concentration again cost us one and nearly 3

We had a huge hole in the middle of the park for most of the game

Derwent didn`t notice me despite me having a tin of carnation on my head, Ron Harnish had a birds umbrella and why do Hartlepool provide the police to away games with plod from Hartlepool?

Just got back, stayed at a farmhouse in the back of beyond and had a fantastic breakfast.

They haven't gelled yet. It may never happen. Can't really see what sort of quality player we could bring in now. Harrison had plenty of time to do it during the close season.

Thanks for the report. Josh Hawkes is a winger isn't he? and was making steady progress, on the verge of a first team start, yet we thought it a good idea to send him to Marske United to get some game time and probably crippled in the process.

Hawkes wouldn't even make the 5 man bench so makes perfect sense to get him some first team football. It's only a months loan after all so if he does well then we can slide him in and he already match fit etc.

Opinions ! I would have him on the bench , young , pace and energy to burn and a bit gung ho. No problem with him been loaned out, though would of thought it would of been better had it been a team in our league or the league below us, Darlo , Spennymoor etc.

Maybe he is, but I wonder why none of the previous few managers thought him worthy of a go, and why all of these moves he was getting have all fallen through. He is 20 this season, and hardly a bairn anymore.

Has no one mentioned the sitter Munns missed not long after we equalised?

Anyway, he did. I could see what he was trying to do (place it into the bottom right corner) and he was right to try it because it was in if on target but he just mis-hit it.

Based purely on those two games and the feedback from Mr Cardboard Box I can see no reason why we can't put a decent few results together, I think we just need back to back wins and we we really could go on a bit of a run.

There is a definite difference (again based on 2 games only) between League 2 and this league and I think with the quality we have (at this level) we just need the confidence a few wins provides for us to do well.

I think we should be positive.

Last night was much better than Saturday and perhaps the lads did freeze a bit against Dover because it was like wathcing a different side against Macclesfield. Newton was significantly better - better passing, better when in possession and put under pressure, beatter at breaking up their attacks.

Cassidy had a very good game, better than Podge....they just need to sort out their positioning between them because a few times they went for the same ball so when one nodded on for the other they were next to each other!

We played a 442 diamond with Munns playing behind the front two, Newton playing in front of the two centre halves and Hawkins left side centre and Donaldson right side centre....so Magnay and Donnelly played more like wing backs with Newton sitting deeper with the two centre halves when they went forward.

I haven't seen Donaldson try to beat anyone yet, I'm sure he must have and I just can't remember it but he doesn't seem to be able to do anyone for pace either. One thing though, I think he's a decent crosser of a ball. I think we should utilise that more, if Magnay can maybe help create the space for him to cross first time by drawing the opposing left back to him before playing it down the line it will stop him needing to beat anyone.

Much happier after last night and just hope last night was the basis for what we can expect to see for the rest of the season.