To save his job?

I agree no messing.

Looking forward to the game on the 2nd of september. Don't need to say anything more.

Yeah because it's served us so well over the last few years sacking managers every five minutes.

Sometimes we've hung on too long. relegation form means a change is needed. Simple as that.

Fire him now. Tin pot league PJ? We've been schooled again

Do you think I was being even 1% serious when I was referring to us pissing this this tinpot League? If you did you'd be very wrong.

Are we really at a point after five games were we talking about sacking a manager? It makes us look like an absolute joke setup, surely he deserves more of a chance than that? It's five games, I know this is awful, its rock bottom, it's hurting us all but I think I'll be about done with it all if they sack the bloke already.

What about some of these fucking players by the way? It's always the manager. I reckon most of them are being paid more than the player they've been in direct opposition to in every game, robbing a living.

Yeah he's got to stick to a formation and get the team doing the basics well, and somehow weed out the characters who aren't up for the fight and find some who are.

Am I right in saying he's started all five games with a different formation to the one previous? That isn't helping himself at all.

not asking for him to be sacked just yet.. but wouldn't be surprised or even bothered if he was. The bloke really has made some big stupid decisions in a short amount of time.

8 games isn't straight away. They've got to put some points on the board soonish. He isn't that inexperienced to know that. Every decent manager makes a team difficult to beat. If he doesn't at least sort that he should go.

Started and finished every game with a different formation.

Just stop fucking about and keep it simple, we don't have the players to deal with changes like that.

You're right, almost Sir Alex territory that. Even Paul Murray got more than 8 games didn't he? And he was treat disgracefully by the club, maybe ultimately it was correct but it showed Hartlepool United in an appallingly bad light. We can't keep doing that to people, especially when they are leaving jobs to come here.

Hartlepool United are in an appalling light now. A club in turmoil.

When managers are interviewed they are told the expectations of a club. If they don't meet them then they must go. That's not disgraceful. Murray accepted a position knowing that if he couldn't turn it round he wouldn't be there long. The risk didn't pay off for him. Including the preseason games Harrison has a few games now to work out his game plan and assess the players.

Craig Harrison didn't even look at the pools fans as he "hurried" off the pitch at full time. I appreciate the fans we're furious (every right to be) but that is appalling so early in his career here.

The mans pathetic and is very much out of his depths, with only one of "his" signings (Cassidy) looking remotely worth the wage.

People keep saying Man U backed Furguson but let's remember if he had lost that famous game he would have been sacked.

Pj you are very good at telling others they are wrong.

It get's a bit tedious reading that stuff.

So tell us your opinion on the manager and the length of time you would give him?

And how embarrasing does the club have to get before its less embarrassing to sack a manager rather than be 3rd bottom of a non league division.

Just so you know.

I would give him 12 games.

If we are still near the bottom then he has to go.

There will not be one person pays £20 to attend if we are non league mediocrity.

Not one.

The only bit of grace today is that you haven't posted yet.

You're here now though. As for tedious have a look at your own contributions especially during match threads.

I'm not telling people they're wrong, it's not really a case of right and wrong, I just think at some point we have to stick by a manager because continuously sacking them has just continued this nightmarish downward spiral. I've been consistent on this over the last few years. The problems at the club are surely greater and as a result of something more than a bloke who's been in charge of the team for five football matches?

Also can this downward spiral by expected to be turned around by anyone in 5 games?

The lynch mob is always hanging around. They don't need much to get them aroused.

He had preseason, signed players, picked his coaches, selected his captain. I hope he turns it round and the players look as if they want to bust a gut for him and each other. They're not doing that. He came to us as a winner. We've got one of the best budgets in the league so rumour has it. And one of the best crowds and away followings. The players are mostly experienced and should be good enough. Even Franks. We were never going to walk this league, most of us just wanted some level of consistency. If they don't start to show it soon he'll have to go sadly no matter how long he intended to stay. Conversely if we won the first twelve games of the season and he got picked up by a league club I wouldn't begrudge him going.

Rightly or wrongly no matter what league you are in a manager is paid on results. If Harrison does not pull it round shortly I'm afraid he will be for the chop. As I have said previously York left it too late and sometimes you have to be ruthless.

I think you'll find that wasn't what Paul Murray was told and he got 5 league games with someone else's players and was knocked back on a lot of players he was requesting by IOR who subesequently let Moore bring in a number of decent players to save our league status.

On Thursday, Omer Riza became the fifth man to take charge of the Leyton Orient this season, following Danny Webb's resignation after two months as manager.

Leyton Orient 9 points, one place behind a playoff spot.

Despite their Bromley result, changing managers hasn't ruined their hopes of a quick return to the EFL.

Its not picking the right ones in the first place that is the problem

So how long do you give him? Long enough to give us no chance?

I agree that keeping changing is wrong - but you must also admit it and correct it when you make a mistake.

Did you hear the conversations (a polite word) between the fans and some of the team at the end today (those players with sufficient grit to not run off like babies)? Magnay, who was getting serious stick, tried to explain and said 'it is individuals, it is not working as a collective'............................the fans around him shook hands with him. respecting his efforts to talk.............but what a cracking insight. So, PJ, where would you start to put things right?

And if I was in the club I'd be talking to young 'has been' Jon Franks......'tell your wife that she is slagging off those who pay for her nails to be done' and I'd then grip by the neck and tell him to go join Guisborough Town.........

And some great points made about Bates...............what is the point?

Harrison has already been dubbed as the national league tinkerman. The only area he leaves relatively untinkered is the defence and that is where he should be addressing his efforts.
Everybody agrees that we need more competent central defenders. Now either Harrison can't see that or the club can't or both.
The next question is how long will people put up with it.
Not much longer is my guess.

Personally I think we need to give him a bit more of an opportunity, but even so I would say this week is massive for him.

For one the Podge situation needs to be sorted quickly. Looks a piss poor approach from Podge, but realistically unfortunately player power does win it times like this, so may as well offload through gritted teeth.

We need a centre half who can lead. I am not saying spend a fortune on one, but if we need to spend something then let's do it, cos every game we are gifting the opposition at least one goal.

Safe to say the results and performances have been shocking but I find it more concerning that he doesn't seem to know what to do. Tuesday was our best performance of the season by a long way, yes we had to make a change to the starting 11 but why change formation.

We find something that seems to work and then he changes it. We signed Munns, someone with a proven record at this level and he doesn't seem to know how to use him.

Undoubtedly he has to be given longer, not least because we probably can't afford otherwise financially and for the sake of our reputation.

We've been unlucky in games but we've also been guilty of horrendous mistakes in the same areas and nothing has been done about it. He's been given a load of shite to work with and we don't know how much input he's had on recruitment. Time to bring in a ugly, old, nasty defender who will bring out the best in the team.

I'm not certain the defence is as bad as people think. I think its the whole team, you attack as a team, defend as a team. I think the defence is put under a lot of pressure by a poor midfield and attack. A midfield has to track back and help out, a striker can defend from the front, but ultimately their job is to score goals , to that even if you concede 2 , if you have scored 3 you win. In front of goal we are woeful , always going wide , hitting the corner flag , being blocked , tame shots, keeper easily gathers, hitting the woodwork. Yet opposition have 4 or 5 chances and bang , its in , shots on target , bringing saves out of Loach and getting rebounds. We are poor from 1-11 and the subs, but to wholly blame the defence is harsh imo. A tall tough tackling CM would be my priority over a CB , though both would be nice.

I have posted before you can put all the names in a hat and pull eleven out and I doubt it would make difference.
I don't think we have a single player who would get another club above bottom 3rd Division and not many would get that high.

How's the mood on the team coach Craig?!

im not sure how harrison is going to survive. The team looks terrible a lot are his signings. When the fixtures came out, most were rubbing their hands with how easy it looked at the start. it looks like we have dropped a massive clanger with this guy.

Harrison must be given time to prove whether or not he can turn this around. He has proven at TNS that when he gets things right he can win, this is a new test for him and it will only make him a better manager if he can learn from this and then if around. There is clearly something not quite right with the players and the attitudes and once that is gotten rid of then we may see a more collaborative effort!

It sounds as if he is going to be forced into making defensive changes with Laing being injured so it will be interesting to see what happens. I don't think we have a chance of bringing the kind of experience that we need and although Bates could be the answer, he has proven since he has been at the club that he isn't exactly a knight in shining armour waiting in the wings to save the day. We need to bring in someone on loan to provide more options. I'm also hoping that Luke George can be a way to improve he midfield by adding some much needed aggression.

If Amond is throwing his toys out it leaves us very short on strikers. Cassidy looks to be a good player, Oates is currently injured and Rodney is a half fit, 19yr old lad with only a handful of games in his career and no professional starting appearances, not exactly who you want to rely on to replace Amond's goal scoring abilities.

As far as Harrison's signings go, most seemed pretty pleased with them when they were unveiled, I'm curious as to who people see as being a massive flop already after so few games?

3 consecutive Saturday home games coming up and Guiseley away sandwiched in between. He will never have a better opportunity to turn it around.

And a week now to prepare and get it right for them. Gutted, frustrated and pissed off so far, but a weeks respite from games can only be a good thing at the minute for him

We know he must be given time. The question how much? If 2 points out of 15 on top of dreadful displays isn't a flop what is. At the present time, hand on heart, does anybody have confidence in the present setup?

Well like I said , 3 home games, and one away, surely a target of 7pts out of 12 is a reasonable ask, if not he has to go.

Looks like this period will be his watershed.

No ! I think after the Dagenham game on the 9th September, we will wish he had been sacked today.

he'll be sacked this year....without a doubt

Craig.....you need to employ a whippet like sweeper who can thwart the decent strikers in this league, someone with real pace, presently we have two lumbering C/H's which leaves you cruelly exposed, we also need to start the next home games with 3 up front, preferably Cassidy, Amond/Rodney and Franks, we've scored 2 goals in 5 games so far, playing tight isn't working, take the game to the opposition, flood their box with numbers and forsake our defence as we'll concede anyway. We've played this way before and it get's us a better point's return, if we continue playing as present we'll be lucky to have 10 points by xmas....shape up.

Will he though, have they the money to replace him? He has signed some shite, the team doesnt look like its got a win in it. Guisely now looks like a relegation 6 pointer. What a pathetic start.

7 o'clock this morning, walking home from the paper shop (newsagents for the under 40s) a chap who I have never seen in my life pulled me up and asked what was going on at Pools. Like me he was absolutely down in the dumps. Neither of us could see any positives and I believe that is the feeling around the town.
I am more down now than when we were relagated, to be honest we had been looking at that for the past two years so it was not really unexpected but I never expected this.
I just hope the rose tinted glasses fans can in a few months say "I told you so"

I'm of the belief we might not be going up this season. It would be a relief to finish mid table at this rate.

So are you saying he should get another week?

He does look out of his depth but not as much so as far too many of the players.

The thing is its not just the results. Its the way we have played. The fact that apart from maybe cassidy the new signings look as bad as what we had last season. It doesnt look like things are going to improve anytime soon. Hopefully that means we win twice next week now.

8 points from the next 5 games then? 10 points after 10 games. Would have been disappointed with that at the start of the season, but it's a fair target. Also, I don't think football has changed that much recently. If you don't perform you don't play/ keep your management job. I hope he gets it right but if he doesn't then it's best for everyone there is a change. Football isn't necessarily any different to any other business. That's what probationary periods are for.

As chip says that's the way football goes mainly it's because you just cannot afford to go down these days especially the higher divisions. I think you have to give more time but if you are not concerned at the moment you have more faith in him than me. By the way the three games is now five games and whilst he may have been lumbered with some of last seasons he has brought in enough players to show improvement. Well the next three games is what I would call comfortable fixtures so he may be able to turn it round if not !!

Fact is supporters are really,really worried, and frightened to death we do a York or Stockport yes it may well be too early to panick but the signs are at present bad.
As for changing managers every five minutes without looking at records this happens every season when teams are in relagation spots and it's amazing how many times it works, Newport last season for example.