Signed this morning. https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2018/june/300618-hartlepool-united-sign-midfielder-liam-noble-from-notts-county/

He's a bit of work but could really do a job for us at this level.

sounds a real interesting signing. on paper we seem a bit more of a tougher set than last season and seem to have signed lads who can look after themselves which is what you need in non league.

Bates/Hignett have certainly changed the spine of the team now its
Loach,Davies,Noble,with either Nico or Cassidy lots of experience and ability.
Heres hoping for a good season.

Just watched his signing on interview. Really impressive. Says he’s only here for one thing - promotion. Love that ambition.
He actually speaks more like a manager than a player, so great to have that leadership.
Also knows Donaldson and Laing well, so if they end up staying hopefully he’ll bring the very best out of them.
Surprisingly positive pre-season!

Glad someone at the club finally mentioned promotion.
Consolidation in a non league division ain't for me.

Very happy with this signing, he's a great player in the lower leagues and brings with him experience and a bit of attitude

Yes agree hopefully these experience signings will bring out the best in some of the players who have previously under performed.

Do you seriously believe that the clubs number one priority isn't getting back into the football league? It's about managing expectations and remembering where the club was at in December though and the very real possibility that we might not have even had a club now.

I have read some head scratching negativity over this summer, even the tone of the bloke writing for the Mail. I'm puzzled why people think the club running a tighter ship financially is a bad thing after the appalling and negligent way the club has been abused over the last few years. Talk of having a tiny budget and that we're going to be in for a long season, how we're not going to sell many season tickets. Doom and gloom. Baffling more so than when alarm bells were being rang about what that Bellend Coxall was doing to the club. Actually having a sound business model and a realistic budget isn't a lack of ambition it's how a club should be ran. It's like people have taken that as a bad thing which is bizarre considering what we have come through.

In reality we should have a better chance of competing than last year, Scott Loach commented that it felt like a proper football club again which is telling and the signings are starting to look very promising. Noble and Davies would be good signings for most League Two clubs, it looks like season tickets will exceed last season. We seen enough of this League last year to know it's not fantastic and having a solid spine can go a long way, it's great that two of signings this week have been captains at previous clubs. At the same time though the last few years should tell us not to get carried away but overall the feeling should be very positive, why is that not the case, or is it and I am misreading this?

Great signing (on paper) enough to convince me to get my renewal form filled out

I still think we look a bit unbalanced in terms of how many CMs we have, albeit I imagine a couple will leave and hopefully that means we get some in different positions, even if it was a couple of loans.

Last season taught us not to get overexcited about player recruitment - after all last summer we signed players who seemingly had good reputations. The difference I am liking this year though is that they seem to be recognising that we need the right kind of players mentally as well. We have needed more leaders for years and now we seem to be finally signing some.

PJ
I know we're we were back in December and I sort of agree with ya post today.
But since then we been took over by 2 Well off businessmen and I'm happy with the way things r looking.
But I wont take offence to ya disagreeing with almost every post I do.
And don't get to sunburnt like we r in hpool.

If I disagree with nearly every post you make it’s not intentional

It wasn’t aimed at you just a feeling of what I’ve been reading over the last couple months. Put it this way I don’t think Bates and Hignett will be not thinking about promotion and the players signing won’t be thinking they aren’t signing for a club who can compete for it.

No problem PJ.
We all poolies n want better times.
Hopeing our optimistic fans screw the bookies.

352 for the season.

I'd say landing Davies and Noble has raised the bar in terms of expectations, but unless Nico Muir is going to score another 40 goals on his own next season Pools are still struggling for firepower.

See that Jason Oswell fella from Stockport went to Morecambe in the end. Still, Bates and Hignett have pulled some excellent signings out of the bag already, so fingers crossed.

25/1 to win the league, 12/1 for promotion.

Very good odds in my opinion.

Agree fully. We need another striker, a good one too.