Going to shot it out there, if we don't beat Barnet then off with Bates' head.

Couldn't give a flying you-know-what about the Gillingham cup game, only that he gives Dinners his chance and goes after them a bit, not just setting the team up to bend over and take it.

He's adamant about setting up defensively game in and game out, that's fine but with no plan B, what are the team supposed to do when ones splattered the back of Pool's onion bag? Get Laughers up there as the talisman, spraying balls left and right, because Noble as good as he is at it, is a one trick pony and is becoming less successful at it now that teams have cottoned on.

Bates is unsackable , unless we end up in bottom three, to sack Bates would mean sacking the whole entourage, McNammee, Turnbull, Porritt, Hignett etc. The club cant afford that and who coming in would want to work with Bates mates?. If Bates did get sacked I reckon Davies would be offered the job and would he be any better?.

Its a reet mess !

Why would it mean sacking Hignett?

I'm a bit disappointed this wasn't about the return of hatcam man but with a large ringpiece replacing his camera.

if bates did get the sack the amount of decent people applying for the job would be reduced as they would know they,d only get 6 months or so to sort out the club before the knives are out for them. well dave jones is out of work at the moment.

I'd rephrase this as:

Bates is unsackable because he's doing a decent job.

At least we started getting some red cards, I was worried at one point.

He's a shit manager who hasn't a clue what to do when backs are against the wall!!!!
My opinion.

But oh yeah....we are lucky to have a Club cos this time last year....blah blah blah!!!!

BTW....when do we actually stop using that as an excuse....is there a time limit????

He's an inexperienced manager who should be learning his trade at a lower level.
A playoff spot in this crap NL is there for the taking by teams that work hard and take goal scoring chances. That rules us out
unless something dramatic happens.

I think after a full year of financial stability. Raj and Jeff will still be keeping a close eye on things and not taking any big risks. Mid table this year would do me fine and then the owners know what it will cost to run a club at this level and not rely on the jackanory of the books from the last few years.

Bates is still learning too, he's playing defensively now because most good teams are based on a strong backline. Aside from last weekend we haven't really been smashed like we were last season so that's a start.

I think Luke Williams being injured has had a huge effect on the plans, it would have meant the end of Woods/McLaughlin or Featherstone/Noble and gave us someone who can link up play, at the minute we rely on Donaldson as our only outlet and we've been worked out.

As I said, no panic yet, we're 9th.

Maybe that's what he's aiming at for next year ...

As far as I am concerned we are doing ok not brilliant but ok. Let's hope we exit the fa cup with a good performance and let's knuckle down to the league. All concerned are inexperienced in this particular league.

I used to say that if I won a significant amount of money on one of the lotteries, I would buy Pools. I'm not so sure now.
No matter what I did or how much success I brought to the club, some people wouldn't be happy and the abuse would start.
We had a situation where a group of people, led by John McCue (Mr I), formed a Trust with the sole intent of preserving our football club. Mr McCue was duly dispatched into oblivion and other board members were physically and verbally abused.
Raj Singh and Jeff Stelling have taken over the reins and put their money where their mouth is and because they aren't splashing the cash all over the place and because we're not pulling any trees up, the murmurings have started.
How long before the abuse starts??? Already people are calling for the manager's head and we're in the top ten. Will the triumvirate of Singh, Stelling and Hignett be next???
Wrexham, who were once a permanent fixture in the Football League, are in their eleventh season in this league. How long did it take Luton to get back or Donny??? I am just as frustrated as the next fan at where we are but I do believe we are better placed to move forward than the recent dark days when we were just waiting for the padlocks to be placed on the gates.
No club has a right to be anywhere other than where they are and we are no exception.
Unless someone comes forward with a bulging back pocket we are in the hands of people, who I believe, are genuinely concerned with the position the club finds itself in and are intent on improving that position. They have to be given a chance. THE ALTERNATIVE DOESN'T BEAR THINKING ABOUT.
So unless any of us can or are willing to pump the finance that is necessary to speed up that progress, and even then there are no guarantees, I suggest we all get behind what little we've got and do our best to support and encourage their efforts.

Was doing a decent job.

Great post.

So in a nutshell then, you think we've found our level?.

I don't think people would moan so much if the club had a just the tiniest crumb of success , its this continually making the same mistakes season after season that has made our supporters insane.

great post

Didn't someone suggest we should be getting more red cards a few weeks back? Obviously Bates took that advice on board.

Yes agree!

Errr ok it might of been me .

But the glass is half full not half empty.......let's have less defeatest talk it gets to everyone.

I'm not

That's why yloop said that

I often thought if I had a mega win on the lottery as mentioned earlier it would be nice to buy the club. Then....... you realise there's folk out there who will whinge like shit no matter what.
They have no money, but see no problem demanding you spend your money as they see fit and demand you listen to their advice because 'they know what they're talking about like'.
Only in football.

Wow ! That's a new one , never heard that said before. Strange how plenty of other clubs with similar support can achieve so much more .

If I won the lottery, say more than 10 million , I would buy the club and I'm certain I could make it more of a success, but no doubt some people would say I'm not going whilst he is in charge. Nowt as queer as folk as they say.

teams that work hard for 90 minutes as well. for me there is something not right when the opposition always look stronger at the end of games. is it the players, training or manager to blame none of us really know. if we did get rid of bates i would really hope to sever the norh east connection by appointing someone from miles away without any connection with the area and bring in players who have never been to middlesbrough. lincoln didn,t do too bad with their last managerial appointment who had no local connections

I like this post

Restored my faith in the bunker


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Its gone beyond that now, whoever came in would struggle. Its off the field the club needs to build up momentum, then in say 3 or 5 years, a good manager could come in from outside the region and do a job. Its a long term not a short term project. We have Raj in charge and he has in turn put Hignett and Bates in charge. Are these the men able to do this? only time will tell. I said at the time Raj has made his first mistake when appointing Hignett and Bates and I still stick to that, but if they can even just steady the ship, keep us on an even keel and steadily point the club in the right direction, that will be a start.

agree with all that horden. think hignett and bates were the easy option for raj as i doubt he,d have wanted to risk another jones or harrison style appointment risk.

As I keep saying , its the club that is the problem , we could bring in Guardiola and he would fook up, the club attracts dodgepots as owners, until that is sorted the problems will persist.

Massive contradiction .
In one breath you say it's a long term process taking 3 to 5 years, so why are you panicking this early in God process? You then question Bates and Hignett's ability and end with only time will tell?
You didn't don't rate the bloke from the start, I get that, but like you said, early days.

Yeah, you said that as the ball kicked off for the first match of the season.

Hignett has proven he can spot a good player, I am still 100% happy he has been brought back to the club and whoever heard him speak at the Clippy club about the structure and strategy for a club like ours should have been impressed

Martin Luther King was good at speeches but you wouldn't put him in charge of a football club would you?* Everybody should be sacked now - not winning all the time is completely unacceptable.


*Obviously him being dead is a factor but even if MLK was alive and keen to manage Pools you'd have to try for Malcolm X.

Would we meet our quota for that ridiculous Rooney rule by interviewing two dead black gadgies?

Not going till we sign Wayne Rooney

Pools finished last season in 15th place, a minor miracle in itself. Currently they are 9th. On what planet is that not steadying the ship?

Three defeats in a row is a bad little run of games, but the way it's been seized on by some people you'd think we were already in another relegation scrap. Can only think the Bates haters are desperate to see the club struggle so they can be proved right.

Me mams Uncle Billy managed a football team and she said he wasn't much cop at speeches and that was thirty years ago.

The only excuse I can think of in Bates' favour is the inability to have a real sort out because of some two year contracts. If we finish mid table, i hope that the management realise that, that is not good enough and they wield the axe big time,

Good post derwent, i would agree with virtually all of the above. HOWEVER, should the current 'blip' of three consecutive defeats continue into five, six seven (excluding tomorrows virtually nailed on MMouse cup exit) setbacks and the side once again slips into the nether regions of this unholy league then the doubters will have every justification in having a pop at the management team.

Contradiction ! I don't think so matey ! I say it as it is, unlike some Why should I panic, I forecast this scenario an I would settle for mid table finish

What planet are you on more like. Hartlepool United a football league team for 110 years now people like you happy that we finsih 15th or 9th in Non League, FFS!

Totally agree

After last season I'm happy that I still have a football team to support. Can't wait for Pools to see the back of the National League, but as many on here wiser than you have pointed out, getting out of this division after you have fallen into it is no easy task. Your compulsive and relentless negative posting is a pain in the jacksy.

Look mate, Its not negative , its just how it is, the truth hurts, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. The reason HUFC are shite is because of supporters like you, constantly in denial, always happy to settle for second best, you were the same when we were in League 1, league 2 and probably when we are in the EVO -Stik league. I want more and I make no apologies for that.

You're missing the point Horden.

People on here aren't happy that we could finish 15th or 9th....They'll be happy if we don't finish in the bottom four.

After all the shite we've had to put up with over the last few years, steadying the ship, and building a base to move on from, is the important thing.

There are bigger clubs than us who have struggled to get out of this league, and arguably some are still in it.

If we can see even just a little bit of progress then that'll be fine with me, but we can only judge that at the end of the season.

Speak for yourself! I will never describe myself as happy with Pools position unless they were in the playoffs at least. Satisfied, maybe, if they improved on last season and anything other than that I'd be disappointed to say the least.

"Happy" to finish outside the bottom four...

[quote="Dany Krap"

If we can see even just a little bit of progress then that'll be fine with me, but we can only judge that at the end of the season.[/quote]
thats true. if you get totally peed off you can go and watch stockport county or york city who were regular visitors recently. two clubs that are real basket cases of non league football.

As opposed to "Happy" to finish in the bottom four

You advocate a 3 to 5 year period to get things right, so there's no need to panic over things quite yet. As for getting a manager from outside the region, what's the logic behind that one, do we only produce crap managers in the North East?
What about the owners, out of the region too? Players....? Are the fans even safe or can we get better ones from outside the region....? I think we should be told.

Me mam's Uncle Billy didn't manage a footy team - smoked hisself to death on the bench corner of Raby Road/Hart Lane - could hardly speak.