Traveled, fit, but left out of the squad at the last minute.

Something has gone off - find out soon enough!

Kioso, Anderson, O'Neill in. Davies not fit, Dinanga on bench.

We need to know WHY?

Interesting times - I think things might be coming to a head - heard the other night about alleged discontent in the dressing room and now were 1-0 down against the rock bottom club - Are Mr Bates days numbered?

For several years now we've had players in and loanees who at first impress then seem to become jaded after a few weeks. Is there something in the water.....lead?

When i heard the name Effion (g) i thought of the good old days

Bates probably announced the team. Noble probably asked him if he was on drugs a complete idiot or both. Hey presto out the squad

"non footballing reasons" mentioned on Tees.

Well were 2 - 0 down now so were definitely a "non footballing" team = absolute shambles springs to mind! Taxi for Bates!!

No, that's in the boots ...

It's all going a bit tits up isn't it?

Apparently his lass told him he had to do his Christmas shopping.

True we don't know the reason yet but 2-0 down at the bottom team is definitely down to Bates!

Everything is Bates' fault you know.

Not enough goals but not losing: Bates fault, we need more bookings
Suspensions: Bates fault
Injuries: Bates fault, only training for 80 minutes (despite the fact the players are in the gym for 2 hours a day as well)
We win: Bates fault as we only beat 9 men
We lose: Bates fault we handballed it in the 95th minute
Crowds go down for an FA cup relay on a freezing cold night: Bates fault so Singh needs deep pockets
Noble out of the team: Bates fault
Luke Williams (who when fit will be the best player int he division): Bates fault he got a freak injury from Kioso in training because Bates does training and can;t see into the future

How about we're just on a bit of a shit streak because of injuries and suspensions unsettling the team? Weather the storm and get behind the team.

Having just seen the last gem... 2-0 down: Bates fault, Injuries as above and Noble as above, deflected shot and an individual mistake from players who are feeling the presure from our ever so supportive fans.

Bates may not be too blame for everything but it his job that will go. He has too take the decisions so the responsibility is his.

See Newton has also caught the Woods "illness". Worrying times again.

I don’t know what the hell Bates has been smoking to leave Noble out the squad.
I am concerned as to if Bates has become seriously DERANGED!!!! It’s getting to the point now where Bates is just floundering around, with his career just waiting for execution.

I’ve heard a whispers that Dover gave Singhy boy a back hander to throw the game and it’s filtered down to Bates leaving Noble out the squad

Had one too many sharpeners there like

Granted, I heard that an absolutely paralytic guy that I was having a piss next to in the shitters, but the point remains

Has he been paid??

Woods scores at 93 minutes for Harrogate......can you believe it!!!!

Yes I can, I expected it. The lunatics are running the asylum.

Bates just can't seem to get the players to perform in league games is it his tactics or the players inability to follow his given instructions on setup and game plan.

Thats 5 defeats on the bounce and I can't see how he is going to change it around with players leaving and being left out.

Easy answer, he doesn’t seem to have a f....ing game plan!!!!!!!!

I wonder if the podcast next week is as jolly

Bates simply isn't going to turn things around Im afraid, something stinks rotten yet again within the club and Raj Singh needs to address the situation beore we sllide into yet another relegation battle. I was one of many who felt that Bates deserved his chance after doing well to eke out results with a piss-poor weak and spineless set of players last season. Unfortunately we now have less numbers in a squad that is reduced in terms of both numbers and experience and still contains too many piss-poor weak and spineless players. Whether Bates is directly responsible for the overall reduction in numbers or this is the result of wheeling dealing by the invisble man Hignett - who has been conspicous by his absence considering that he is a key member of the management team - is open to conjecture.

Either way, 8 games without a win and 5 consecutive defeats on the trot mean that Raj will very soon need to seriously consider a managerial change especially should the current run continue into December. Earlier in the season we were grinding out results against the poorer teams without looking like anything special. Now that the side is visibly strugling Bates just doesnt seem to know what to do to stop the rot - his inexperience is being badly exposed I'm afraid. And ike it or not the decisons to hand contracts to the ageing, injury-prone Davies and more especially the sicknote that is Luke Wlliams are now coming back to haunt us big-time I can only assume that this what Raj is truly referencing when he mentions any new signings must be 'value for money' - cos these two jolly ex-Boro boys certainly aint that.

At least you are consistent in your dislike of Hignett - the last time you were active on here was when he was manager and you were sticking the boot into him.

Correct my friend, I didn't rate him them and I still dont in the role that he is supposedly undertaking now - his only route to the transfer market is via his Boro connections - and with one or two exceptions this philosophy has failed our club on numerous occasions over the past 40 years and is doing so yet again at present.

I honestly think people want us to lose so they can post all this shite.

Yeah , for the 7th season running, lets just remain calm

And you just continue to be in denial , head in the sand or up your arse, you choose, defending the indefensible

Of his 10 signings 3 came from or have played for Boro.

You know what, if it's just on the pitch stuff that's not going to plan then I'm happy to remain calm. No one said we were aiming for promotion this season, we're mid table and on a shit run but why get bothered about it all? Unless we are in actual threat of being in the bottom 4 then just relax.

Most of us would of took mid table this season, on the proviso that there were some signs of improvement we could take into following season, gradual improvement so to speak. It looks though as if we could be in a relegation scrap again, with a clearout in close season, therefore a season wasted and back to square one. That is what supporters are unhappy about. The 3 or 5 year plan should of started this season not next.

I think my doctor might prescribe patience and alcohol

Pools in 'Noble is a volatile character shock.' Think they knew that when they signed him. Hopefully he's one of those who goes right off at the deep end one minute and acts like nothing's happened the next. Otherwise this could end very badly.

Very true. One hopes that the 'powers that be' gave him a bollocking and sent him back to Bates. Bet it is chilly on the bus back.

Muir and Noble are our top scorers muir on the bench noble dropped alltogether the other strikers have scored 1 goal between them in the league god help us if he falls out with them.

Takeaways? I blame Monkeybutt

My money is on Featherstone been one of the Takeaway 3

History suggests with Noble it usually ends badly. Bloody hell we have upset him before he even had a chance to be sent off.

This is bad, bad, bad - everyone can see it apart from those who steadfastly refuse to criticise anything done or anyone employed by HUFC. Matthew Bates has clearly lost the plot, lost the dressing room and seemingly has absolutely no idea how to put the brakes on the clubs alarming slide. Does he not appreciate from watching 'Casualty' that a 'blip' in medical terms is more than likely to be followed by a terminal flat line?

Let us hope that the 'powers that be' are rather more savvy and grasp the gravity of the current situation rather better than some of the numpties who come up with gems such as 'unless we are in actual threat of being in the bottom 4 then just relax'......FFS....

Agree with Smokin - Ive always said he wasn't the right guy for the job - he was part of the problem last year! and yes this season is Deja-vu! Has Harrison really gone? or is it Batesy in disguise? were in freefall at the minute and if we don't do something soon it gone from playoff to relegation battle in little over a month
I think defeat on Tuesday night has to realistically seal his fate - Come on Mr Singh protect your investment or all your efforts will be wasted

Raj Singh is no fool and by his own admission he took on HUFC at least partly to put straight the disaster that took place at Darlo under his tenure. Although they may have been our hated rivals, just like Pools, that once decent little club with a proud Football League history is currently reduced to nothing more than non-league no-hopers. Singh of all people must surely currently be having visions of Groundhog Day given Pools current plight and will surely not put up with the current incompetence, indiscipline and inadequacy at this club.

Phil the problem is the excuse given by bates if something has been said then it should be treated in house and no comment made.

The training excuse they played wednesday night so no training thursday travelling friday so what training is he refering to and why would he take noble all the way to dover when he could have rested with his family we will never know the truth only what they want you to believe.

My concern is in any business when things are going wrong you look for trends and a common denominator and take action accordingly if required our season is going tits up and if this trend continues do you honestly believe will return to the FL in the near future cos i dont.

Is Singh a hands on Chairman? he appears to be very much under the radar to me, an absent landlord sort of chairman, running the club via the phone. Other than his programme notes he is most of the time conspicuous by his absence. I think he has taken the job on as a favour to Stelling and left the running of it to Hignett and Maguire, otherwise why else would Hignett be employed, and what the fook does he do anyway? apart from a podcast. Was Singh at Dover? was Stelling? no Jeff has another job on a Saturday doesn't he. It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that we have a Chairman in name only, and he thought it would be just a case of putting the money in and let others run the club on his behalf, and everything would be fine. A good chairman should be around the club if not on a daily basis then every other day. Well everything is not fine and Singh needs to show up and lead from the front and sort this mess out. A less than 2500 crowd on Tuesday should awaken him from his slumber.

Mail Scoop!

Bates was vague in his answer and didn’t actually say it was due to the way he trained. For me that is being professional and keeping it in house.

Whereas Noble publically running to the press box and telling the press even before the teams are announced that he was dropped screams unprofessional to me whatever has happened.

My mole in the club said Bates and Noble were playing "snap" on the bus and Noble cheated.

So the takeaway rumour has no substance to it then?