“I wasn’t put off by the Stafford experience,” he added. “I had this idealistic thing that we’d try to play from the back. If you don’t revisit and learn from your mistakes then you’re a fool. I thought if I ever do it again I’m going to get a big, physical side and get the ball forward quickly.”

Link for the rest of his article below.

Not a bad read.
https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.c ... t-stripes/

It's sad but true at this level more often than not.

Similar to English school boy football, the big kids shine and the more talented ones are just bullied off the ball.

“I’ve not had one problem discipline wise since I’ve been here and I don’t expect one. That’s testament to the leadership group I’ve got in there – [Kyle] Storer, [Darren] Carter and [Liam]Daly. If anyone needs smashing into the corner they do it for me, which is great at my age.”

A leadership group - that's something Pools haven't had for years. Time for Donaldson, Raynes and one or two others (Mafuta?) to step up the plate if Pools are ever going to compete for 90 minutes with the likes of Solihull.

He’s done a good job but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s some sort fairytale rise- Solihull have massive financial backing that detail seems to go under radar a little with them.

I don’t think our squad lacks physicality this year, it’s probably the most suitable we have had for this level since we went down but we’re not helping ourselves with the nature of the goals we are conceding, you don’t do well whatever the level you play at our whatever tactics you adopt if you are easy to score against.

We have to settle on a defensive formation and certain players need to do better, we look more suited to a back three to me. It’s early days (our catchphrase in recent, sorry not recent, our catchphrase for about a decade now!) though. One year it’s surely going to turn into just early days though come May.

Had a lovely hog roast bun with apple and stuffing last year, £4.

I had one too.......excellent

I think Tim Flowers has realised that amassing a squad of footballers to play in this league is a pie in the sky fantasy unless of course the money is there to finance good footballers who can also mix it and win their fare share of the physical battles. If we want to get out of this league, at the right end, we have to have a single minded purpose that only wins will do and find and adopt a system to achieve that. No matter how ugly that system is.
I think if the national league became division five of the football league, with four up and four down, it would be a lot easier but whilst there is only one automatic place and one lottery based place, it will always be difficult and I'm beginning to think that clubs like Pools are slowly being priced out of the mix by the emergence of playthings.
I believe Wrexham are in their twelfth season in this league and it is a fair bet that we are heading down the same path. It is more and more looking like the reality, sad as that is.

I think have changed our tact if you look at our signings recently. We’re much bigger team and have a more physical side. Mafuta and Toure being prime examples.

Neither team that went up last year play like Solihull or the year before. You can still play but you definitely need the other side to your game as well. What a team like Solihull have had as well is stability they have let a manager build a team around the way he wants to play, that coupled with financial backing will stand you in good stead. We have been like a car crash on and off the field, we will get nowhere until a manager actually gets or actually does enough to warrant time. When was the last we got through the season with the same manager and I’m talking Summer, Autumn, Spring and Summer here!

When we played Flyde, I really thought we,d cracked it.
We started as though we were up for it and deservedly took the lead, Then invited them onto us, So we counter attack at will.
We looked in control for 80 mins, And a dodgey decision, And a fluke(shoulder) goal, (i know they all count) got them a point.

My point being, I thought we had found a tactic that suited the players strengths and weaknesses.

Then on saturday guess what, All change.
Now i know that we need to be able to change tactics, But really against Bromley.

[quote="Grayhoundend"]When we played Flyde, I really thought we,d cracked it.
We started as though we were up for it and deservedly took the lead, Then invited them onto us, So we counter attack at will.
We looked in control for 80 mins, And a dodgey decision, And a fluke(shoulder) goal, (i know they all count) got them a point.

agreed we did for 80 minutes, then again how many times last season did we loose points in the last 10 minutes of games. lessons never seem to get learned.

would be less of a disaster for the 4 sides relegated from the league. much better chance of getting back into the league and i,m sure one day pools could manage a top four finish well before they became champions of the division anyway.

You’ll have beer coming in your ears, sorry coming out of your ears.

That would have been comedy gold in the correct thread about the Chorley beer festival.