Article in the Mail looked at how all the players who left Pools in the close season are getting on with their new clubs (apart from Aaron Cunningham, who hasn't been able to get himself fixed up at all, poor lad).

The big surprise is Ryan Johnson, who has only made 2 starts so far this season for ​Port Vale. Should have stuck with Pools Jonno!

If Rhys Oates doesn't start scoring soon for Mansfield he's liable to become a fixture on the subs bench too.

Armstrong, on the other hand, has already scored 6 plus 2 assists

Thi happens with players they go to another club on the crest of a wave thinking their form will carry on. But so many factors have changed and it’s about adapting, some do, some don’t.
Armstrong wasn’t our player to lose and who’s to say he’d want to stay here? Anyway he did his job, but he’s gone, get over it, move on and get behind what we’ve got

Would you take Jono over ZFA in his current form ? i feel ZFA is more adapted to this level than what Jono is (as hes finding out at PV). ZFA for me has become the Jono surprise starter. His ability and calmness under pressure has really impressed. Long may it continue.

I agree about Armstrong - only a loan signing, never had a contract with Pools. But this isn't the first time you've trotted out that little homily (get over it, move on...). Nobody needs your permission to feel a bit peeved now that he's banging in the goals for our nearest rivals. I'm not a fan of Harrogate or their shitty little ground, and can't think of a team I'd less like Armstrong to be playing for, except maybe Carlisle. They can have Killip though!

Agree with the sentiment on ZFA, he has been excellent this season. Reliable and always puts a good shift in, who can also play in a number of positions.

Johnson wasn’t very good without Liddle alongside him or in a 4. Not sure who is partner now is or what formation Port Vale play mind

When i saw Cunningham i thought he had promise and would soon be a regular starter.
What happened?

He’d been injured more than fit. That had been a problem through his Youth team days too.

Feel for the guy though he had real potential.There must be lots around......James Brown, Luke Williams etc.

You can be as peeved as much as you like, why you imagine you need my permission is a mystery though.... it still won’t change a thing. As my instructor used to hammer into me, ‘we are where we are’, Armstrong is water off a ducks back to me, just another ‘what if’.
I don’t get ‘peeved’ over much nowadays, I’m all peeved out.

Armstrong wasn't Harrogates player either they just went out and bought him, I'd of broke the bank for Armstrong, but im not raj and as we seem to be struggling to find anyone resembling a centre forward i guess Armstrong was always going to be a pipe dream. I reckon we would of been top with him in the side now and i reckon he more than paid for his wages in one go at the play off final helping us earn back a million plus for our league status.

As for Johnston was gutted when he went but Angol has been a fantastic signing along with Byrne. Find that elusive forward or two and get a keeper who can catch the ball and I think we could be in the mix again.

Apart from
Featherstone
Sterry
Hendrie
The full squad are out of contract at the end of the season.
Unless a few better players join Pools in the January Window on 18 month contracts.
As for Armstrong i heard it was a done deal before our play off final. Just glad he played out of his skin for us in his full loan spell.
UTP.

I believe this to be the case too. Like any player he has to consider his financial future so the option of a contract with a ‘league’ club (so called) or at the time, an outside chance of promotion with Pools probably decided his choice long before the season’s end.
Has anyone also considered he may not have even wanted to sign for Pools? Supporters at all clubs do naively assume that every player playing for them loves your club, afraid it ain’t so, most are just footballing contractors doing a job.
If he had been a player contracted to us, I wouldn’t have just been peeved but incandescent...... but then again none of us, despite some Walter Mitty characters allegedly in the know, really know what’s going on behind the scenes.
It’s a business at the end of the day.

Out of the two possible scenarios that he didn't want to sign for a club he was already playing for, was banging in goals for, was very popular with the large fanbase and was close to home OR Raj didn't want to dig deep to keep him (fair enough).... I know which one sounds much more plausible.

It is a cause for regret.

[quote="Snowy"][
Has anyone also considered he may not have even wanted to sign for Pools? Supporters at all clubs do naively assume that every player playing for them loves your club, afraid it ain’t so, most are just footballing contractors doing a job.

add to that fans thinking they are the best fans in the land and anyone wanting to actually leave their club has a big problem in them and a traitor to the club and the town. if only they could say the truth on those post signing interviews and not give the impression that signing for the club is the biggest event of their career.

I've noticed that as well, seems to be Chandy's go-to statement when doing interviews.

Im sure Sterry n Featherstone stalled on signing their new contracts while waiting for a Oates style exit. Then claiming the deal was never in doubt and that they love playing for Pools and us brilliant fans.
Both been outstanding this season so in the end has worked out well.
UTP.

Perhaps they both stayed out of loyalty as we rescues both of their careers from lower Non League. I am sure they could have got better deals elsewhere, Sterry at least but loyalty and happiness sometimes comes into thoughts. Featherstone obviously a 2 year deal at his age was a great help. Good tosee they made the choice for us.

There are loyal players who do identify with the club, but I’d say a good 50% are just jobbing contractors, they say the right things for effect then move on

Wait till we lose a couple of games at the vic normal service will resume. fans are like women depending on what part of the month they are in. blowing very hot or very cold.

I don't think you can knock the fans Accrington, we have been on the most part garbage away from home this season, had fantastic followings away despite picking up one point, even at home despite the team hardly looking like banging the ball in the back of the net, the crowd has been non stop behind us and averaging 5300. It's a myth that pools fans slate the team more than other teams. Real Madrid fans torture there team if their not winning by 3 goals or more.

I very much doubt Feaths and Sterry where waiting on the Oates style exit, alas Sterry would be the first man out the door should a lucrative League one offer had come in for him. Im sure the scouts knew more about our talented wing back than journeyman Oates. Feaths probably had offers from the NL but im sure he was waiting it out for us to offer him a deal rather than any other club, we where always the first choice for both men and it showed.

On balance I agree. The whole North West Corner thing and the lad with the drum started even before the Covid break - as soon as Dave Challinor started to make Pools look like a side that might not be stuck in the National League forever. The fans believe in the manager as much as the players do and the atmosphere on match days is exceptional.

Not to say losing 3 home games on the spin wouldn't put a massive dent in that. But do Challinor's Pools really look like a side that could get stuck in a losing rut? For me, they don't.

I always give a player/manager who is part of a Pools promotion Legendry status.
Before DC got the Pools job the majority of bunkerites were resigned to us being non league shite forever even falling as low as Darlow.

Over the moon that hes commited to Pools for the next few years.
Can he take us up to the next level.
Given the tools to do the job then id say he can.
UTP.

I became a regular at Pools as a teenager during the Vince Barker era.

You whining bunch of bastards are spoiled rotten...

Those were the days, NOT.....even the talk of ‘discussions’ with Scarborough, the Harrogate of the day, whose ambitions went tit’s up when the owner bought a new toy.
I suspect most fans of today transported back to to Vince’s day would be having a meltdown.

agree with you at the moment. been to 3 away games where the worst performance of all 3 was where we picked up our first away point. however its easy to support a team that are not getting beat at home, pools or anyone else. inside the vic it seems the majority of fans support the side. its just those who seem to have the biggest gobs that do not. walking to the vic pre DC was never a pleasant experiance listening to the gallows humour of a lot of fans and made me wonder why i bothered to go in the first place. that has certainly improved to the point of cannot waiting to get inside the place earlier than i used to to soak up the atmosphere.

Fact is, it’s always been like that. We have always harboured a tedious knot of masochists who positively love it when things even go mildly tits up.

Please get real, it’s all about the Money!...... forget the forget the fans, forget the goals, you overrate their importance in this particular case, when he probably signed for Harrogate we were rank outsiders to go up and another season in that league would hardly be appealing. Along comes the Sugar plum fairy with plenty of cash and hey presto time to go. Thanks for the memories I’m off.
As no one knows what deals or offers went on behind the scenes it’s more resentful imagination at work than facts here.

Thats... what I said. The money.

for me survival is success this season and i have faith in the special one to make sure that happens.....next season i think will be interesting!

I agree ......reluctantly. This was always gonna be a season of flux, despite the chest beating optimism and misplaced expectation in some quarters pre season.

Think most people were prepared to accept a 3rd bottom finish, given the pre season results.
The home form has allowed for cautious optimism, but I'm not sure the average supporter will be any more enthusiastic than that. Granted, there will always be the eternal optimists.

I’ll expect more next season, not the world on a plate, but signs of progress on the pitch.

still looking at the league table to see how many points pools are in front of the 2nd bottom club. Big game coming up next saturday with the better players like liddle need patching up to play in this.

After the very short pre season, the loss of players and some or a lot of Challinors targets going elsewhere I'm sure sure he will have been looking to just get through this season comfortably. If we stay in the league and get a good pre season where we aren't playing catch up then I think we will see things moving forward. Our team next season will probably look very different.

They stuck in a losing streak away from home last 22 games W1 D4 L17 If paper last Saturday was correct I've just added the loss from Stevenage on. Not sure which paper read 3 on the train

Hopefully the home form continues because if it doesnt we could end up in a relegation fight

[quote="Flying Hogans"]Article in the Mail looked at how all the players who left Pools in the close season are getting on with their new clubs (apart from Aaron Cunningham, who hasn't been able to get himself fixed up at all, poor lad).

The big surprise is Ryan Johnson, who has only made 2 starts so far this season for ​Port Vale. Should have stuck with Pools Jonno!

/quote]

Aaron Cunningham has got himself a deal at Spennymoor because they've got an injury crisis. Really hope Aaron doesn't add to it! He's got the ability, just hasn't been able to stay fit enough to play regularly.

Port Vale are second in League 2 now with Lewis Cass a regular in their side. Ryan Johnson has still only started 3 games for them, but he's out injured.

Shocked Cunningham is even at that level, would rate many players in that Spennymoor team higher than him, including our former players Carl Magnay and even Nathan Buddle.