Well done on Friday night for your contribution in getting a draw out of a game that seemed lost when you came on. It seemed a master stroke bringing you on against a tiring central defence. Is that the story though or has Curle spoken to Umerah and asked how he wants the ball played to him to get the best out of him. After watching the Manchester derby yesterday, the wonderful Harland is always to be found in the area between the posts. I am not likening the two but years ago we would have called him a goal moocher as per Malcolm Posket but who cares if the goals go in. Never say die,

Jimmy Greaves was a master of the art of goal mooching….just before time.

Master stroke? So you think Umerah won't start against Donny?

Whether the decision to start Umerah against Donny is uppermost in Curle's mind or not is debatable.
If the tactic to bring him on against a tiring back line was deliberate, it certainly worked.
Will KC be thinking it might work again and therefore give it another go. I think he would certainly have to discuss it with the player that's for sure.

I think he would be best with a strike partner next to him in a 532 formation. He is often isolated with the 3 up top. Him and Grey could work well together.

I can't believe that we would adopt a tactic where we play our only threatening looking striker for a third of a game. Yes it worked Friday, but had Mansfield been 3 up as they probably should have been, it would have made no difference.

The 'evidence' is Keith Curle's post-match interview on Radio Tees. I think it's a rationalisation after the fact too. Umerah saved Curle's bacon after Pools's had shown zero attacking threat for 60 minutes - apart from Murray channelling Shug Robertson with that thunderbolt from nowhere Pretending that his bizarre half time substitutions were all part of a cunning plan smacks of a manager with a big ego who wants to credit himself as much as the player.

I don't question Curle for deciding to have a look at another striker up front after the 0-0 with Gillingham - he's new in the job and is going to have a look at his entire squad. Maybe Umerah had an off day against the Gills? Can't comment as I missed the game. There's no doubt Pools are playing with more self-belief since Hartley's departure, which is a big positive in itself.

Without being negative I think people are underestimating how shite we were Friday
We had 2 chances all game, one was shit back pass and the other a punt from our own half.
Credit to umerah for taking them but we need to find a way to create more as that game was a once a season type robbery

The biggest thing that can come out of Friday is confidence and some belief from the players.

Your opinion.

Yes why would I write someone else’s opinion?

Bit harsh?

Was there another chance you remember us creating?
We were playing against one of the better teams in the league in fairness

Murray hit the post. At their end.

deflected, or would have been a goal. no doubt.

Your reference to our goals, I thought the first goal was very well taken, but calling it from a shit back pass is neither here nor there, the actual angle was tight and he did well to put it in.
A shit back pass is a mistake, 99% of goals come as a result of a mistake by the opposition not doing their job properly.

I was referring to what we created the first goal was a brain fart that happens a couple of times a season, as I said umerah took it wel but hopefully our game plan evolves more than waiting for someone to f up a back pass and punt it fwd from inside our half

Want a good win but would take a point vs Doncaster

I agree, for the first hour we were dire and played very little football. Thankfully their arses fell out after that first goal.
Both goals were well taken and as leading scorer he has to start surely.

All that is logic points to him starting but sometimes logic is ignored.

Agree I would expect him
To start

we made more chances than that. his header near the end could have given him his hat trick and 3 points for us if the cross had been a couple of inches lower. ok we didn,t threaten much but other sides have come to the vic threatening less and gone away with something its not robbery when we do it or pools being shit when it happens to us. its just football and another reason we watch it.

with the team looking a bit more confident and playing in a slightly better manner we need 4 points on the board by next saturday evening to carry on with this improvement.