I watched the game on the stream today, living in Belfast I only get to a couple of games a season so I can't be fully informed on what is going on week to week, however what I watched today was a complete horror show.

I dropped the missus into belfast and when I got back and plugged in pools were one nil down, ok I thought there's no way this part time team from NLN can hold on...so I watched......

Unbelievable lethargy in this team, backwards, sidewards, backwards, occasionally into forwards feet and then backwards. I couldn't believe what I was watching. Chester having 10 players behind the ball demanded that we got wide and high as often as possible, what I saw was basic lack of leadership on the pitch, feathertone with all his experience should have been dictating that. What I saw was a bunch of players going missing, easy passes but no bravery, I am gutted watching all the second balls as well, nobody putting a foot in, nobody looking forward.

When the young boro loanee came on it was clear that he has a football brain, was always trying to find space between the lines but he was being ignored, it was almost like the lads who started couldnt relate to him, bizarre. He was trying to do what mancini was doing earlier in the season, looking for space for a pass and go. This for me is down to coaching and that lies with askey...gutted

Just another observation, wreh is not a footballer, touch and invention is non existent, hastie looks like a pub player, umerah takes far too long to decide to do anything, crawford was looking too much to show off in front of his family and friends. 10 corners, not one looked like there had been any coaching done, not one midfielder with his head up looking forward, until the boro loanee came on. This was the worst pools team I have ever watched, it was pathetic and embarrassing.

To think how proud I was at Selhurst Park, the noise and atmosphere of that, what a day, what a massive thing that was, so proud then....to now being knocked out by a team who haven't won away in the NLN all season, who had didn't even have to do much to beat us, just stay in a compact unit, Askey has to explain this but he can't. Chairman had a chance to understand that what we did meant something, he didn't understand and now we are where we are.

That day in South London will live with me forever, sadly so will today!!

Crawford had nobody moving into space ahead of him most of the time so had to try to do more. We were neat and tidy up to the final 3rd then either bad passes or too many passes when we should have been crossing or shooting was the downfall.
Featherstone started ok but soon fell back to his favoured sideways, backwards, passing and why was he taking free kicks and corners they were awful - actually when did we ever score from a Featherstone set piece other than penalties?
There's something amiss when Dolan can't get on the pitch, Pruti is good enough for Albanian U21s but not for a NL team.

Wreh looks like he’s just woke up and found himself on a football pitch and thinks it’s a bad dream, Hastie is not a pub player, he just plays like a pub….if a pub could play football.

[quote="thebizarredj"]

When the young boro loanee came on it was clear that he has a football brain, was always trying to find space between the lines but he was being ignored, it was almost like the lads who started couldnt relate to him, bizarre.
what made it worse was when he passed the ball to another team mate he moved into a clear space only to be ignored and a pass was then made to another player that was always behind him and never to him or in front to run onto.

The problem is obvious…they get up to the opposition box quite easily…… then suddenly look like tourists who’ve lost the tour guide.

and the page, how to take a corner and get on the end of it, was removed from the book.

Have the club considered road signage guidance on the side of the pitch that swivels 180 degrees at half time to tell them what to do going forward along with personal ‘Goalnavs’.

There appears to be a controlling influence decided by the players as to how we performance on a particular day which totally disregards the pre match instructions given to them by the manager and coaching staff or any other instruction screamed at them from the bench. Both of our short term midfielders have shown promise. The first one was ignored and has now left and the Boro kid was generally ignored yesterday.
We have players freezing out loanees and the manager freezing out others like Pruti.
We have sightings of players out on the pop and performing as they see fit and a manager who is not in control.
I would like to see Raj appoint a football man as CEO. A hard as nails disciplinarian who will go through the whole set up with a fine tooth comb and a root and branch cull of the culture that appears to be assassinating the club. There is no professionalism running through the club and that has to improve and the sooner the better.

Why shouldn’t the players not be out and about, it’s what young lads do, do you expect them to sitting in watching Strictly or whatever is on the box, it’s not as if they have a game Sunday.

This is a piss take, yes.

Because they took the piss on Saturday …… and to be out on the piss on Saturday night is enough piss to fill a swimming pool.
They take us for fools.

We don’t know for certain that there’s a professionalism problem. Again, pre-Mancini injury, we thought the players looked the fittest they had for some time. We were also complimented for our organisation in performances vs Southend and Fylde.

I’ve not seen a lack of effort but totally agree on the points about Agyemang. He kept coming into good spaces and asking for the ball to feet, but largely getting ignored, or when moving into space, players weren’t seeing him.

I know there’s been photos of the likes of Finney/Cooke out on the beers. In Finney’s case, I can see only one outcome for him, and that’s operating well below the NL. Not for lack of talent, but there’s a reason he can never get himself fit.

There’s been a lot of criticism on yesterday & I know other NL teams got knocked out the cup, but this is the amalgamation of what has been pretty torrid since Chesterfield away.

The players are in their 20s what do most most single virile 20 plus year olds do on a Saturday night, curl up in a corner Snowy. How many players from teams who got knocked out of the cup were out and about having a beer, I bet the majority were.

That’s the distinct impression I’m getting, maybe Raj should talk to both sides because something is off here.
The obvious inconsistency is just too much to swallow for me.

They should have been dragged in on Sunday morning, preferably before 6 am and given a Tony Toms exercise or two which went on until 6 pm at least.
They are supposed to be athletes, professional sportsmen. with a pride in their performance and yes when they excel in what they get paid for, allowed to celebrate but not until.

If you had a brain and common sense, you could still go out, but keep a low profile after that fiasco.
I would.

The only variable is the players who appear to indulge in bizarre mood swings which begs the question what’s causing it.
The bench is pulling its collective hair out and the players taking no notice of instructions, you have to wonder.
To paraphrase the saying…’When they’re good they’re very, very good, but when they’re bad …… you wonder

I couldn’t agree more, drag the ones who took part in the game and have them go for a run on the sand dunes.

No we don't know anything for certain which is why I started with "There appears"

Tony Toms would have turned this so called team into a winning side but those days are gone

Yes unfortunately they have gone.
More's the pity.

When Finney joined 1 or 2 Crewe fans said if you can keep him sober he,s ok.

If a player can go for a drink after losing in the fa cup tie to a lower league team, He should be thinking of packing it in.
How a player has the stomach to do that is beyond belief.
And condoning that attitude is exactly why certain players don,t care.

It obviously means nothing to them.
Apparently it’s just a job to them, but it hurts us.

Its hard to tell whos, worse.
We keep coming back for more.

We’re here for life Mr G…a bit like being married, constant problems and disappointments but some rewards.
As for the players, the vast majority are just passing through.

Yes correct we are here for life that’s something no owner or player could ever appreciate. Sadly its often used against us because they know most loyal fans can be totally disrespected and still turn up for the Poolie fix

Watched the Lowlights, after listening to the commentary on Tees- that was an embarrassing performance and the players should be ashamed of themselves!

They certainly shouldn't be out on the piss after that performance - not when they've took the piss with that shocking display. The first time EVER, not being in the 1st round proper - has certainly hurt us fans, just not acceptable.

Sacking the manager however is not the answer- he needs to make this week's training really difficult for the pea hearted fuckers. Anyone who steps out of line or thinks it's somehow funny- rip the contract up and fuck them off.
They get PAID to do what we'd all do for nowt!
Tell them to SHAPE UP or SHIP OUT!

I'm absolutely fucking fuming and lay the blame at the players door- they shouldn't have to be told to put some effort in, and show some desire, particularly at home against a part time bunch of plumbers, brickies and postmen.

We had 10 corners and never threatened to score- how are we soooo bad at set pieces, both for and against? ATTACK the ball FFS!

Raj also dropped massive bollock shutting the Town End - bet Chester couldn't believe their luck!

Funny you mention Finney, we were watching an away game and when he scored his goal, one of my lads casually remarked that that was the first time his name had been mentioned in the commentary, which makes you think …oh he’s playing.

Why was it a bollock, if the Town End had been open Pools would have played better ?

Atmosphere…..an empty stand looks depressing.

Didn't think I'd have to explain this, as thought it was obvious -
It was a bollock because it clearly killed the atmosphere.
It could well have made a difference - making it more hostile and difficult for the opposition and also helping to get behind the team. Added to that financially as several have already mentioned - many stayed away due to not being able to stand in their usual spot.

Every decision that the club make that is questionable is blamed on Raj.
Does he run about all day doing people's jobs for them ? Does he run the training sessions, pick the team, make the substitutions, bellow in match instructions on the pitch, do the pre match, half time or full time team talks, organise and serve the food, book the hotels, decide which bus company to use, organise the security, interview turnstile operators, operate the ticket office, organise the shop, decide merchandise levels, order the stock, check it in, plan the ground staff schedule, instruct how the grass will be cut, watered and maintained, research and purchase the maintenance machinery, climb the floodlights and check/replace bulbs, be first man there to open up and last man out having locked up, make and check all the hospitality decisions and organise the staff...........OR....................does he have a hierarchy of staff in place who oversee and supervise these operations to a recognisable and required standard of competence. I left out the recruitment of players and playing budget because it has already been decided that he is 100% in charge of that and hasn't got a clue, although I sometimes wonder how he finds the time to travel the length and breadth of the country (and Scotland) to vet new players and their worth so he knows what pittance to offer.
I also have to stand back and wonder at the guy's obvious tremendous stamina, dedication and determination that drives him to do this and him not even a fan, whilst being criticised for not putting enough of his own brass into a club he is not a lifelong supporter of, whilst life long supporters whinge about not being able to stand on the spot they insist they have the right to occupy and because of that sacred right that they have been so hideously denied they themselves have decided to withdraw their physical and financial support of the club. Not very lifelong support then is it.
We talk about loyalty and criticise the people who are nine day wonders and who don't care about the club as we do and yet are hell bent on driving one of our longest serving officers when it comes to staff out of the building. We don't even know if he gets paid for any of it.
There will be big boots to fill when apportioning blame as and when that happens. No wonder there isn't a queue of prospective buyers forming up down Clarence Road.
Only at Pools.

Hostile in what respect, we had an attendance of 2734 Pools fans so you think by having a sprinkling of fans in the town end it would have made a difference to the result ? The town end has lacked atmosphere for season after season as it’s all moved to the N.W Corner.
Early round Cup games are not well attended more so as who wants to watch Chester and Season Ticket holders have to pay.

And the keeper dropped the ball twice from corners, And not one player anywhere near.

Maybe not, But their keeper was jittery with no bodies behind him.
Its up to the club which areas are open and closed.
But shows a lack of respect for the fans and the FA Cup. imo

What is gained or saved by closing the Town End……

Nought, Pools would still have got beat.

Glad i missed the shit show as i was going away for a piss up with friends. On the train behind us was two Heed supporters going to the mighty Stourbridge in the FA cup. I wished them well and said we will have a pint at Wembley

With the all due respect that’s silly as we never know if Jeckyll or Hyde will turn out for us.
But, closing the Town End is dumb arsed stupid.

Suppose the only counter is that he hires these staff and lays out the business strategy for implementation. Unfortunately the churn rate of said staff is alarmingly high, indicating a lack of professional progression or an unhappy working environment. What’s the saying ‘your company doesn’t lose staff, leaders do’.

I’m not a Raj criticiser and I think he has been pretty unlucky in entrusting footballing people who have then subsequently let him down. But I think you’ve put a post together in defence that does omit the fact that as a business (post-DC) we’ve been heading one way, and that way is down. We’ve also seen the 150k pull out on the accounts, we’ve seen other clubs of our size flourish, we were teased with the good times and that’s been ripped away. The disconnect between club and fans is back at its worst. As the ultimate leader of the football club, it is his job to hold his hands up and arrest the slide. From our footballing POV, I have no doubt he is doing what he can.

Town Ends been a empty Library for years now.
But its a mint excuse for yet anutha horrendous result.

Who said it’s an excuse

The Security are a private company so Pools request how many they require on match days, I think the catering is as well, staff on both probably on zero hours contracts as well.

The buck does stop at the top, that is true.
On the churn rate there is also a possibility that Raj does trust the people he appoints but makes the task of getting the job done to the standard he demands more formidable, resulting in the pressure becoming too much for the incumbents to handle, causing them to look for an easier life. A good example of this is his tolerance level of managers is not very high although, because they're under contract they don't depart willingly (unless there is another job waiting ala DC). so he sacks them/pays them off instead. I have no idea of what he's like to work for but he seems to be able to attract people but not keep them. Maybe he is a hard taskmaster, who knows but the only time I would give any attention to that personally is if he offered me a job and that's not very likely. He is what he is and I can't do anything about that.

As you rightly state the security will be a private company and also a sprinkling of local workers, being put in the clubs shoes if you don't get the numbers locally to police or serve the spectators coming in you can't just cancel the match, you have to turn to private firms who will be more expensive, bus people in from outside the area, and if the ratio of security to fans doesn't match up your only alternative is to shut certain parts of the ground. It may also be that as this was an unscheduled cup game the club was not able to plan much in advance, and the companies are not able to supply staff needed due to other commitments?

Doesn’t the FA stipulate a number of ‘stewards’ per attendees per FA Cup match…..? But how you anticipate that figure…

The games I went at the start of the season I am sure the name of company was on the back of their jackets. There were some black lads and to be fair were very polite and helpful and knew the layout of the seatings in the Mill Hiuse Stand.