Parkes is our player also.

Lacey isn’t a right back but looked like he was brought in to do a specific job and it worked, a miracle happened, we kept a clean sheet! I wonder if not having Dixon behind them gave the defence more confidence too.
One worrying thing is that Phillips doesn’t know this league or the two leagues above but he knows how he wants to play so hopefully the recruitment bloke will find the players to fit his style. We should have some spare funds after getting rid of some high earners.

Can’t believe some people are slagging KP. I personally think he has done ok considering the standard of football we were playing prior to his appointment. He comes across as articulate and intelligent and mid table is about right for the quality of the squad . The back 5 look solid. You got to remember Southend where docked 10 points and should be in the playoffs and although the better team never posed a threat.

yeh right, the reduced parachute payment will be cited.

He has done 'ok' I agree -- nothing more nothing less, a good start but recent results have exposed where we are as a team, and not one of his signings (given Parkes and Waterfall were already coming in) has been a proven success we would keep.

For some like Aygemang and Khan not seen enough to say no to them (I like Aygemang) but the others....no thanks.

He deserves credit for Ferguson and Greys improved form (I have a feeling Grey may just have a breakthrough year next year and be a standout player but lets see), but he also deserves questioning for the scattergun approach signing wise and for persisting so long with a clearly poor Dixon.

I am not wanting him got rid of or anything--he deserves a shot next year--with proper backing from a hopefully enthusiastic chairman who having turned down an offer flat obviously has renewed belief he can take the club forward!

Agree biggest problem is inconsistency and in particular Cooke and Crawford. Passing was very poor on Saturday which is very surprising. The playoffs are now over so it’s a case of KP assessing which players he needs for next season. Unfair to criticise Khan as the guy is injured but looked promising

This recruitment bloke Joe Monks...just love to know how he landed with us.
Like his utterly useless predecessor Trotter, looks like he has just left school.
Has he ever even kicked a football?
Or does he also just rely on his degree?
Well at least Trotts degree was in Sports Science... not f/kin Politics.


https://rocketreach.co/joe-monks-email_9459756
https://www.stockportcounty.com/monks-t ... programme/
https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news ... perations/

Kp had to get players in quickly to instil confidence and the possibility of relegation. If we don’t get relegated and finish mid table it’s job well done. Get if his back and give the guy some credit. He has worked miracles in a short period. I like his positivity and vision. Be by patient lads

The proof will be in the pudding. True we could have extra funds after moving a few top earners on. But Raj will receive £250,000 less next season in parachute payments so are we really any better off financially or does one cancel out the other We still have that £250,000 advantage over 20 of the teams next season aswell as having the potential to be in top two or three for attendances. These two things coupled together gives Raj a real chance to mount a promotion push. My only fear is if he decides not to mount a serious push the crowds will very quickly fall away this time around. Next season is pivotal for our club because its the last parachute payment and possibly the last real opportunity this club will get for many years to come.

Fair assessment of Reality.!

The fans have backed the club brilliantly this season despite anutha failure season.

Now it's time for the club to Seriously back the fans.


Respect is a 2 way thing.
Hopefully again we achieve Success.
UTP.

Spot on Kev Good marriages only come about because both parties give and take equally.

[quote="Leggie43"]The proof will be in the pudding. True we could have extra funds after moving a few top earners on. But Raj will receive £250,000 less next season in parachute payments so are we really any better off financially or does one cancel out the other We still have that £250,000 advantage over 20 of the teams next season aswell as having the potential to be in top two or three for attendances. These two things coupled together gives Raj a real chance to mount a promotion push. My only fear is if he decides not to mount a serious push the crowds will very quickly fall away this time around. Next season is pivotal for our club because its the last parachute payment and possibly the last real opportunity this club will get for many years to come. [
/quote]

I think we all know deep down whats going to happen next season, very similar to this one, sign a few in the summer turn to a million cheap crappy loans during the season and go through another 1 or 2 managers. Then wonder once again why clubs like Gateshead,barnet, aldershot are so much better than us. Nothing is ever going to change, apart from receiving no money in a years time from the football league.

He has come in and done pretty well, probobly saved us, standard of signings though seem very questionable, infact you could say pretty dire on the most part, which has got to be a serious concern going into the summer. Whether thats down to money or just poor advice on players. One things for certain if we keep bringing batchful of players in who are injury prone incapable of scoring then we are heading for more bother.

Can't believe people are writing off the manager, the close season, and next season when we're still in March!!
None of us know what's around the corner, didn't it take 5 years or so to get out of this notoriously hard league to escape from. Incredibly the Chairman gets the flak when things aren't so rosy but Challinor goy all the credit when we got promoted!
Regardless of what the actual budget is its up to the recruitment team, manager amd coaching staff to make the best of it - exactly the same as at every club at every level. I'm sure Luton would like to have the resources that Man City have, but the reality is its not going to happen.
This close season is a huge opportunity for us to make progress with not spending most of it looking for a manager, or being lumbered with lots of poor players on long term highly paid deals.
If people are really so despondent and pessimistic about next season I'd seriously consider the mental health toll that being a Pools supporter could bring for them.

thankyou, the voice of reason. i keep trying to wonder if saturday was just a dream and we drew against one of the leagues better sides and not got beaten by some of the scrap at the bottom. when he came in i,d guess he never thought of a promotion but just sorting some stuff out with the eye on next season. lacey will never be our first choice RB next season anyway but an upgrade on him would work with dodds infront of him. the loan players have been a mixed bag but with so many signed up they allways were going to be. doubt any high earners like cooke will be around next season if their contracts are up nd doubt we,ll miss em. there will be loads of players available for what pools like, free transfers, and quicker KP starts his business the better we could be next season. just hope border force are working on all roads up to scotland to turn back anyone connected with pools or players coming the other way to sign for us.

But we are still lumbered with lots of poor players, that midfield of ours isnt going to win us the conference anytime soon, the two keepers we have are iffy to say the least and we have one decent forward.

How many more summers are some going to have the wool pulled over the eyes about how different it will be? I guess Hartley cant be blamed for much longer considering we have had about 40 players since.

Raj has to replace the money we are not going to be getting from the FL. But we all know it either wont happen or he will only bank roll a smaller proportion. Still anything is better than nothing and if we can sign up some really good out of contract free players its a start.

Pools have been victims of having 2/3 good players every season but just not all 11. If you could combine the best from last season with the best from this we would have an amazing team. It just doesnt happen for us at this level as good players either aint ours to begin with or want better and bugger off (ie Sterry and Mols).

Like others have said we will be in an entirely better position come the summer than last time just based on us finally getting shot of the Scottish experiment.
Then again like others have said we should be looking at getting other inconsistent high earners off the wage bill... Cooke and Wallace for starters ! That tbh leaves us with a bare ass squad so id imagine KP will be working away in the background with Monks now looking at what and who we can bring in. KP is also still learning about this league about this team etc... he will know as hes not daft just what he will require to at least make a push for the top 7 next season ! The loan game and getting kids will be a recurring theme as it always has been under Raj so i wont get too excited. We just have to hope out of the flurry of loanees we see through the door there is more Cass, Armstrong Bureys Kemps etc... than the rubbish we have seen this season !

If you keep thinking that history will repeat itself why bother?
Key differences this summer (could be) we actually have a manager in place, the last of Hartleys signings will be out of contract (so until they're gone, I do still think he's to blame),
we've got a new head of recruitment, weve already signed Waterfall and Parkes. So lots of reasons to be more optimistic than for a few years imo.

1 thing i expected KP to do which is a refreshing thing for Hartlepool United is not bring with him some of the SS lot or others from teams below he may have thought capable to do a job at this level.

yeh 100% i agree will be a decent summer of recruitment regardless of the budget

The midfield that won us promotion 3 seasons ago was Featherstone, Shelton and Holohan.
Feaths is knocking on a bit but he's as fit as a lop and pace was never part of his game
Shelton and Crawford are on a par for me - Mark couldn't cut it in League 2 and Crawford took his place in the second half of the 21/22 season.
The player Pools haven't replaced is Gav Holohan. His 9 goals in the promotion season were massive. Cooky is never going to get 9 in a season and he isn't getting enough assists either. An upgrade is definitely needed.

Can't see Fev getting a new contract, think he'll be looking for more physicality and athleticism in the middle of the park.
I'd try to keep Crawford and definitely offload Cooke.

i,ll give phillips to next christmas before i praise or grumble about the bloke.

Agree, I'd imagine his brief was to avoid the drop and a big rebuild in the summer.

Yeh he didnt come in with the expectation of getting the team in the playoffs (although it almost could of happened). We all got carried away but that ship has sailed now and i think its back to task thats really at hand. Keeping us in the league with an eye for next season too.

You are spot on... Gav wasnt replaced... although we did get there in the end with Kemp but it was too little too late ! (and he wasnt ours anyways).

Crawford - Cooke - Wallace scatter them all for me... I have seen these 3 consistently be over ran all season by players that probably a season ago where playing sunday league footy. Cooke has had some unbelievable games but he just doesnt do it often enough - we dont have the luxury nor want to wait for him to turn it on when he likes. However that being said i always thought he played better with like minded better players around him. Cant see him still being here next season even though he lives locally.
There is some cracking CMs in this league playing for the bottom 4 sides - i wonder if we can poach them. Nick Haughton is one that springs to mind from Fylde.

[quote="PTID"]Can't see Fev getting a new contract, think he'll be looking for more physicality and athleticism in the middle of the park.
I'd try to keep Crawford and definitely offload Cooke.

If I was KP I would keep him in a player / coach role. He has a hell of a lot to give to younger players and could still play a part in a successful season. Some have never liked him but he has all the experience needed to do that role and would not cost a lot in wages. If he stays I could see him being brought off the bench at 1 or 2 goals up ( especially away ) to slow the game down and keep playing triangles keeping the ball away from the opposition. He did this perfectly in the semi-final and final against Stockport and Torquay.

I wonder why we keep repeating history, why do we end up having to rely on 10to 15 loan players a season who clearly arent up to it. Surely this summer all the excuses have now dried up and we will bring quality in immediately and not kids who disapear after 2 reasonable games.

That's interesting Billy because I remember JA saying he doesn't like using loan players but we had loads of them under him. Then when KP got the job he also said he wasn't keen on loan players particularly young ones who haven't played men's football...but yet again we have had loads of them. You are spot on its got to stop particularly the young untried players.

Surely the fans who blamed Hartley for everything failure wise ain't Gunna bring up fresh excuses for more failure.
Like ya say Billy excuse time is over.
Quality not Quantity of shite again.
Just stating the obvious tad bit of orchestrated Ambition.
Let's have it.
UTP.

Yes Kev the time has come no more excuses.

While no one has a crystal ball this is where my money will be

Really???

You'd only get even money.

after the league transfer window closes KP has not many choices to make in signings apart from loanees. think and hope the situation will be far different during the summer with loan players being the absolute minimum unless we get lucky with a good one.

To be honest... even out of all our poor hopeful loanees we have always managed to get at least 2 good ones and if not one really good one. Kemps and Bureys of this world. Also Southam-Hales again a very very good RWB. So yeh you would hope we filter out the young rubbish and just try and bring in 1/2 really good competent loan players who are either going to be regular first teamers or massive impact players from the bench. Plus a really good GK if we can loan one of those too !

Feel KP has done well with the squad he was left with. Remember he walked at Shields after winning the championship so feel unless Raj backs him properly in the close season and next season he will just say his piece and go.

Yeh i think he is the type to just walk if it doesnt go his way ! and lets be honest i think hes done enough in his short tenure so far with Pools to make his CV even healthier ! Hopefully Raj can see hes made the correct choice finally and backing him is the only way hes going to get the fans back on his side !

Totally agree Eiphos

If he doesn’t get what he needs, then I’d be disappointed if he didn’t walk.
Time for some common sense, if all Party’s want to run the club properly, it’s time to put their cards on the table.
The fans have played their part.
KP looks promising.
Raj………decision time.

Yet another spot on post Snowy
Raj has said himself he has made mistakes. I would like to think the same man will now correct those mistakes with good decisions.

The mistakes of previous managers etc excuses comes to an end in May as KPs new seasons team will be 90% his team.
I'm sure he will relish that opportunity to go for a promotion drive even if it's via a top 7 finish.




Obviously needs proper help from above.
UTP.

With the clear out of the last dregs of football ballast, it really is an opportunity to build without worrying about the dead money wasted after the last two years.

What God or Raj? he might have more luck praying.

Only one of the above is real

But both enjoy the faith of their worshippers.

None of them are real

Ra

Is real, Only god you need.

Both hope we are willing to endure suffering now for promise of paradise later ?

I agree with this just hope we aren’t disappointed

Ancient Egyptian! Like your style. I'm a big of Roman deities myself.