Hindsight is a thing... I thought at the time it was strange that Sweens gave the post match interview after the Dorking game, given that it was a positive result and the last game of the season. There had to have been some kind of situation even then. We will probably never know but to me it was a sign that all was not well for KPs future at the club. I have mixed feelings on KPs departure, he didn't seem to have a grip on what was going on, all soundbites and platitudes to the chairman initially then maybe realisation that he the players he had and the way the club is run began to dawn on him. He's probably thinking now he's had a lucky escape. This guy Darren Sarrl looks like another poor appointment, time will tell and he will get support initially but I fear another post December sacking and freefall trying to survive again. I hope I'm wrong.

What do you base the opinion that this guy looks a poor appointment?
His overall win percentage is about the same as KPs but includes a spell in div1. He also looks to be a disciplinarian and his teams have an effective style of play at this level. An added bonus is that he's brought loads of kids through at his previous clubs and we have a promising set of kids for development right now. Not too dissimilar a profile to DC when he came here excepting this fella has already managed at a higher level and has taken 2 NL clubs to the play offs.
So there's history to show he actually could be just what the Dr ordered.

Try reading up on the bloke before commenting in a knee jerk manner, I admit I also said ‘who…?’ …but read up about him from different sources and was impressed.

I'll reserve judgement on Mr Sarrl - like any new manager he deserves a chance to show what he can do on the pitch. He's certainly a good talker, although again it's early days - let's see how his banter stands up to a 3 game losing streak

As for Phillips, people seem to have forgotten already that for his last half dozen games he was basically picking from 10 fit senior pros, a couple of young loan players and a bunch of academy kids - and apart from the Gateshead game Pools still did enough to move up the table.

as fans we have no option than supporting any new manager no matter what we thought about the appointment or how it came about in the first place. as for phillips he did improve the side, our league position and possibly playing with a style he did not want himself due to lack of numbers and the strength of the side being at the back and upfront with nothing much in the centre. just hope in the future his time with us was only remembered for that freak second half at gateshead.

The above is correct, imo

Funny how people put the boot in with NO logical reason.

Sarll has an identity on how hes teams play, No mistaking it.
Its how HIS teams play, NOT how the players would like to play.
One thing i know is teams will not like to play us, No room for softies in his teams.


Bring it on

he hasn,t a magic wand though to just sign who he wants and get rid of players still under contract. he might or may not be able to get the latter to play his way as there are a number i no doubt feel he can do this with as they play like that anyway. just hope he is a bit more flexable in his approach to players and how he gets the team to play than he first sounds.

Fair enough I am jumping the gun a bit. He has to be given a chance and ok his record for Woking isn't the worst. I suppose like many I am just so disillusioned with the change in direction every few months. Of course I will get behind the new manager, I hope he brings in some solidity, fitness and a structured style of play. More importantly I hope he brings in some top midfielders at this level.

Looks like he has worked on peanuts before abd done alright, that is probobly why he is now manager of this club. He certainly has his work cut out, but no matter who we appoint it be the same for anyone. If he gets us to mid tabke next season he will of done ok, saying that if he lasts the season it will be a miracle.

I’ll praise the bloke because I expect more than mid table…… but that’s not to say I’d be on his back, just have to have high expectation.

We should be aiming for play offs but i think its a pipe dream while things are as they are, even the new boss seems to just suggest closing the gap a bit.

We could have 4 decent players to build a team around next season which is our one hope, but strength in depth wise less money from the footy league will probobly see to another season of struggle. If we dobt keep hold of mani d then we will be in a mess.

No magic wand for sure, He does have identity on how his teams play though.
Weve played against them a few times to recognise his style.

For those interested
Sarlls recent record

Stevenage 1February 2016 18 March 2018 114 41 26 47 36.0
Yeovil Town 19 June 2019 28 March 2022 134 55 30 49 41.0
Woking 28 March 2022 13 November 2023 80 35 16 29 43.8

Lets be honest... for this level and for us with not the biggest budget in the league, A manager of this calibre is about right. He certainly has a decent record and seems well thought of by his old clubs fan bases. He certainly has that DC edge about him reading what i have so far today. I kind of knew about the guy with his time at Yeovil and us been linked with him before and thought hes a good fit for this level tbh. He has what seems a backbone and something lacking from alot of our past managers. Knows the league and what is needed to get out of it thats for sure ! Hopefully he has the funds available to be able to do it first time of asking. He isnt a JA or a KP so we will see what we get from him come the start of the transfer dealings for me. See what the retained list looks like given it probably has come from other peoples input aswell.
I can only get behind the bloke as it seems he wants fan involvement and the same back from us ! which lets face it is what we give week in week out at this club and its well known ! He is here by the board by the looks and not just Raj. He has ticked the boxes of more than one man which for the first time in this clubs madness approach to hire and fire makes a change ! Lets get behind the bloke and wish him all the very best of luck and hope this captain of the ship sticks around long enough for the ship to get to its destination!

Talking to a Gas head friend of mine this morning (A Bristol Rovers fan), who told me he has heard this guy on Radio Bristol a few times and in his opinion will be a disaster for HUFC. Couldn't understand why he is in and Phillips is out. I'm one to give someone a chance but from what I'm hearing this will not bode well. Prove me wrong young man.

So did this BR fan say why, Think its important to know after that statement.

Phillips came across as the cockney wide boy, was he possibly a bit too ‘loud’ for Singh ? remember Hughes’s going public about how many players he would like and he was sacked by IOR for doing so.

Phillips came across as the cockney wide boy, was he possibly a bit too ‘loud’ for Singh ? remember Hughes’s going public about how many players he would like and he was sacked by IOR for doing so.

I wonder if the 7 signings where the truth in what was needed (which btw we all know is needed and more) - however Raj could only say afford to bring in 3, the rift was perhaps started immediately so KP set his stall out and left ! either like it or lump it which is the attitude we knew he had and id heard from some at Shields he was capable of a dummy out.

So wonder if Sarrl has the same ambition. 7 new players with a few loans to top the bench up with.

if we only now see a few new players come in and the 3 kids all upgraded to first team duties along with say some ropy typical youth loanees we know exactly what the crack was and why KP probs no longer here !

There's quite a few people on here who don't seem to appreciate that KP was well regarded by the majority of fans who actually go to games. Getting rid of duds is one thing but Phillips made the best of a very limited hand, won more than he lost and wasn't afraid to give Pools' talented Academy lads a chance. Most of us thought he'd earned the right to get a pre-season and the opportunity to bring his own players in. Apparently not.

Granted, Sarll is the more experienced manager and it's now his task to take Pools forward. If the team gets off to a flyer all well and good - if not he might use up his welcome as fast as Paul Hartley did.

We all know for a fine fact - this thread and others will be revisited when the time comes and Sarrl is no more. Not one for digging the knife in before the blokes even struck a bat but its just the matter in which way things have been done for me.

Ill put it on record today that come x-mas time we will all be saying "should of kept KP" ! ... and other ramblings to that effect of i wonder where we would be if we had kept KP in charge !

thought sarll sounded just like him voice wise in his interview. just couldn,t warm to phillips in his interviews that didn,t affect the job i thought he did for us on the pitch. would he be more suited to a behind the scenes coach rather than first team manager. two different jobs for different personalities.