Just watched Pools train on youtube and having watched them many many times over the years in pre season I have to say the current regime are way more professional than any previous management team. I am getting a real good vibe about this season let's hope I am correct.

A classic case of PSDO.
Don't worry we all been there many times before.

Must say it looks very intense. Had to have a lie down after watching them. It looks like about 20 players training. Tony Toms type coach?

Its refreshing to see - the gym video the other day looked good too.

i remember one year they spent a few days in the uni pratting about with kit and doing bleep tests - this looks way more beneficial and actually looks like a coaching setup who knows what they are doing.

also like in the interview the other day Sarrl mentioned they will be going through the tactics and how he wants them to play - introducing a new style and setup and how we will be operating under him. All sounds very professional and like the way things have started under his regime

Lets hope the players can hack it and dont turn on the manager, like they seem to have done on a few others in the past and seemingly downed tools. They have need a kick up the arse for a few years now.

Pre Season Delusional Optimism
TO the hard of working out the basic shortened version.

Thing is kick a few up the arse then we down to a squad that can't fill a bench.
Let's get real here as it stands now we way off the mark for a promotion challenge.

Even i thought we might have brought quite a few more in by now but just 4 given the state we were in last season. If we are hit by injuries anywhere near as bad as last year we will be down to the bare bones by september.

And that's when the open division 5 Transfer Window comes into play with the majority of very low quality players available.
Last season was proof to that.

Would of thought going for Gatesheads better players would of been a better option than looking at Trialists on Gray fields tomorrow.

Ye there's still time but we cutting it a bit fine.
UTP

we only know of who we have signed and not the ones we have missed out on. i worry somewhat on the players sarll has inherited to wether they sign up for his style of play. there are numerous ways to play the game which can all be succesful if the players want to play that way and they are the right ones to play it. the first few games will be very interesting to see if they are singing from his hymn book or he actually has gone back on the tactics he said he wanted.

I think by the sounds of what DS was saying in that interview that he has an exhausted list of targets that have turned us down - such is life in football at this level etc... he then goes on to saying basically there is a bunch of lads we have approached and are awaiting on their call now as the balls in our court more a less. Hopefully he isnt just expecting them all to turn up and we then left with a Plan C which we have so many times before and we start seeing these bargain bucket cheap options come through the door, along with some shite from the Boro. Dont think DS is that clueless though and he knows the crack at this level. Im sure there will be at least 1 lad from tomorrow who may be given a chance who knows ? some of the trialists may be lads we recognise and think surprised they have not got a fix already (DS doing it the right way and not just signing those out of contract players because they played in L1 last year etc...).

I would hope come the West Auckland fixture we see another 1 at least come in - or get the GK position sorted and thats another worry out the way ! big position still not filled.

So basically the potential signings are hanging back for better deals at other clubs.
And the ones we finally sign say Pools was always me number 1 choice.
A game of cat n mouse.

remember it took mancini having to have a trial before we signed him. however he bucked the trend of the normal better trialist who does not get signed and eventually does get fixed up a few levels below where we will be playing. what people will see tomorrow will not be crap players but probebly below the standard the club wants.

there is still a stigma for some playing in non league football and will only do it if they fail to secure a contract at a league club. cannot blame em for that especially if they are youngish and having that attitude does not mean if we sign any of that type they will not put a shift in or feel they are too big for the club. always feel many of those last minute signings come into that catogary.

As I’ve said before it’s very rare we sign players who come as trialists during close season. It hurts me to saybut I think Pools is a last resort for for many.

not pre season ones but certainly the ones signed later in the season as free agents definatly are.

Apparently we are after ellis taylor, crikey i hope he has improved.

Bundle of joy.

I remember Malcolm Poskett signed after being let go by the Boro did not make it at Pools and was freed. He signed for Horden and was a success, I believe it was Billy Horner who re-signed him and he became a great success (alongside Houchen?) and went on to play for West Ham. Similar really to Charlie Wyke who showed nothing at Pools on loan but has had a good career. Some players just struggle at first in ‘men’s’ football. Hope this can happen to Taylor wherever he goes.

Lets be honest he wasnt up to it. Not every player we want to sign or sign is great. Why say he is something he clearly isnt.

Think he played along side Bob Newton
Went on to play for Watford in top division.

Taylor was defiantly not up to it. I’m not saying he was. All I’m saying is that he was a young player in his first taste of ‘men’s’ football and found he was not ready he may or may not mature into a decent player. Unlike some I don’t know.

Poskett and Newton up front is one of my all time favourite Pools attacking combinations. Was a shock when I had a look on In The Mad Crowd to see that it only lasted half a season (77/78) before Poskett was sold. Keith Houchen came on the scene as a young lad at the end of that season and immediately started scoring goals.

Poskett was a Gem, As was Bob.
Remember Houchen,s first game, Looked like Bambi, But once he started filling out we saw the potential.