We all know the squad is currently too small, and sarll talked a big game about getting business done early etc, yet here we are 4 weeks before the season started still waiting for a goalkeeper and at least 3 outfield players

Tick-Tock Sarll let’s hope Raj is going to back him !

I think like DS said hes waiting on those players he wanted - knocking back on our door. No doubt though the number of players we can have will be dwindling by the day as teams start to do their shopping and other teams revert to plan B etc (some of which those players might now be in their plans). If we leave it to late and mess about i can see us by xmas having the same debate we always do ! left it too late messed about, didnt pay the right price for those we wanted and now stuck with a load of bargain basement rubbish and kids on loan that offer absolutely nothing etc etc ! hope im not right but we have seen it all too often with Raj !

I just hope there is a few in that team tomorrow who the manager is taking a look at whom can walk into a NL side. Not just random kids and released academy lads.

Sarffennd already doing business and can see by next week having more new players in that us now they can

Probably sack him just before his probation period Novemberish.
Then appoint Fevs as the lowest paid manager in division 5.

The pre season optimism is dwindling on a daily basis.

I agree with all the above and this with a three man recruitment set up what are they doing also can not understand why we are playing Sunderland under 21s yet teams like Gateshead and I believe Darlo get the real thing. No comments from from Sarll about the fixtures or in reality anything. Earlier on there was speculation about Paul Blackett at South Shields any thing happening there he scored 29 goals last season. We are being treat like mushrooms keep them in the dark feed them shit and watch them grow.

Im not sure what we are gaining in these friendlies apart from fitness. Dont think we have ever played such weak teams. Your not going to find out what problems you have playing b teams under 21s and northern league sides. As for transfer business why are we shocked it happens every pre season. When your manager is looking at players from three bridges or whatever already its not the best of signs.

A bit of match practice against different opposition is all, doesn't really matter if it's Sunderland X1 or West Auckland. Rarely go to any pre-season games as they are generally played at a casual place with different sides for each half.
It's been a very quiet transfer window so far across all of English football, not sure why. 257 players left NL teams and 151 joined NL teams so far.
Definitely expected another few this week and surely if first choices are dithering then Sarll will need to start making moves for alternatives.

Dog n Duck.
3 Bridges.
Where next:
Red Lion
White Hart.
Richies.
Bottom of Ramp shopping centre

It is but when it comes to the real thing i hope we dont get a shock. I suppose the best games are probobly scarborough and scunthorpe to get some sort of game against reasonable teams close to our standard.

This post should be re-titled Doom mongers rant. Usual suspects.

This post should be re-titled Doom mongers rant. Usual suspects.

Why do you get offended by Reality!?

Calm down.

OK made your point don't need to repeat it.

Just noticed Gateshead are charging £22 a ticket so that will put off a load of supporters. Why are teams charging so much for friendly games.

Cheer up lads Sarl is brimming with energy and enthusiasm!

https://x.com/StellingRobbie/status/181 ... jQHhA&s=19

I would like to think that the manager, knowing he is working for a trigger happy chairman, is waiting for the sort of players who will save his job!

brimming with something....

Goalie this week was a must--really hope its not the lasty minute loan options and quotes of time to bed in....we've read that story before Sarll !

Like someone else has said its realilty we are once again not ready for an upcoming season no matter how positive the manager trys to make it. Already talking about getting the last bit right. The last bit we need about 5 or 6 signings to trouble this league, i think fans have already forgot how bad we were last season.

In his latest interview he mentions quite a lot about basically always being on the verge of being sacked, i think he knows like us he is probobly going to be manager here for a very short time.

And when questioned about further recruitment.
We haven't finished for sure. The open season n loan system is still available.
Proofs in the Pudding.
UTP.

After reading this topic I’m looking forward to season 25/26 as obviously this season is a lost cause.

Project 32
Target the Premier League.
Well Luton did it.

and he said the pool of players he wants is becoming smaller as he wants the right men who,ll buy into the new aims for the club. i see that as the pool getting down to zero as the one he wants might not come so its back to the biggest gamble of all, loan players.

This does seem like rinse and repeat from previous and before anyone says it, it doesn't mean it will be just like previous seasons. We are following that pattern though.

On the other hand, I can remember seasons gone when we were looking at the likes of Halifax struggling to get a squad together at the last minute and then go on to have a decent season. It isnt the best way of doing things as we've seen ourselves but it can work.

Let's be honest about this, if players are waiting g then we are not offering enough money in the market. The squad is you going t o be too small and will lack experience especially when injuries happen. I'm cup half empty still.

Might get a gk on loan but it likes no more unless the transfer listed players leave

100% the Wages.
Major mistake the Takeover not getting accepted.
We can debate that further down the line.
This weekend is 99% about the 3 Lions.

True and its very unlikely these two will leave because I very much doubt anyone wants them particularly on decent money. Sadly I am pretty sure they will just take a wage therefore stopping any more decent incoming signings. It will be a case of young local loan players again the very thing both Askey and now Sarll said they never wanted. This alone could derail any hopes of promotion.

The 2 players transfer listed should be nowhere near the squad.
Surely this can't be an excuse to stall ambition,
Still a no excuse season for me.
Perfect opportunity to proper go for it.
But like others doubts are creeping in .
I'm now basing the season on a shit load of luck and not to many injuries.
The prayer mats out.
UTP.

Or it could be that deals are very close to being done?
It's strange how for years people claimed we paid peanuts, now we can't offload those same players because we pay them a lot?
It's all guesswork, and until the 10th August none of us have a clue what the final squad or starting 11 will be.

But they don't have much to work authorise last minute types. It's the old p!anni g for fai!ure mantra, I hope I'm wrong

What because we haven't been made party to plans for the club and team we must be planning for failure?

Yes

We cant be paying them that much or the likes of fan owned Darlo and Ayr United wouldnt be able to afford lads we had. Its probobly more down to them being pretty poor that they cant be offloaded.

It has been the case before under more than one manager. We all want this time to be different and maybe it will be but it feels same old same old so far.

The truth is nothing really happens at Pools. We are relatively boring.

We don't own our ground and council won't and can't sell.

Football related communication is all just noise, it doesn't matter, all that matters is results on the pitch.

Well guess what there's no noise coming out of St James Park, the Riverside, SoL, so guess they're planning for failure too.

Perhaps they are.

Newcastle are in competition with the man citys liverpools probobly even barcelonas of this world in trying to recruit. We are up against the Halifaxs and solihulls, no excuse for not having a team again ready for the new season. The excuses have dried up now.

Exactly a team ready for the new season is exactly what we need and there's 4 weeks to go.

Pardon? Jameson was on loan at Pools so his previous salary was set by Harrogate, not Pools. It's likely Hastie was over-paid as well as over-rated by that numpy Hartley, but his stock can only have fallen after 18 months in and out of struggling Pools' sides and an indifferent loan spell at Hamilton.

Like i said if they can afford them its highly unlikely we were paying them the reported big wages.

Not going to be ready though are we? Already ploughing through trialists with very little pedigree if some of the names are correctin the hope we find someone, already the talk of loans etc. Its all de ja vu from previous seasons apart from this time we have signed even less, possibly more quality but nowhere near enough. Tha manager doesnt talk about bringing 3 or 4 in which is the bare minimum we probobly need , he says oh well we might get 1 in next week.

We'll find out in 4 weeks I'd say. If we're going through triallists at a pace then that's good surely if we're getting through them rather than signing them.
We've signed what should be better players than those we've got shot of and we've got good kids coming through and a fit Dodds and Mancini hopefully ready for the season start so nothing like previous seasons really.

we are clearly AT LEAST 4 players short of even a half decent size squad at the minute--and am worried the likes of Darcy, Steele, Stephenson and Storey are being talked about like they are first team players, when they are still just kids--nothing against them, but if the club are treating them as regular parts of first team squad we know we are being pissed about again.

What's good about looking at trialists and not signing them.
I reckon we offer 2 of them poor take it or leave it contracts a few days before the season starts as back up players to cover injuries.

I went passed the Vic last week and the pitch looked outstanding.
Add in this lovely wet/humid weather and it will be in mint condition for the Southend game.
UTP.

That reeks of desperation….maybe for a number of factors they just weren’t suitable and you don’t sign a player just because they’ve been on trial.

I think we Gunna have to justify Ronnie Moores roll unfortunately.

Has Ronnie Moore been at any of the games, if he was responsible for the trialists he should have been ?

if we had a league game today we could put a decent competitive side out with a good chance of getting a positive result. that plus a decent 7 man bench but without a keeper. even sarll must know we are short of a couple or so players and thats with his love of a small squad. fans need patience and if it takes till friday night before our first game to get a couple of good lads registered for the game so be it as long as they are players he wants and not last resort panic signings.