The Poolie Bunker

Parking the bus? Hope it pays off, but shows Grayson is a thinker and is prepared to shuffle things to suit the opposition.

Looks like banking on a point but always with the chance of nicking three. Be happy with a point and even happier denying Southend three. York adopted those tactics and always looked likely to take all three. Don't let them score early and give them confidence, the more we frustrate them and their fans the better. Should be able to block off the middle and keep their wide men quiet.
Gonna be an interesting battle of wits between the two managers.

Need a bit of bank Holiday luck for a change.

Yeah, it looks like he has a plan. Two attacking players out for two defensive players. I'd say he's going there to stifle them, get the crowd on their backs. Over the past few years I'd be nervous about that, but this team looks very capable of stopping opponents playing, and also Grayson knows his onions, he knows what he's doing.

Oh Dear, Hope i,m wrong!

hmmm
Not going to criticise as I have no idea on players fitness and turnaround times etc..

If he is playing 2 up front in Francis and Reid, I would have thought having Francis on the bench as an impact player at the end would stretch them more than Johnson

Anything apart from a loss is a bonus---lets hope we avoid injuries
Be interesting to see Miley in a more advanced role

ffs 1-0 down after 2 mins--Own goal

way too much space for the cross

See what we are made of now. I can't see us causing many problems for them total lack of attacking options will find us out today.

need to calm it down--getting battered here--this lot a step above what we have played, fast direct and accurate

almost another really struggling with their wing backs crosses

Mcnally not getting close enough to him more familair with playing CB

Don’t know why Grayson went for defensive line up . We should always be offensive. Parkes of the pace

We are all over the place

we are way off it--they look a lot fresher, hard to judge too much given its 2 games in 2 days but we look jaded

Absolute Shambles......Never change a winning team.

cant fault the effort we are putting in against a good side--Reid almost scored there

Every side looks good if you let them/give up ground.

There was zero effort to stop the ball coming in for the goal.

like i said all over the shop.

we are coming back into it more but lucky they didnt score again--they are a very good side but we are battling

wasnt a lack of effort it was a CB being played at RWB and defending too narrow

Formation and tactics WRONG from the start, Did Ole Lennie do this, Looks like it.

Agree big mistake

We've had a couple of decent chances and we're not dead and buried thanks to some good defending and goalkeeping.
We're due a set piece goal.

Aye may be Daly can take them

half of 2 halves

Battered the first 20 mins and lucky to only be 1 down---much better 2nd part and fighting our way back in-Miley and Francis both doing well.

hard to see us getting much out of this--but a shame we cant play them with more than 2 days rest

they are easily the best side we have played so far though

A lennie/Limbrick side would be 3 down--we have rode our luck but come back into it

Something wrong when I am the most positive on here....

We are really lucky that we are not dead and buried . Could easily have been 3 or 4-0. We look tired and lack creativity . Had 4 corners but made nothing off them . Don’t think we have had one shot at goal. Grayson needs to make changes at half time and be more attack minded rather than reactive . If they score a second it’s game over .

Had a half chance when Reid played a good ball in from a well worked free kick, and his blocked shot after their keeper got himself in a mess.
Don't think he'll wait too long to make changes.

REID is not a target man/ loan striker, Waste of time.

1-1

NSD

Much better from pools now . Can see us taking this

Chatman playing well on the right

Well done Pools excellent 2nd half. Far better. Very pleased that Grayson realised his mistake and took action at half time. Intelligent management. Southend are a good team. Had more chances but we had the better chances in the second half and nearly knicked it. Well done lads. Spirited performance .

Well done lads.
Good battling performance, kept their heads up and didn’t crumble after Southends strong start.

thing is he never has been and is not that type of player who can do other stuff much better. surely there is a big battering ram donkey who can do that who is without a club. morecambe managed to unearth 10 players in a few days so there are lads still about.