The Poolie Bunker

So far so good points wise how ever very few chances created.
Team this week i hope 2 changers Ecclestone for Benn and Sheron for Topov.

Sutton 0 Pools 2

Hoping you're right with the score, but I think 2-2.
Topov must be the Fiddler on the pitch.

I would like to see Bondo on for Popov, I think he looks a real threat, however, I think the manager will stick with the same side.
I think this has 1-1 written all over it, another point away from home.

Harris to score our goal.

I would like to see Bondo on for Popov, I think he looks a real threat, however, I think the manager will stick with the same side.
I think this has 1-1 written all over it, another point away from home, to continue our good start.

Harris to score our goal.

I,ll take a 0-0 always a good result away from home, a win would be superb !

Be well happy with a draw providing we beat Eastleigh at home next Friday night.

UTP.

We never seem to get anything at Sutton
Would take a point, but a win would be unreal and a real statement victory given they've won both their games too. Reckon it'll be a close game but our quality bench, once again comes up trumps!

Going to go 2-1 away win
Harris and Hugill on the score sheet.

Crowd- 2851
277 Poolies in attendance
(less than Aldershot due to early kick off, and it being on DAZN)

has a draw written all over it. keeping the same starting 11 also seems to be working even if there looks to be better options on the bench. the result actually might be decised on the strenghs of both benches and when the subs are made.

Draw for me too.
1-1

You have to travel in hope and dream…….hope for the best option.

I think we'll nick it 2-1, they haven't beaten much and hopefully they'll not simply setting up to stop us so we may see more football.

I agree with many above that it has the look of a draw so 1-1 is my guess, but a win would be special.

This is going to be tough game in which we need to secure at least a point in order to keep up early momentum. However, I don't think we are strong enough to do so as yet - unless Clark sets up to park the bus (or is that a low block in modern codswallop?). Either way I don't think he will. Hence my prediction of 2-1 Sutton - hoping that I'm completely wrong of course.

Everything points towards a tight game, so I'm going for a comfortable pools win. 3-0, Harris, Popov and Miley.

used to live in a low block and it was called that to distinguish it from the high blocks near it.

We have good players in every position now so we will give Sutton a tough game. My concern is our tendency to get over run in midfield. Barrow and Aldershot didnt have good enough forwards to exploit this. I wonder if we can keep being lucky? Unless Clark sorts this we could find ourselves on the wrong end of a narrow score line.

No Merrick today, gonna be a test…

Looks like we could be playing 4-5-1, depending on Ilunga's role. Hope Merrick's absence isn't serious. Nolan missing also.

Maybe that's why Nolan was substituted last week.

An away point would be a brilliant result with this starting 11 Oh well, it's an early test of how much strength in depth Pools really have.

Anyone tuned in
No luck with IPTV so far.
UTP

Need to spend some money Kev.

Horrible goal to concede. Keeper glued to his line, just like he was against Boro U23s.

On now excellent picture pal

2-0 our keeper is shit

Soft as shite goal No. 2. Keeper repeats his 'Where were you lads?' routine.

Why are our back up keepers so poor. McNally started poorly too.

Not sure I'm blaming the keeper for either, both goals very poorly defended

Mileys set pieces woeful too.

2-1. Soft goal To us this time

I'd like to think there's still everything to play for, but when you swap out a super confident keeper who commands his area with one who stays glued to his line in almost any circumstance, it's hard to believe Sutton won't score again.

McKeown, Miley and Eccleston all doing well for us. Not sure where the cover is for any of our midfielders is from that bench like.

Agree a keeper like Merrick gives the defenders loads of confidence . We need an early goal then I believe we can take it . Just hope the goalies injury is a small one

McNally off injured now for Gibson. Not a good day so far. We have four forwards on at the moment but not creating a lot...

Mail article putting Miley on a pedestal and his delivery today was dire, as was Sherons.

Very poor performance hardly created any chances . 2 poor defensive lapses cost us . Early reality check for the manager

Well then. The first setback. My observations/opinions are...

Looked at the starting lineup before the game and got last season fears come over me, confidence of a result dropped considerably. Unconvincing back-up keeper, Sheron & Hunter in the middle. One isolated striker without a 10 off him. Now where have I seen this before. And so the game started.. and I felt like I had indeed seen this before.

Two bad goals to concede in quick succession with a mountain to climb away from home. Arses fall out & we step on the gas a bit.

We then had a lot of the ball, but created so very little. Commentator said the same, final third we just looked a bit poor - despite finishing with 4 strikers on the pitch. Ecclestone & McKeown definitely bright sparks. Both very lively and always looking to go forward.

I thought Sheron was very wasteful in moments. He's a destroyer & great to break a game up but opportunities he could get a good cross in, through ball in, but shanks them. Still absolutely convinced we need another centre midfielder. Most of the set plays were pretty crap as well. It always seem like with Hunter/Sheron, they either do things too slow, or rush through things and first touches become tackles or big boots forward. Nothing is clinical and it is almost guaranteed neither will get you an assist or a goal, I'm unsure why Clark sees these guys as the answer.

Sutton look a horrible team to play against. Big, nasty & very quick on the break. Can see them being pretty formidable this season even if not spectacular from a football perspective.

Wins for Southend, Carlisle, Borehamwood. The pace is being set by the usual suspects. I think we're going to get a shock here if we don't strengthen the middle of the park. Looking at York last season for example - they had Hunt/Hiram Boateng - both unbelievable. Boreham Wood's Brunt is the perfect example, pretty sure he has 5 assists & 1 goal already from the 10. A reliable creator & contributor in the middle of the park.

We can all see it, why can't they?

It would be a big improvement on last season if we could say we squandered a lot of chances, but like last season, we are not creating many. Despite the bookie's suggesting we are going to challenge at the top, it is more realistic to expect us to scrape into the playoffs.

After that performance I hope Lee Clark will be having a rethink about the idea that Pools don't need any more players.

The midfield is threadbare. Hunter and Sheron have nothing to offer going forward. Miley ran out of steam 2nd half (and agree his dead ball delivery isn't the best anyway) but there is nobody to replace him. How long will it take this Hampson lad to get match fit?

Pools don't have adequate cover for Merrick and now have 2 sub-par keepers on the wage bill.

Chucking on Hugill, Bondo and Popov as subs achieved the square root of FA - did they manage a single shot between them?

And it's not as if Sutton looked like world beaters. Folarin should have been sent off for the hair pull on Eccleston - how did that ref not know it's treated as violent conduct and a straight red? In any event we never looked capable of scoring in the second half.

Midfield piss poor as it was last season, then you have Fylde signing Olly Banks from York, would have been a great signing for us.

Nail on the head.

No satisfaction in forecasting the correct scoreline - in fact I would have gone for 3-0 if I'd known that Max and Nolan were going to be missing. This timely setback is exactly what we need as long as the management team appreciate that it's not simply due to missing the above named. Several posts on here have referenced the obvious lack of creativity in midfield which has seemingly been exposed for all to see today. Hunter and Sheron are average at best. As an excellent midfielder in his time Clark must surely appreciate the lack of guile, ability and pace in the middle. In my view we need two experienced midfielders at this level to help Miley fulfil his undoubted talent. Finally, although it sounded like good signing at the time I'm now struggling to appreciate what Hugill is bringing to the table. How many ageing ex-EFL players have been signed by Pools in recent years only turn out as complete timewasters in the NL?

Three games on and some people are phoning the Samaritans.
Keeper and midfield the problem, get it sorted.

Which is effectively what the majority of us have posted Snowy. I don't see any sign of histronics - the bubble hasn't burst but it needs inflating to restore belief and confidence.

It seems obvious the keeper injury was a big handicap today. Not making an excuse, probs still would have lost but playing without the regular keeper can cause uncertainty and defensive uncertainty was a feature of the first half. But we live to fight another day.

I think it could have been a different result if our ‘regular’ keeper was playing.

Just think we’re still in the ‘gelling’ time with this squad.

I think the wiser Poolies knew this game was Gunna be a massive ask to win going NY the pre match forecasts.

Bounce back ability required for Friday Night.

Deffo need midfielder upgradism.

Best to do it ASAP and not let in linger.

Expecting a loanie to come in from a bigger club.

UTP.

it was typical pools where there always seems something around the corner to derail us. we are never going to win them all and for us 3 points out of two away games is a decent return. its just how it happens that galls me. a good keeper gets crocked and we bring the back up one not just any back up keeper but one that conceeded 10 in his last game and looked it. then nolan was missing to add to the problems. just why cannot we get through 3 games without the injury list growing yet again. wonder who will be available for friday night. well not nolan as clark said yesterday.

trouble with loanees as we have seen is their quality really varies with a cleary at one end and others possibly worse than our kids at the other.

The midfield is definitely our Achille’s heel.

And goalkeeper is definitely the other Achilles Heel - when Max is not available. We all know that this league is very difficult to escape from and unless we have quality in ALL positions - and also adequate back up - it's just not going to happen yet again this season.