The Poolie Bunker

Good to see Max back between the sticks

Who is playing left back ??? Unless we are going with a back five of Eccleston, Benn. Kougan, Mc Nally, Ilunga, therefore playing wing backs.

Unless Benn plays left back

If it was a back 5 surely John would be in ahead of Benn

It's 4 4 2

Popov up front with Harris.


UTP

Anyone watching the game care to give a half time summary? Are we creating chances?

Not convincing at all, Eastleigh had the best chance of the half. We desperately need someone who can control the ball in midfield.

We were but irs gone really scrappy the last 15 mins. All pools the first 20 odd but we let them back into it and ilinga saved the day. passing needs to improve the second half if we are going to get something out of this. Some parts of the half looked like last seasons fare. even merrick got slack in the end coming for a ball that was never his. officials as per usual.

We have created a few the best falling to Harris but their keeper saved it with his outstretched leg. Eastleigh have also created chances with Ilunga clearing off the line on one occasion after their player had rounded Merrick.

An even game, they are no pushover. Most of our best attacks have come down the left hand side, hopefully Nolan will come on in the second half and add to the creative play.

Thanks to all who have given summaries.

I’m going to say it. Not convinced. Feel like I’m watching same team as last year. Boring.

Hunter is so limited. Backwards every time.

Nice Rainbow 1st half.
Nice Full Moon 2nd half.

Highlight of the match. Christ. Tough watch.

Popov can’t trap wind in this game. Runs a lot. Looks alright doing it.

I just do not understand how one of our most average performers of the last two seasons is now captain.

Pools eh. Never let you down.

Like Sarll football. Eastleigh one of the worst to come to the Vic and we never looked like scoring.

Finding ways to win? Pools still finding ways to lose. Just awful. YET AGAIN. WE ARE CURSED I TELL THEE. CURSED.

Ah well that has put the kybosh on all the new season optimism.

Why did you not come on when we won …?
Three posts, are you Jamie…?

Absolute garbage we never looked like scoring with eleven men silly yellow card in the first half only positive is the keeper looks magnificent let’s just hope this is a one off

Defeat at Halifax and Mr Clark could be under pressure. Every performance looks the same.

High press, yes. But creation of chances and goals hasn’t quite happened yet.

It feels a bit like Sarll football because it is very attritional and ugly on the eye but we look like we’re working very hard whilst we do it. Even before the red card, we created so little and it was generally a turgid affair against one of the worst sides I’ve seen at the Vic.

It might just take time to ‘click’ but the observation I’m making is the football isn’t very good and despite his 4 strikers, the current performances don’t scream goals. Work to do.

Snowy, I was right here when we won. Posted two moments of class. Was at Aldershot, average but won. Thought tonight we would play brilliantly and win. You seem incapable of allowing people to analyse/give opinion on the game when it’s negative but I’m really not sure what was positive about the last 90 mins. Please enlighten me.

Could have been out of sight in the first half but can't turn pressure into goals, nothing has changed. Is Will Harris turning into this season's Danny Johnson. Big defenders will master him and Popov all day, all night and into the next day.

I think that’s a spot harsh. Last 3 games I’ve not seen the ball played in front of him regularly or running onto a chance. Harris is a goalscorer. Looks like Reid did last season though, coming short, trying hard but getting no strikers service, but will score 10-11 whilst doing so. They’ve gotta create chances for the lad.

Popov I’m not convinced by. Stature and work ethic like Oates but with all the effort in the world, doesn’t look much of a player yet.

We need a quality CM alongside Miley, who I thought was good tonight. He’s wasted next to Hunter.

There was nothing positive…that’s not the point I’m making though…I asked why when we won you were absent without leave…but pop up when we get beat to spray your disgust.
You have now been enlightened…happy to help.

You deserve an apology about 6:14 in the morning.

Now I know why I converte to darts as my favourite sport about 10 years ago.

It’s football. And we’ve been shit at it for so long.

Mind-numbingly boring except for a pearler of a shot at the end from them to win it. If this is our team we might as well just accept 12th place now because we’re not going anywhere. Again the midfield is the issue. Defence was barely troubled and we looked a lot better with Merrick in net. Strikers basically never touch the ball in a half decent position because the midfield is absolutely shocking.

Saw someone say Miley played well tonight and couldn’t disagree more if I tried. The guy is absolutely woeful. Several counter attacks broken down because he can’t play decent pass (bare in mind he can’t do anything else either). Hunter might as well not be there, and Sheron, well, he’s Sheron.

Only way we’re in with a shout with things the way they are is if Nolan plays every game until the end of the season. Didn’t score tonight but he’s the only one who I genuinely believe can create something when he gets the ball. Harris, I want to believe he’s a good player, he just barely gets the ball anywhere near the opposition goal.

The positive for me was that the players gave 100% until the end especially taking into account we were down to ten men for nearly the whole of the second half. The biggest negative for me was the lack of creativity in the side. Hopefully as the season progresses we improve otherwise its another season of same old same old

We have form for this sort of over expectation, then disappointment, our crowds start off good then taper off when results don't follow, it's disheartening, most fans can see we lack creativity in midfield and until this is addressed we will continue to lose against average teams in this league. I feel our forwards are feeding off scraps and not sure that the tactics suit our current squad.

If Clark keeps picking Hunter he will lose his job.

Positives high press, good work ethic, defence, goalkeeper
Negatives , stupid sending off, poor passing especially from midfield, lack of quality and creativity in the final third . Clarke said he would put things right upfront . He hasn’t .
We are a bit better than last year but not much. Based on what I have seen over the last 4 matches , top 7 max. Can’t fault the effort . I was saying that all of last year ……..

i said it when he was appointed and i'll say it now - what has Lee Clark achieved as a manager? nothing but somehow keeps getting jobs after achieving nothing!!

I know…but as I’ve given up hope over everything in life else except my dogs, I’m clinging on to my relationship with Pools as it’s too late to change and not as complicated as being married.

Time will tell, but now isn’t the time for the football version of premature ejaculation at such an embarrassingly early stage of the season.

We played half a game with 10 men, how much creativity do people expect? And to put things in perspective we created a damn sight more than they did 2nd half even though we were down to 10.
First half, McKeown and Ilunga were working well together down the left and creating plenty of problems for their defence, it's a shame they were both subbed after McKeown had taken a knock just before half time and Illunga was subbed for tactical reasons.
Popov had a great chance, was fouled in the box but stayed on his feet and scuffed the chance, if he'd gone down it was a clear pen and red card.
Harris should have done better 1st half when the keeper saved with his feet.
We should have had a pen 2nd half for a clear handball, and Nolan should have buried his chance at the far post.
Easy to say we need a creative attacking midfielder, but when your wide midfielders are attacking types in a 4,4,2 it's asking a lot of a single midfielder to do the graft and dirty work.

Shudda
Wudda
Cudda

The result stays the same.
We got beat off a shit team in front of an outstanding crowd.

No prizes for being unlucky and getting a shit referee.

We had an excellent chance in the 93rd minute and bottled it.

Fine margins.

But the result is still us 0 them 1

I know, but the basic point I was making is how much free flowing slick attacking football can we reasonable expectations when we were down to 10 men?
Singling out the CMs for criticism yesterday is a bit unfair imo. Popov missed a golden chance, Harris should have buried his chance and Nolan too. We created chances, especially when McKeown was on the pitch but didn't capitalise on them.
Without a change of formation, I can't see how we can possibly put an attacking CM into the side. Maybe a back 3 of Kuogun, McNally, and John/ Gibson would work considering we've got a decent sweeper keeper?
Can't argue that both Sheron and Hunter are very limited and definitely shouldn't be in the side together, but Miley imo is very good.

well we have all heard him talk and that could be the big reason he keeps getting work. its always been better in life to be a good talker than a good doer who is quiet.

if we had 11 men on the pitch i doubt we,d have seen hunter and sheron on the pitch together especially if we were looking for a winner. he has subbed sheron on for hunter more than once but in different circumstances. for me things are better than they were 12 months back but only slightly with the keeper a bit better and more life in popov and harris than there was in reid and johnson. big game on tuesday to get us back on track with the hope that harris does not upset the next joker and gets an early bath against his old club where he left under a cloud.

That's pretty much the game I saw too. Pools were well on top for the first 20 minutes or so but Eastleigh got themselves back into the game because their high press was very effective once they started getting into our half of the pitch. Think Lee Clark has over-hyped Pools' so-called high press - we don't really have one apart from Popov charging in!

The 2nd half was all about the sending off - after 40-odd pigging seconds After that the ref gave every 50:50 decision their way - which he hadn't been doing in the 1st half! He obviously didn't like the attention he was getting from us fans - but I have to say the atmosphere inside the ground was great! Agree with PTID- our players worked their nuts off for 52 minutes, if any team deserved a late winner it was us and if the game had even finished 0-0 the players would have been cheered to the rafters at the end for their effort.

Getting beat was a sickener, but some of the post-match comments on here and on social media are laughable. Win two and the play-offs are nailed on. Lose the next 2 and we're shite and have made no progress at all. The truth lies somewhere between.

I agree it is harsh but sometimes the fact of the matter is and by highlighting it only then can it be recognised and subsequently remedied.
Harris and Popov aren't big brutes so therefore passes into their paths are essential if their strike rate is to be prolific. Towering headers isn't their forte. That is the connection to Johnson and Reid. They also were starved of clear cut chances and we are still to learn from that.
Striker starvation leads to lack of composure in front of goal, especially when it's only the odd half chance that comes along.
If we don't find a way to get service, and I mean good service, to these lads and soon, we will find ourselves being involved in more situations like yesterday when, quite frankly, Eastleigh stole the points. Yes we were down to ten early in the second half but we should have been well ahead with our first half performance.
Everybody and his brother is pointing out the lack of creativity from our midfield and it needs to be addressed like immediately.
I admire Miley's attitude and work rate but defence splitting passes and set piece accuracy is not forthcoming at the moment, which is his main job.

The biggest mistake was not subbing Ecclestone at half time and that's down to Clark. Lots of long diagonal balls but not a lot of crosses coming into the box and we certainly missed McKeown when he went off. Our current shape isn't generating many chances, again down to Clark. We have to just write off last night and hope that the management team develop a plan B and that Landon hasn't lost his cheque book.

I agree completely. Eccleston was very fortunate not to get a straight red and he was always going to be an accident waiting to happen in the second 45. In terms of creating chances, nothing has changed from last season. If Clark wants to keep his job he must do somehing before attendances plumit.

Disappointing game and result to say the least. Lots of head tennis, booted balls all over the place, shirt holding and pretending to be fouled and that's both teams. Expected from Eastleigh who were better than I would have guessed. Terrible refereeing and a diabolical sending off did n't help. Fantastic loan signing in Merrick from Chelsea, easily our MoM.

We desperately need a calm head in midfield. You could sense the tension rising in Pools as the game went on.

Onwards to Halifax.

Yep. Jamie Miley is still only 22. At times last night the pressure of him being expected to be our main playmaker was too much for him. When you think of our best sides of the last 30 years, the players who made us tick all had bags of experience.

We haven't signed that player - yet.

Struggling to be optimistic about this. McKeown went off injured, Nolan coming back from injury and not yet up to 90 minutes. Who is going to score? Halifax a solid side with home advantage. A draw would e a good result.