The Poolie Bunker

But's it's still 11 against 11, with one ball.

Don't hype them up.

You keep saying we can match any team in the division, so tell the fan's, tell the player's that we're going there to fight for 90 minutes, that they're in this division, the same division as Pools because they weren't good enough to stay in the Championship last season.

Pools team's from the past on a run similar to the one we're on now would go to a team unbeaten in 16 games and get something, it's what has kept fans like me and many other's going but we were always good at pulling off the unexpected at some time in a poor season, maybe that surprise is going to happen on Saturday.

Think about your tactics for the game in terms of consulting a road map on a long journey. You may hit a few pot holes and some unpredictable congestion along the way. But you still know exactly where you are headed, and how you’ll get there.

Now, consider the same trip without a map or directions of any kind. You’d be blindly following signs, taking a series of dead ends, wasting a lot of time to stop and get your bearings, and feeling like you’re not getting anywhere. When you have a map, all of the tactical moves – taking a right or a left, traveling on motorways or back roads – are a no-brainer. Without a map, it’s a stressful and impossible endeavour.

A strategy makes you a winner. Tactics determine how big the win is.

Strategy vs. Tactics

Strategy: planning in any field; a carefully devised plan of action to achieve a goal or the art of developing or carrying out such a plan (finishing in top half of division)

Tactics: means to an end; finding and implementing means to achieve particular, immediate or short term aims (picking up enough points to finish in top 10)

Put simply, “strategy” deals with planning and “tactics” deal with actions.

Tactics are the actions contained within that plan, each with specific, measurable objectives, that you will undertake to reach your defined goals.

In terms of football. The strategy is the game plan, the proverbial Xs and Os crisscrossed over a chalkboard, the plays during the game. The tactics include a perfectly executed pass that lands right between the defender's and our forwards getting on the end of it.. Without a solid game-day strategy, without countless hours spent by the coach and players analyzing the competitor’s strengths and weaknesses along with their own, a team could still lose the game because of one incomplete pass after another.

Without a plan, even the best efforts fall flat. So, if it feels like your best efforts are never good enough, it’s your strategy, not your tactics, that need to change.

To achieve the aim of a top 10 finish, and attract fan's back to the Vic you must become a strategist.

Shooting from the hip with random press releases will never make a lasting impression. Unless it's a poor one. And you appear to be doing that at the moment.

should play MY 3-5-2 formation - altho nelson is good tackler, a speedy forward will tie him knots as we found out last two seasons - pressuring him will force him into mistakes, he's the weak link in that team, we should exploit it

Sorry, not footy related, but if you're in the city centre at lunchtime, the covered market used to have some fantastic chip stalls. Real chips, not Chip. They just sell chips and sausages.

We don't really have a left wing back though, it would be square pegs in round holes again.

Austin could play right easily enough, but Hartley I'm not sure, he's a solid left back and I'm sure a good centre half but is he good enough on the ball to play in a more advanced role?

bastid - you have spotted the flaw in my plan!

Turner has already admitted he doesnt believe in tactics.

we have a ready made player for such a formation. I'm sure he played there regularly last time round?

He has also had pratice in defence since, in fact, i think it would be perfect for him

guess who

Well said Bob, I could'nt have put it any better myself.

One thing I've noticed about wingers, they tend to be nippy and not carrying the national debt of the UK round their waist.

Are Norwich any good then ?

I can imagine Turner's team talk on Saturday -

"Now lads, this team were once runners-up in the Premier League. Get ready to $hit yer pants".

Rob McKinnon and Bryan Drysdale are a bit old for dashing up and down the wing, me old son.

I refuse to believe anything but a Norwich win is possible
It's like a law in physics or something

Pools might get a special "plucky" bonus points award at the end of the season, which could be the difference between staying up and going down

I doubt they will though

We might not win the league or even the fair play league, but by jove we'll piss the Plucky League Table

Well, i'm sure Turner has dug out their demolition of Bayern Munich back in the '80s, just to reinforce the fact that we really shouldn't mess up their turf with our studs.

They'll probably also be shown Delia Smith videos all the way down, to make sure we give them plenty of respect.

Pools directors and management will eat her cooking in front of their director's box before kick off, just to show them how grateful we are to be playing them
The Pools fans will bow their heads collectively in subordination, as Norwich fans walk past and patronise the northerners from the little town so far away

I just hope Turner doesn't think because Norwich play in yellow that we are playing Brazil.