Evans and Nicholson injured in todays match, just read a report of the game and there is no mention of either injury, did anyone watch on I follow and see what happened in either case
Great to win but by all accounts it was a very poor performance and we didn't deserve to win against an injury hit Crawley side. I'll take 3 points though regardless. We need points.
Hartlepool away: So hard to predict what's going to happen today - we could lose 4-0 or we could win 4-0 (remember those days?). I haven't really any idea how we compare to other sides in the division, maybe that's why they say it takes 10 or 12 games before the table starts to be a true reflection of things. For example, I am convinced FGR have had a charmed start and wont maintain their progress or good results, whereas we and a number of other clubs 'could' start climbing the table at any point (anytime soon would be good!) and the table will look totally different come Christmas. I guess a point would be seen as a good result bearing Hartlepool's current home form, but I will stick my neck out and go for a welcome away, and much needed victory for the lads. Maybe this will be a good benchmark of how good or bad our current team really are! I believe the medication I am taking produces side effects of extreme optimism and hope, so if this all goes terribly wrong later, I can blame the tablets!!
Yes, I went for a score draw in the prediction game - a triumph of hope over experience - and I blame the painkillers i’m taking! As you say, pretty impossible to know how it’s going to go v the monkey hangers - squads are bedding in etc. I wasn’t exactly expecting Harrogate to be one of the early pacesetters. I don’t think it will be pretty though. We had to dig in against Crawley - I don’t think we’ll be able to withstand pressure like that away from home without conceding, so we need to try and start on the front foot. That’s something we haven’t done under Barton. At home v Crawley we only managed a single off target header in the entire first half. We’ll get punished for a start like that in the North East today.
Todays line up Belshaw, Anderton, Hughes, Taylor, Anderson, Saunders, Whelan, Finlay, Clarke, Evans, Grant. Subs Ward, Brown, Kilgour, Coutts, Spence, Collins, Pitman
According to I Follow live text we have had 1 shot off target and one blocked without reply, do you think they are reporting on the right game I follow stats Shots on target Hartlepool 1 Rovers 0 Shooting accuracy H 100% Rovers 0% Tom Nicholls gives Crawley the lead Pitman replaces Clarke because of an injury Pitman now our only fit striker??? They have had 2 shots in the first 5 minutes of the second half one saved one missed Jamie Sterry first goal for the pool normal service resumed Collins and Brown on Whelan and Saunders off Goodwin assists Sterry goal and they sub him Ogle in his place
Played 7 lost 4 this is supposed to be a results game, he had bad results last season and it has carried on this season. he played a back 3 for the last 2 games and we didn't concede so he changes them. This guy is destroying my love of football with he way we are playing. He said that there is no urgency to bring in another player to fill the squad numbers but we only have 2 out and out strikers and 1 of those was injured today and the other is apparently not fully fit. can't see any hope with him as manager Down to 21st and Sutton have 2 games in hand 2 points behind and a gd of -1 to our -5
Barton’s 20% win rate in the 25 games he’s been in charge indicates that he’s bloody useless as a football manager.
I must admit it's becoming increasingly hard to argue against this statement! - facts don't lie, just wonder how long it will be allowed to carry on, and more to the point, what can be done to effectively change things?
Ref had a good game according to commentary and those who attended. Yet Barton went to the ref afterwards to complain. It wasn't the ref's fault that we lost yesterday. We've used 27 players this season in 7 league games. Yet Barton wants time for the players to gel. How can they gel if he keeps changing the line up every game? Another game we failed to win away. That's 19 league away games in a row that we have failed to win. Barton has managed 12 of those. Anther game we failed to score. That's 16 times we've failed to score in Barton's 27 games in all competitions. Fed up. Pissed off. Barton, please get out of my club.
Hartlepool, Bradford and Northampton have also lost two of their last five league games, so I think things can get much better quite quickly in this league.
We would have lost more than 2 in our last 5 if we had played these teams or other teams. We just happened to face Oldham (who could end up being relegated this season) and Crawley (who have issues with injuries and Tom Nichols up front). Any other side would have beaten us in these 2 games because Oldham had chances to get something and Crawley were by far the better side and should have won.
Crawley got a decent result on Saturday. Leyton Orient will be a very good benchmark, because they're a top side.