The Poolie Bunker

TRANMERE 1 (Greenacre 21), UNITED 2 (Heath 55, Kandol 89)
UNITED 4 (Thompson 3, Flo 86, Marques 90, Beckford 90), SOUTHEND 1 (Barrett 70)
NOTTS FOREST 1 (Commons 50), LEEDS UNITED 2 (Kandol 17, Beckford 90)
OLDHAM ATH 0, UNITED 1 (Westlake 90)
UNITED 1 (De Vries 90), YEOVIL 0
WALSALL 1 (Mooney 75), LEEDS UNITED 1 (Westlake 90)
UNITED 1 (Elliott OG 84), BRISTOL ROVERS 0

by my reckoning have gained 13 points with their late goals - so we really need to be playing for 100 mins come 26th - they'd be in 17th with 23 points

Lucky Leeds

Apparently they all count, whenever they're scored. Apparently that's the rules.
Let's hope Pools get an 89th minute winner followed by others in the 91st & 95th minutes then.

Whats the rolling eyes for WLWH ?

Too much to drink groovy!

The desire (+ fitness) at ER is carrying us through - as you well know we are often second best in terms of possession and the quality of our football but we have played no team yet that want's it more than we do. How much do your boys want to win on boxing day? Our's know that we could be top New Years Day - and it has emerged lately that that was always Wise's target. It could yet go belly up but for now the belief in both players and fans is clear to see.

Merry Christmas

Im seeing paranoia in the way you responded to Katchas original post.
I read it as a compliment to Leeds rather than him callin them lucky.
Either way Ill be glad when boxing days over & therell be no need to hear about them anymore & fingers crossed we'll never be in the same division as Leeds again

Just looked at the league table & if we dont win then Leeds will go top,maybe only for an hour but the will be top.

You are wrong to see paranoia in me groovy - post was a bit tongue in cheek that's all. I took original post at face value - because it's true. But some would say lucky Leeds in the same way everyone says the mancs are lucky for doing the same thing. That said - we have had luck this year which deserted us last and which would, arguably, have kept us up. It all even's itself out as they say - unfortunately it does this over the years rather than over a season. What is clear is that sometimes we are the only team trying to win the game at the end when we often have 4 up front. Any road I hope the luck's with us boxing day. Have a good Christmas.

OK,thats cool,I reckon all thats left to say is have a good xmas yerself & lets hope boxing day gives us a good game.
obviously with us taking all 3 points of course

make that 14 - we were warned

if i was leeds chairman

id be asking why they cant play for 90 mins n not just 10 some games

Noticed this in yesterday's Telegraph from your manager "Leeds find this every week, of course, but we raised our game against them and I thought we had done enough for the three points." At least we get 10 minutes every week. Sounds like you get 90 but only twice each year. Clearly I missed the match but the shots/shots on target make interesting reading and some of the reports on LUFC web sites [eg I went, they dominated the first half an hour, the rest of the first half was both teams playing the hoof, second half much of the same, come the 80th minute, we discover that on the floor we are actually BETTER than Brazil, destroy them, and get a good goal at the end If the ref had played the 5 minutes at the end like the official held up, we would have won.]

I realise from your comments on other threads that many on here think we are a poor side - I often wonder if giving everyone five games start and playing week in week out against teams who raise their game is taking it's toll? We may yet miss the play off's having to carry a burden bigger than John Bunyan's for a full season. FL and those who only see 'dirty Leeds/an unwholesome team' will obviously be well pleased if we do.

as i said on an earlier thread mr lightrning
only successful teams pick up the lucky tag
lucky arsenal
lucky manure
lucky darlo
lucky leeds

To be compared to Darlo is indeed an honour.

as a leeds supporter as a second team - i was saddened but pleased to see em relegated -

at the start of this season n all the banter i still had time for em n the fans seemed ok

but as time has gone on a few of them have become quite tiresome and believe their own hype too much

take a step back and have a look where you are for feck sakes.

you never got relegated because of financial issues you got relegated cos you were very poor over the course of a Championship season - not a Premeirship season.

Of course some players n managers are gonna lift their games against the once big teams, but also for teams they used to play against and so on.

This doesn't make the opponents any more worthy - they are still opponents because they are where they are and we are where we are on merit and performance.

I don't care for this Leeds arrogance being shown by their team, management and some supporters

Fact of the matter is the mighty whites came to the pools and couldnt win - they were fortunate and only three of them impressed me - if we didnt nap beckford wont have scored and another 10 mins of injurytime wouldnt have seen em win.

All they need to do is look around them and some of the other teams who were once classed as big clubs - forest (who have actually won the european cup!!) - no one on here expected them to be down for so long.

if leeds go up then fook em good riddance - if they dont then it serves the arrogant bastids right.

Interesting viewpoint katcha. Personally I don't comment on other teams fans - in my experience all teams have their share of good and bad and all shades in between. For some reason it seems ok to have a pop at the fans of Leeds and a few other clubs and yet those that take a pop generally (always!) know nowt but a handful of the fans they have a pop at - and then they call us arrogant.

Bad mangement has seen us relegated twice - no Leeds fan would dispute that but the 15 point penalty has been and remains a burden imo which may yet be our undoing this year.

I didn't see the game because I couldn't get a ticket so I can't comment beyond musing that despite being so poor (twice now) you have yet to score a goal from open play. Your manager acknowledges that Leeds must deal with teams who raise their game week in week out. That being the case Leeds must be required to play at a sustained 'higher' level each and every week - surely - and it strikes me (my earlier point) that this is wearing some of 'em out having seen a deterioration over recent games. Most Leeds players are not Championship class (infact you thought only 3 were any good) which means that somehow Wise is getting more out of 'em than the other Div 1 managers are getting out of their players who appear to need a game against Leeds to 'turn it on'. I have no doubt about the effort/desire/team spirit at my club - can you say the same?

Wise's Leeds is defensive by nature, normally well drilled, relying on 2 banks of 4 to defend territory. We have played the long ball all season because this does not pull the midfield out of position (they are old and do not have the legs any more), relying on Beckford's pace and Kandol's 'difficult to handle' qualities plus set pieces to snatch a goal or two. It ain't pretty at time but it's football designed to win games - the teams that don't beat us always complain for one reason or another but Wise's tactics are legitimate and (so far) effective. We can play football but tend to save it for when we are chasing the game or the oppostion loses the plot. Rather than moan about Leeds - witness Mr Saddler who comes on here to have a go about us - teams should surely ensure that they score more goals than us - a simple game football.

fair enough

beckford offered little but took his chance well - thats all you need to do really at this level
kandol

howson, carole n heath -ok 3

the tiring out of your team shows their inability to be a championship team

i believe you will go up - but past 'glories' doesn't guarantee it.

if i were leeds fan i would question why we 'sneaking' so many points and look at ourselves rather than thinking of the bollox re teams raising game etc. and why we aint performing for the 90 not just 10.

yep every other week pools do cast doubt re commitment in my mind - but when you start to draw/loose a few you will start to cast your own doubts.

next season where ever you are will be your test

I don't make no bold claims for LUFC 2007/08 - we have done well but we have a long way to go and most of our players are 'ordinary or slipping over the hill'. Despite being a season ticket holder myself I find that away fans almost without exception seem to know more about my club/fans/players/finances/prospects and so on than I do. Why would anyone come on a Hartlepool United message board from Walsall to have a pop at Leeds for instance? Just can't get my head round it. Just disappointed I missed the game in truth. Nowt more exciting than a late equaliser or winner.

As for the 'biggest bag' above - the game always looks different depending who you support.

Back to me Christmas cake and cheese then which should sustain me until the transfer window opens

when you should be barred from signing until you pay back some more of those pennies in the pound

Catch 22 for those who think like you katcha - the better we do and the quicker we do it the more we pay back. Transfer window is now urgent

i dont know the rules and cant be arsed to check but i would assume the better financially that a business does post admin and getting away with 7p in the pound or whatever it was then they should be enforced to pay more - is this the csse with your lot?

Extra money appears for creditors if we move through the leagues culminating in a pretty decent pay day if we reappear in the top flight within an agreed time scale (as I understand it). So promotion is good for everyone associated with LUFC - fans/bates/wise/players and creditors. If we remain in Div 1 there is no more money for creditors and I suspect we will never own our ground and training ground again. Very sad for those of us who saw the club rise from nowt to the European stage and the ultimate example of the poor management we suffered before Bates arrival.