The Poolie Bunker

The few days before kick off and unleashing the restrained tension to open a new season.
For a change, expectation is deservedly higher that it’s even for a long time, which replaces the resigned apathy that has been the close season in recent years.
I’m not expecting anything, but for a change feel more comfortable than I have for some time…roll on Saturday.

EXPECTING a slow start.
About 14th mid September then crack on up the table to eventually finish 5th.

Raj free and Smithys 1st full season.
Surely it has to be a decent season.

UTP.

I think we've strengthened in the right areas and have a bit more quality in depth so feeling a bit more optimistic.
I reckon a strong start beginning with a 2 or 3 nil win in Saturday, Reid won't relish a physical battle against McNally and Kuogun so they'll fire blanks. Testing times will be mid to late September after a hectic start and potentially suspensions and injuries.
Expecting a cracking atmosphere and looking forward to way more positive formation and tactics than we've seen in a long time at the Vic.

its a long season as usual. we have only had one decent season at this level and thats when we got promoted. even then we did not look promotion contenders till after christmas. surely we deserve a memorable season that kicks off in match one at the weekend.

I just don’t want the cries after a month in whining on if we aren’t top.
There’s expectations…. and there’s expectations ….but those same people were doing it in the seasons prior to this when there was more likelihood of organising a game of five a side in Buckingham palace forecourt during the changing of the guard, then of ever getting promoted.

after a month. be lucky to get into the second half at the match or on here if we are off it on saturday and barrow dare go in at least a goal up at the break. rge seaon will be over at 3.45pm, saturday 8th august 2026.

For the first time Pools have signed better quality players since IOR left, not as good but better than under Coxhall and Singh.

I think that's the point though. They are trying to change the mentality & culture at the club into one that expects to win, supporting that with what appears to be a stronger playing budget. I don't think people expect us to be top - but IF - we do slip so far away after 10 matches that it looks irretrievable to the targets that have been set for the season... then change should be made. I think Carlisle/Boreham Wood/FGR all have a better overall squad composition than we do, built over a couple seasons, but we aren't far off now.

What tends to happen with Pools as we know is.... Good start -> Massive Wobble -> Decent third quarter of the season to spark some sort of hope for Play-offs -> Fall away in the final quarter and end up miles away from 7th.

Success to me for Pools this season is not being in the position where we are all creating hypothetical scenarios where Pools win 5 on the bounce & the team with 3 games in hand on us in 7th has to lost 5 for us to somehow 'creep in'. Aka Pools being the 'club that comes out of nowhere at the end' which never transpires. For us to be comfortably one of the play-off pack, you're going to need to start putting a good bit of points on the board in the opening 10 to 12 matches.

Recruitment has been strong. They've gone out & signed proven NL players, or fringe but active players in the divisions above. When Regan Linney looked destined for league football but signed for Carlisle after scoring 42 goals for Altrincham, fans were shocked. Arguably the signings of Harris & Nolan are right in that category. That's exciting.

Now if you sign those players who have scored nearly more goals last season than Pools did across the full season in total... and you don't manage to get them firing balls in to the back of the net after 10 matches... you can definitely expect fans & possibly Mr Landon Smith to flap a little bit. Over to Lee Clark...

I like to give my new car a chance before looking for faults..

P.S….I don’t actually have a new car…..just a house trained Hyundai that keeps on going.

Champions
97 points

i always split the season up into 6 game packages. gain 12 points out of them gives you 84 points with 4 games to go. that would safely get us into the play offs with an outside chance of being champions. also we could lose 14 games as well reaching that target which shows how draws can kill clubs.