The Poolie Bunker

We’re not gonna have many if any clean sheets the way it’s going…in fact a new team might be needed the way it’s going.
Can our lot be pulled into shape….?

We need Merrick to stay fit, he’s looked excellent so far, better than anyone we’ve had in years. Probably have trouble finding anyone better than him mid season.

He's not as bad as Hayes- admittedly that is quite a low bar!
I think a couple of midfielders in the Tommy Miller/ Mark Tinkler/ Mark Shelton mould is much more pressing.

It can't be easy for the defenders having a keeper that commands his box being replaced that one who is rooted to his line for set pieces and crosses. I think Merrick would have come for beith the crosses that led to free headers, that may be why the CBs didn't bother?
I thought Thornton looked really good when he came on and could be an answer for the midfield problems, decent keeper is the higher priority imho.

I have this awful feeling he might not come back…hope I’m wrong.

I have the same feeling. It's like Harvey Cartwright all over again. Similar injury as well if I remember correctly.

Pools really are the footballing equivalent of Groundhog day.

Start the season positive. New Gaffer turns out to be hopeless. 1/3rd of the squad gets injured by September. Spend the rest of the season clawing onto an upper mid table finish. Rinse and repeat. Season after season.

Pity, as he kept us in our games at the beginning of the season and actually saved our bacon several times hiding the general uselessness of our midfield, but looking back at the early games his presence was all that saved us because in reality we were crap then, despite the odd shaft of sunlight on the pitch.
I think we have a chronic case of lack of self confidence caused by underperforming parts of the squad.

That's two promising young keepers injured while with us in consecutive seasons, is it something they are overdoing in training, like practicing kicking for too long?, I'd be asking questions.

Practicing kicking to excess will affect joints.

got to agree about cartwright and the rrst you wrote. if he does not come back like cartwright there is no reason for this when they are fit. unless they put the blame down to pools training even though both were injured during games. again interesting times where his name might not be heard of again from the club.

The start of the season seemed really too good to be true….till the real football started…and reality kicked in the door and the whole bloody lot crumbled like one of those Hollywood back lots in the fillums made out of plywood, to reveal there was nothing there at all…despite comments from those in ‘charge ‘ of affairs talking like Park Lane car salesman…lots of charm and eloquent jargon..pity we couldn’t have had a test drive first.

The decision not to get a keeper in on short term loan was a clear indication of a lack of ambition or zero funds. Landon has spent money, but in the wrong places.

It'd be interesting to hear how much of the mentioned 2 million was spent on the consultants as opposed to players.

He supplied the money , big difference.

Easy to spend someone else's money!

I'm sure Cartwright had leg injury issues before he came to Pools and I think Merrick had previous too?
It might be a case of them over training at a younger age which has caused weaknesses that are being found out in the hurly burly of the NL rather than our methods?
For sure, we're suffering as a result although Evans was a very good alternative last season.

you could have a good point there. i have heard from my lad about kids he knew who went to acadamy,s getting injured before leaving school and affected there progress.

I reckon the budget Deffo included Bromby Manager n Players Recruitment.

And they run the show so obviously thought a good forward line = more money to pay themselves.
Fcuk the midfield.A loanie keeper.

Clark or Cattermole = more dosh for themselves.

It's all coming together now why we are were we are.

We and Smithy been mugged big style.
And you can guarantee they won't resign and want there contracts honoured in full I'd dismissed.

Derby County more evidence of how corrupt and totally useless they are.

Well I dunno about yous but I've wrote this season off.

Hopefully we start off next season still in this division with a major culling of the overstaffment certainly not needed.

Opinions eh.
Just tell it as it is.
No problem if opinions differ.
UTP.

I'd be very surprised if Bromby & Cos contract doesn't include targets and scaled payments according to performance - the Americans just love their KPIs (key performance indicators) and contractual renumeration (and sometimes the contract itself) being dependent on meeting milestones.
I very much doubt they're hitting any targets as yet and will themselves be worried as it'll be affecting their payments, reputation, and continued partnership with the club.

I'd be very surprised if Bromby & Cos contract doesn't include targets and scaled payments according to performance - the Americans just love their KPIs (key performance indicators) and contractual renumeration (and sometimes the contract itself) being dependent on meeting milestones.
I very much doubt they're hitting any targets as yet and will themselves be worried as it'll be affecting their payments, reputation, and continued partnership with the club.

its still not getting us a replacement keeper though.

You're right and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Smith between the sticks on Saturday. Desperate times!!

Got to agree with you Kev, it’s seeming a no brainer…….we’re witnessing a total collapse….how long will it take to pull this lot into a team capable of performing to the expected standard…or should that be required standard…we need a miracle worker..a football Flasheart to liven the place up..because the whole show is like a car who got four punctures at the same time…and the spare is flat too…for all the good it would be.

We should have got an experienced keeper in on a months loan as soon as Merrick got injured.

The pot is empty.
Even Clarky has mentioned it.

If we can't afford a months loan for a decent keeper then Smith needs to go in goal for a couple of games.

If Landon hasn't got KPI's for B&P's performance, & if he hasn't kept a contingency fund aside, then we really are stuffed

If we’re stuck with this team, our priority is a keeper…but most of all is a proper manager and not characters out of an on line game.

Watched the highlights last night of the Scunny game and although not wanting to be too critical but the object of a keeper is to try and stop the ball crossing the line.

I feel a bit of sympathy for Fisher as I don’t think he’s anywhere near ready for regular first team games. His confidence must be in bits with the number of times he’s picking the ball up from the back of his net.

I think where’s he’s at currently is a third keeper slot, ie on the bench as cover for a number two keeper if first choice is unavailable.

Easy to say but we should have gotten another loanee in as soon as it was apparent Merrick was going to be out for an extended period.

He shouldn't be anywhere near full on men's football yet and the longer he's between the posts he is for us the more damage is being done to his longer term career prospects.
What is our full time goalkeeping coach teaching him FFS?

To be fair he's the only person who said it - and we signed Deeming on loan a day later!

Actions speak louder than words though. If we don't sign a keeper on loan before tomorrow night it either means that there really is no more money or that the owner isn't prepared to back the judgement of people who have let him down badly.

Realistically, with Merrick still not likely to be back for around a month or so, can we afford not to bring in someone better? The deeper we fall into the relegation places abyss the more unlikely we'll recover and October's fixtures are not for the faint hearted.

And to think teams should have been fearing Pools this season, or so we thought!

Teams still fear us…………….in case it’s catching

think the second half of that hammering by the boro kids said it all about him. know the game was over but there was no need to have just pack in like he seemed to do. possibly it was the first time he played in a game like that where he had it easy previously and never came off a muddy pitch looking like an illegal playing under 16 local football against players with beards.

He was nowhere near any of Scunny's goals on Saturday either. He's so useless he can't even fake a despairing dive.

Was going to drag myself along to the Vic tonight even if Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee were still in the dugout as long as we had a new keeper sorted. But as it is - sod it.

going to watch it live on DAZN but how long before i leave early, thats switching it off, i,ll find out. just wonder what the mood of those who turn up will be. encouraging or cannot wait to give em some shit. as for the keeper thing well its only about a year since under raj we signed evans to replace cartwright so does that mean we are in a worse state than that financially.

I can't be arsed to put the effort into a 7 minutes walk and freebie ticket never mind pay £24.

Used to drive midweek games to Orient.

I ain't the only one though.

Why isn’t Smith playing between the sticks, he can’t be any worse than the young lad, Smith is only 33 not old by today’s standards ?

I can feel the apprehension building over this match and that ‘Why did I bother going feeling’

Max Thompson just announced, former Mags keeper

He has played in league 1 and league 2, hopefully he starts tonight!

He is starting - talk about last minute! I can't get to the ground in time for the kick off now.

Played 40+ games in men's football: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Thomp ... _born_2004)

Seems he was a free agent after being released by the Mags. Whatever, he must be an improvement on Fisher ....hope I'm not tempting fate.

He looked good, certainly a big improvement on Fisher!

so where has he been hiding and why has it took so long bringing him in. surely those in recruitment have heard of him and was he 10p a week dearer than jones.

I dare say pools were expecting Merrick to be first choice all season and just took the cheap option for a back up keeper who was never expected to start.

You're probably right - but it's not the sort of mistake that a club that was serious about promotion would make. Keepers do get injured, as Pools know only too well.