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Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:22 am

Barrowvianbedlam wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 10:56 am First game of the season against a team fancied to be right up there with players like Nolan, Harris, Popov and hugill who wouldn’t look out of place in the league above. They’ll be fine

Nolan and popov played in a side that got relegated from the National league last season and Harris has had one good season out of how many in his career? All good players but by no means world beaters and none have proved themselves in the EFL

Don’t forget Neo Eccleston was a Barrow player too. Not good enough many said. Yet here we are many saying “Hartlepool will be well up there”

Maybe I need to adjust my expectations.

Hard to disagree with many of the comments here. I’m hoping that Barkhuizen and Earing can be moved on to free up some funds to allow another forward and a midfielder in. As above we haven’t got anyone who can really control a game in there, plenty of possession yesterday but we didn’t look a threat at all. Rooney/Boyd type players are few and far between and whilst there’s plenty of industry in our midfield, there’s not a ball player in there. Earing and Smith can be moved on for me, Harper I think there’s a player in there still and I’d like to think Murray can spot a midfielder.

Upfront still short on pace I think and a bit of something different. Cameron is a last 10-15 minute lump it option at best for me, can’t run no pace and you never backed him in that one on one. We need to be doing better than that if we’re going to be too end.

I think we’re better equipped to compete than certainly last seasons team was, we’ve got a bit of fight and aggression and I don’t mind picking up a few cards. Ultimately you’ve got to be good in both boxes though and yesterday we weren’t. Long way to go yes but we can see where we’re short already so let’s hope Murray can do something there.

A win at home to Hornchurch is a must just to get the mood up now, the longer it goes the harder it gets and they had a flying start yesterday.

Jonty wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:41 am

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:22 am

Nolan and popov played in a side that got relegated from the National league last season and Harris has had one good season out of how many in his career? All good players but by no means world beaters and none have proved themselves in the EFL

Don’t forget Neo Eccleston was a Barrow player too. Not good enough many said. Yet here we are many saying “Hartlepool will be well up there”

Maybe I need to adjust my expectations.

Eccleston started of great for us but following the Chelsea cup match his form fell off a cliff and he went back to Huddersfield having his loan cut short
He went to Grimsby on loan last season and played in just two games. Like when with us he had his season long loan cut short in January. Still only 22 but if he don’t do it consistently for Hartlepool his stock will fall further imo

Pedro wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 7:45 pm Well glad Stanway was not in goal.
Mistakes happen and if you are in goal you will concede a goal.
The second goal should have been saved.

The blinding obvious thing was we've not had a proper forward since Quigley.

Cameron did lots of work but pre match the Hartlepool commentators remarked on his lack of ability but put lots of effort in before kick off.
Hartlepool's fan said Harris did very little except get a goal.
I would take that over pure effort with no results.
I thought the referee let us of with our physicality.
If that's the norm ok but I can see us getting lots of reds and yellow cards.

Well Pedro I've just watched Cheltenham v Charlton. Charlton were 3-0 up at half-time and Stanway came on for the second-half. Made two superb saves in the second half. With our second-half goal yesterday lets hope ( I'm not dissing Winterbottom yet) you don't regret it long-term.

Scott5 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:47 am As above we haven’t got anyone who can really control a game in there, plenty of possession yesterday

I think Messi would have struggled yesterday to control the game and play a decent pass, such was the ferocity and aggression from both teams. Reflecting on the game, I don't feel there was any pattern to the play at all, it seemed chaotic most of the time. I am hoping that it was just the circumstances of the day - a big occasion with both sets of players wanting to make their mark (sometimes literally). Perhaps we will see a bit more composure next Saturday.

SKIPPER wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 1:16 pm

Pedro wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 7:45 pm Well glad Stanway was not in goal.
Mistakes happen and if you are in goal you will concede a goal.
The second goal should have been saved.

The blinding obvious thing was we've not had a proper forward since Quigley.

Cameron did lots of work but pre match the Hartlepool commentators remarked on his lack of ability but put lots of effort in before kick off.
Hartlepool's fan said Harris did very little except get a goal.
I would take that over pure effort with no results.
I thought the referee let us of with our physicality.
If that's the norm ok but I can see us getting lots of reds and yellow cards.

Well Pedro I've just watched Cheltenham v Charlton. Charlton were 3-0 up at half-time and Stanway came on for the second-half. Made two superb saves in the second half. With our second-half goal yesterday lets hope ( I'm not dissing Winterbottom yet) you don't regret it long-term.

I am not dissing Winterbottom but just saying how a goalkeeper makes a mistake it's costly.

Even if it had stayed at 1-0 we would not have scored .
Cameron cannot be faulted by effort but he is to slow.
They were faster to the ball ,hence when it came out Harris scored .
We had a couple of incidents where the ball came out and no one got onto it.
The Referee was poor but let things go ,another one could have shown a few more cards to Barrow players.

Next week we must deliver.

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:22 am

Barrowvianbedlam wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 10:56 am First game of the season against a team fancied to be right up there with players like Nolan, Harris, Popov and hugill who wouldn’t look out of place in the league above. They’ll be fine

Nolan and popov played in a side that got relegated from the National league last season and Harris has had one good season out of how many in his career? All good players but by no means world beaters and none have proved themselves in the EFL

Nolan got 26 goals and assists last year in a relegated team and 30 a couple years before in league two, quality player. Regards Harris, you don’t fluke 32 goals and assists in a year another quality player

Barrowvianbedlam wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 2:11 pm

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:22 am

Nolan and popov played in a side that got relegated from the National league last season and Harris has had one good season out of how many in his career? All good players but by no means world beaters and none have proved themselves in the EFL

Nolan got 26 goals and assists last year in a relegated team and 30 a couple years before in league two, quality player. Regards Harris, you don’t fluke 32 goals and assists in a year another quality player

Agree I had a giggle listening to one of the Hartlepool commentators,he was talking to a supporter complaining about Harris not doing much,and he said only scored a goal!!!
We think we have fickle fans.
In a way getting this game out of the way may give us the kick up the preferable.
You cannot defend all game , hopefully we will see a forward in this week even a borrowed one.

blue nige wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 9:04 pm

Bingley Blue wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 9:02 pm
It got us to our highest position in over 50 years.

With a certain John Rooney pulling the strings and scoring goals! We've no one of that calibre!

Exactly. So it’s not the system that’s necessarily wrong, it’s the personnel.
Starting with a midfield made up entirely from last season’s personnel seems a bit weird, given the signings we’ve made and how last season went.

blue nige wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 9:04 pm

Bingley Blue wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 9:02 pm
It got us to our highest position in over 50 years.

With a certain John Rooney pulling the strings and scoring goals! We've no one of that calibre!

Rooney had left by then.
But it’s not the system that’s necessarily wrong, it’s the personnel.
Starting with a midfield made up entirely from last season’s personnel seems a bit weird, given the signings we’ve made and how last season went.

Jonty wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:41 am

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:22 am

Nolan and popov played in a side that got relegated from the National league last season and Harris has had one good season out of how many in his career? All good players but by no means world beaters and none have proved themselves in the EFL

Don’t forget Neo Eccleston was a Barrow player too. Not good enough many said. Yet here we are many saying “Hartlepool will be well up there”

Maybe I need to adjust my expectations.

Another decent player like

Barrowvianbedlam wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 5:52 pm

Jonty wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:41 am

Don’t forget Neo Eccleston was a Barrow player too. Not good enough many said. Yet here we are many saying “Hartlepool will be well up there”

Maybe I need to adjust my expectations.

Another decent player like

Eccleston has done nothing for coming up
To two years apart having two loan spells cut short both with us and Grimsby. He needs to shape up quickly or else he won’t have a career much longer In full time football. It’s. Pity really as Huddersfield fans rated him when he came to us two seasons ago

Bingley Blue wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 5:11 pm

blue nige wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2026 9:04 pm

With a certain John Rooney pulling the strings and scoring goals! We've no one of that calibre!

Exactly. So it’s not the system that’s necessarily wrong, it’s the personnel.
Starting with a midfield made up entirely from last season’s personnel seems a bit weird, given the signings we’ve made and how last season went.

We only have 1 Midfielder (Marriott) who plays centrally from last season so not really a surprise.
Jack Earing is the only other one and he wasn't involved yesterday.
I would though have started with Marriott.

Jim wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 1:26 pm

Scott5 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 11:47 am As above we haven’t got anyone who can really control a game in there, plenty of possession yesterday

I think Messi would have struggled yesterday to control the game and play a decent pass, such was the ferocity and aggression from both teams. Reflecting on the game, I don't feel there was any pattern to the play at all, it seemed chaotic most of the time. I am hoping that it was just the circumstances of the day - a big occasion with both sets of players wanting to make their mark (sometimes literally). Perhaps we will see a bit more composure next Saturday.

I hope so but we need something else in there, not sure if Marriott is more of a ball player but certainly at home I don’t want to see us playing with two defensive midfielders and Harper as the furthest forward.
Earing seems to be out of the reckoning and Benjamin is also a defensive midfielder? So it leaves us short in there I think. Knowing MJ and Smith yes they’ll get stuck in and get a few cards but are limited on the ball.
We need a bit of quality and someone who can pass in there and I’m not sure where that’ll come from as it stands.

9 pages on a defeat at the start of the season. Win next week and there will probably only be 5 pages of comments. Lose around 18 pages I guess.