Hartlepool United (a)-League-30th April 2005

[Neuromantic]

1 - 3, another penalty again

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Half time report now on line, courtesy of the Fat Controller, at the game (the wonders of modern technology!).

If you work out all the spelling errors.

Someone's had one too many lemonade me thinks.

:roll:

It's having to type fast, Zippy! :lol:

[addo]

Excellent stuff.
10 goals scored in last 4, and only 2 goals scored against us have been penalties.

Can we at last now drop the negativity ?

I am looking forward, as I expect are many other happy clappers, to hearing from the anti - Mersonites exactly why we were lucky today, and how Hartlepool let us win or had nothing to play for, as, we are told did;-
Swindon ( though pushing for play offs),
Peterborough, (though fighting relegation), and
Hull ( though chasing championship)

OK, OK, Merse has problems. He has had to learn the ropes, but he now has his team in place.

Who else would have been able to persuade Joachim to come here ?
Who else would have brought Surman here ?

Next season can't come soon enough for me.

[Neuromantic]

it wasnt anti-Merson, it was anti results, we were 5th from bottom not to long back, and yes he has turned it around, i cant be any happier than I am now.

[Burnside]

What a great result. This isn't just a victory for the result and the team. It's a victory for Paul Merson and every single fan who been called a happy clapper for saying he could get it right and saying we should stick with him for another season.

Victoire.

[LancsSaddler]

i dont want to spoil the party, but we need to keep joachim else this could all go wrong!

great result though, coupled with playing for my team and winning a cup final today im going to have one hell of a night tonite!! :D

[Dave Gittins]

In answer to the anti-Merson comments, yes I have been strongly anti-Merson at various stages throughout the season but that was at times when we seemed to be heading inexorably towards the basement and he appeared to be totally clueless how he could change things. I am delighted that he appears to have turned the corner and in fact have stated publicly on this board that I would love to see him prove that he can succeed.

If we can keep together the players that he brought in on loan, not just Joachim but also Surman, Perpetuini, Pead and Gerrard then next season looks much more promising.

[Burnside]

Mr D Gittins

You have been clensed. Ernie the excorist has banished that fickle fan within you to the nether regions of the Golden Graveyard where ficklness belongs.

Praise the lord, you have been clensed.

Let the healing begin

Amen
:lol:

NEXT ... !!!!! ...

[Zippy]

Blimey Ernie, you're losing the plot mate.

[Dave Gittins]

Mr D Gittins

You have been clensed. Ernie the excorist has banished that fickle fan within you to the nether regions of the Golden Graveyard where ficklness belongs.

Praise the lord, you have been clensed.

Let the healing begin

Amen
:lol:

NEXT ... !!!!! ...

I would never class myself as a fickle fan Ernest as that would imply my support for the club has wavered, that is definately not the case. I have always been Walsall through and through and have been since approx 1976 or 77, My doubts in Merson have always been because I have had grave misgivings as to his managerial ability and the direction he was taking the club in. He is now showing definate promise and I hope that he can keep things going. If we can keep the basis of this team together then there is much more optimism for next season.

As a closing comment I am sure that I posted on this board before the start of the season that it wouldn't be the end of the world if we had to spend this season in a rebuilding stage ready for a promotion assault next season, the biggest problem this season has been our long time flirtation with relegation.

[Burnside]

Blimey Ernie, you're losing the plot mate.

Losing? I lost it ages ago. :cry:

[WednesburyRoad]

As I predicted a defeat versus Swindon and Hull, I'll say 3-0 Hartlepool. :wink:

Worked a treat - again. :D

[Cheesebag]

The first half was simply supreme. Some of the finest attacking football for ages..."EASY EASY" etc. Surman, Osborn and Standing ran the show. Good away following, noisy about 6 or 700 of us.

Keep an eye out for the second goal. WOW!!!!

PIE WATCH - the most unusual flying saucer shape pies you ever did see.

[geoffwhiting]

The first half was simply supreme. Some of the finest attacking football for ages..."EASY EASY" etc. Surman, Osborn and Standing ran the show. Good away following, noisy about 6 or 700 of us.

Keep an eye out for the second goal. WOW!!!!

PIE WATCH - the most unusual flying saucer shape pies you ever did see.

Fully agree - I thought twice about making this 340 mile round trip - thought maybe we'd take the foot off the gas now we were safe - but no such thing, we dominated from start to finish and totally outclassed the opposition. It was worth every single mile of the journey.

Returning from the game and listening to the comments on Radio Cleveland, I could not believe what I was hearing from the Hartlepool manager. He was on live radio for a good 5 minutes and NEVER ONCE mentioned how well we'd played, how we'd totally outclassed them, how we deserved the points, in fact he never ever mentioned the names "Walsall", "Saddlers" or "Paul Merson", not even once.

All he could do was repeat over and over that he could not understand why his team were so poor, and apologise to the fans. Well he obviously has zero perception about watching a decent team putting in a top quality performance, and doesn't understand the concept that "you can only play as well as the opposition allows you to". We were utterly dominant today, that's why his team were made to look so ordinary, 'cos compared to us, they are! They came up against a top league one side today, maybe not top in league position, but certainly top in quality, and they found themselves totally outplayed - PERIOD!

And cheesebag, those flying saucer shaped pies WERE unusual, Chris and I had one each, they were allegedly meat and potato, but both pies contained very little trace of either - in fact I doubt if I've ever sampled a pie that had less content, and less taste in the pastry or in the filling! Bland might be one word to describe them, but "utter crap" would be a more apt description. :lol:

[Exile]

JPD would I be correct to assume that the last time we got maximum points at Hartlepool(s) Cliff Richard was number one in the hit parade with "Livin' Doll"?

Well, Tony Christie's 'Amarillo' seems older than any of Cliff's number one hits, so it's somehow appropriate we picked up the points. Well done the team, who've really gelled, and the manager, for allowing that.

[andy__vh]

awesome lads awesome. keep this team together and roll on next season!

[Saddler Jim]

Has a happy clapper,as Ernest,and Addo,as I have always been,I finding it most surprising that some people and I'm not naming anyone,have now changed there minds.the s**t we have had to take,is hitting you back in the face. They did'nt turn up they'r already promoted,they are a poor side anyway,we heard them all,as excuses why we won.Whoever stays with us next season and I hope they all will,Merse will sign players as good,because he knows whate it takes now,and we can say to you The MOB'(Merse out brigade) WE KEPT THE FAITH YOU DID'NT,AND WE TOLD YOU SO, AND YOU WOULD'NT BELIEVE US,PERHAPS NEXT TIME YOU WILL.He's made mistakes and he knowes it,but he has Leant from them and he's now putting them right ,and as for boozing with the lads as a bonding exercise,if this is the results,I'll glad'ly fund the next night out.

[COXDRUMMIE]

Don't make me laugh Jim Saddler, you never had the first idea that Merson would turn the corner or not so don't come on here saying i told you so because you had nothing to tell in the first place.

Listen this isn't about wether you are a happy clapper or not a happy clapper. Don't you think we all bloomin want to be happy clappers singing ola ola, mexican waves, tears of joy. I know i do. In order to do that though im not prepared to bury my head in the sand and bang the drum against people who base their opinions on merit of the real situation.

The difference between you and i is that im prepared to put my head on the block and be proved wrong, im big enough to accept that. I still have reservations about Merson, i still believe that he will not take this club forward long term. However im not afaraid to hold my hands up and admit i was wrong if my view turned out incorrect. I bloody hope i am wrong if you really want the truth.

You though cannot adapt you're thinking beyond you're self importance of having to be right. I bet you have waited months to say "i told you so". You lead a "toss a coin" mentality. A follower of law of averages, not law of thought. Usually driven by this never ending obsession people seem to have to be "nice people"

[Geordiesaddler]

Cheers from me also, but there is a chance you could be in for a shock tomorrow.
If we play to our capabilities no-one in this league can touch us. Unfortunately we've only managed that about 4 times all season!
However, I will be very disappointed if we don't come close having played so well at times during the last 3 games. In Joachim, we have a player that even the better defences in this league cannot live with. Don't want to sound ingenuous but if we play as we can it won't matter what Hartlepoool team turns up.
Agree, I hope you do well in the play-offs and keep the flag flying for the smallers clubs, and in my case the North-East.
2-1 Saddlers.

Make that five times.

Jim, Ernest and all the other told you so merchants. You need to look up "fickle" "negative" and "faith" in the dictionary because you obvoiusly don't understand their meaning. And you didn't "tell us so". Merson has changed things in presicesly the manner that us more positive supporters were imploring him to as far back as August. Had he done so sooner we would now be heading for the play-offs and on current form the Championship. Well done Merse and the boys fantastic performance, and month. Now lets see if we can do it for a season. Sign these players, play this solid formation, and we will not lose many games next season - for the umpteenth time this division is rubbish and we should have walked it. Think about that when your celebrating finishing about 14th whilst watching Hartlepool (the team we outclassed yesterday), Brentford, and Bournemouth tussling for a place at Cardiff.

[Hednesfordred]

Geordie, couldnt agree with you more. I have been to virtually every game this season, and the formation has been completely wrong for the majority of it. After Bristol away, we should have learnt that at least the 5 man midfield gave us some protection defensivly, although admittedly we didnt have the players to play that system as well as recently.

Yesterday, and last Saturday, we looked a class above anything i have seen in this division this season. With this formation, and the personnel to play it i would not fear anyone next year, and also by the way, a good proportion of the Championship sides that i have seen on TV.

I would also just like to take issue with the Osborn hating element of Walsall fans. During the last 5 games, using the proper formation, he has been absolutely outstanding. Alongside Standing & Surman, he has orchestrated the way in which the team has played, and it is obvious to anyone with at least 2 brain cells, that his earlier performances, like one or two other players, could be put down to the fact that we as a team seemed to be there to give Merson the ball.

Up the Saddlers

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Your last comment is extremely interesting in view of the intervew with Standing on WM yesterday when he said he was enjoying the responsibilty of being a creator in the side, as, when the boss is playing, our job is just to give him th ball. he wasn't being nasty, he just stated it as a fact.

[Magic Man Fan]

Excellent stuff.
10 goals scored in last 4, and only 2 goals scored against us have been penalties.

Can we at last now drop the negativity ?

I am looking forward, as I expect are many other happy clappers, to hearing from the anti - Mersonites exactly why we were lucky today, and how Hartlepool let us win or had nothing to play for, as, we are told did;-
Swindon ( though pushing for play offs),
Peterborough, (though fighting relegation), and
Hull ( though chasing championship)

OK, OK, Merse has problems. He has had to learn the ropes, but he now has his team in place.

Who else would have been able to persuade Joachim to come here ?
Who else would have brought Surman here ?

Next season can't come soon enough for me.

Has a happy clapper,as Ernest,and Addo,as I have always been,I finding it most surprising that some people and I'm not naming anyone,have now changed there minds.the s**t we have had to take,is hitting you back in the face. They did'nt turn up they'r already promoted,they are a poor side anyway,we heard them all,as excuses why we won.Whoever stays with us next season and I hope they all will,Merse will sign players as good,because he knows whate it takes now,and we can say to you The MOB'(Merse out brigade) WE KEPT THE FAITH YOU DID'NT,AND WE TOLD YOU SO, AND YOU WOULD'NT BELIEVE US,PERHAPS NEXT TIME YOU WILL.He's made mistakes and he knowes it,but he has Leant from them and he's now putting them right ,and as for boozing with the lads as a bonding exercise,if this is the results,I'll glad'ly fund the next night out.

Can you please point out where the negativity that you mentions has been in the last few weeks since we have started to perform like we should have all season. I think you are changing the facts to suit your story. Try looking back through the last few weeks posts and find anything negative about Merson or the team from me.

Its "I told you so" posts like these that make want to not bother commenting on what was a truly outstanding and entertaining performance and day out.

Well heres some I told you so's for you.

I told you Merson should have picked a five man midfield (or at least drop the 4-3-1-2) months ago
I told you we needed more energy and youth in midfield.
I told you Merson should drop himself and concentrating on managing.
I told you we should find a winning team and stick to it.
I told you we should drop lazy Leitao.
I told you we should play with more width.

See? Its easy saying I told you so with hindsight isn't it addo and Jim? Except many of us wnegative ones were saying this months ago when we were losing to God awful teams below us. Merson has done all the above for our fantastic winning run and surprise surprise we are playing like us negative ones knew we should. Hence why do you think we were so disappointed with the rest of the season because we knew exactly what we should have been doing all season.

PS - Great day, great game, great company and great beer. Nice to meet Geoff and Chris Whiting and thanks to Geordie for showing us around the Toon even if we were already very worse for wear by then. Sorry!

That positive enough for you addo?

[London Saddler]

We didn't just beat them, but absolutely annilihated them. We should have won by 7 or 8 against a team going for the play offs and who had an awesome home record. Superb stuff lads

Defensively we were excellent again. If we can keep Gerrard and Ropes as a central defence pairing for next season, i can't see us conceding the joke goals we have conceded earlier in the season. The ref must have felt so sorry for Hartlepool that he decided to award them a laughable penaulty. In midfield, we yet again cut the opposition to shreds. As for up front, Hartlepool must b relieved that Joachim came off, as if he had stayed on, he wud have easily got another hat trick. If anyone hasn't seen his 2nd goal, i urge them to do so as it is a real contender for goal of the season. Not only is he a clinical finisher, he creates his own chances out of no where. Contrast that with say Fryatt and Jorge. They need chances to b created for them and then need 3-4 good chances before putting one away. Fryatt missed a host of chances yesterday including 2 sitters

Whatever any one says, we have stayed up because of Joachim. If we hadn't got him, with Wrexham and Torquay finishing as they have, we wud have been in big trouble. If Joachim is fit enough to play the whole 90 mins next week against a 3rd rate Stockport team, i predict another couple of goals for him at least. I wud sacrifice wages of 2-3 players to bring him here as i think he cud score 25+ goals at this level. I also hope we can keep some of the others. I can't believe Surman or Gerrard after tasting first team football in front of 5000+ crowds r going to b happy contemplating going back to their respective clubs next season and playing reserve team football again in front of 2 men and a dog

[Saddler Jim]

Spot on London Saddler.Could'nt agree with you more.

[geoffwhiting]

Absolutely spot on posts by MMF and London Saddler.

Not only could we have won by 7 or 8 yesterday, especially if JJ had stayed on, but the same thing could have happened against Hull a week ago. One 'Pool fan on their MB this morning said something like "Thank God Joachim had to go off, otherwise we might have been looking at a record home defeat - remember Ugarte, this would have been worse" - Ugarte being the Wrexham striker who figured prominently in 'Pool's 6-4 home defeat on 5th March 2005.

This side in this formation on this form is nothing short of awesome at this level, and I can't see anyone from top to bottom of League One that could live with us right now. It's such a shame it's come so late, and so important that PM/JB do all they can to keep it together for the start of next season - if they can, then we have a treat in store - 2005/06 could be as good as 2004/05 has been bad, probably more so.

[Saddler Jim]

Spot on as usual Goeff.

[saddla]

I'm sorry guys but the anti merson brigade were not saying he should change things. They were saying he should get the sack! He wouldn't have been able to turn things around in that case would he?

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Thta he should get the sack, yes, because he wouldn't change things. Thank God he decided on that trip to Damascus the other week.

[Magic Man Fan]

I'm sorry guys but the anti merson brigade were not saying he should change things. They were saying he should get the sack! He wouldn't have been able to turn things around in that case would he?

You, like many others obviously don't pay much attention to what we say but don't let that spoil your argument. We called for the changes in a reasoned tone long before we were calling for him to get the sack. As Neil says the changes didn't come so then we asked for the sack.

Thank God they came just in time and what a dramatic impact they have had. Ah well, you'll have to think of another way of giving us some stick now.

[geoffwhiting]

Absolutely right MMF.

Really, people need to read the board more often and more carefully if they're going to make sweeping comments about other board members - otherwise, as in this case, they'll end up getting their "facts" totally wrong !