Match Thread vs. Hartlepool United 10.04.21 [NL]

[SwalePie]

It wasn't very very bad! We defended pretty well and restricted them to very little in the second half. A terrible performance would have seen us turned over 5-0. We were poor in the final third and gave it away too much. That shouldn't be a surprise though, we've done that all season.

People need to be a little more patient and cut the new boss some slack.

I love that he tried to change it when he saw it wasn't working and I love that he has done away with ticka tacka.

Agreed

[Kelton]

4th away game in a row that we've conceded two goals, right on the back of equalling the club record of away clean sheets.

Rawlinson concedes a goal a game atm . No two ways about it he is getting worse game in game. Should have blocked the first goal and was too slow to close down the the second. We are conceding poor goals this has to stop. IB will make changes for sure

[laddo]

I wonder if Laddo still thinks we will sell Ruben and Kelly Evans on for thousands?

Ruben possibly, DKE probably not.

Nice to see a KCNotts with some positivity on here. Refreshing.

[countygump]

[countygump]

[laddo]

Credit for trying to change things, or criticism for getting it wrong in the first place?

Credit. Nothing worse than getting it wrong in the first place (which all managers do, the good ones do it a lot less) and then sticking with it stubbornly or not seeing it's wrong. You can't get it right all the time or close to.

When you don't get it right to start with then surely you want to see early changes like we did today?

Oh and I'd class calling the manager "a muppet" after a couple of games and then again after just 5 games as 'knee jerk'.

On the flip side some good and interesting posts/views on here and great to see that many identify a major clear out is needed and therefore time.

[optipez]

Indeed. The inquest should be about why a club with a much smaller squad and presumably budget has a much better team. I think the owners have already made their mind up there and that’s why we now have a head coach rather than a manager.

I think the owners need to take some of the blame. No way did Ardley go from signing a competitive team from scratch last year to then deciding Rodriguess, Sam and Sloth were what we needed by himself.
Either way, Challinor has recruited well, we haven't and it's largely about the standard of player you sign as to where you finish.
We messed up pre season with signings but have also been unlucky with Roberts and Wes Thomas.
I'd be really surprised if we go up this year and without shrewd management and recruitment from the Reedtz and Burchnall we'll be in this position next season too.
Before you know it we're Wrexham or Stockport treading water for years down here.

[laddo]

It wasn't very very bad! We defended pretty well and restricted them to very little in the second half. A terrible performance would have seen us turned over 5-0. We were poor in the final third and gave it away too much. That shouldn't be a surprise though, we've done that all season.

People need to be a little more patient and cut the new boss some slack.

I love that he tried to change it when he saw it wasn't working and I love that he has done away with ticka tacka.

Agree with this viewpoint. Loving the new KC

[TSANHO]

What a disappointing game. As I sat down to watch it I just hoped that we would start with energy and on the front foot but it was clear from the very first whistle which team were more organised, coherent, energetic and threatening.

We played far too deep and left the forwards isolated. On the rare occasion the ball did find its way to them there was absolutely no support from midfield as they were still in their own half...and when the ball eventually, and inevitably, found its way back to Hartlepool they had the freedom of the pitch to charge down on our defence under very little pressure.

Poor Enzio, please let that be the final game he has to suffer at WB. What is the point when we have a perfectly decent option to play there? I don’t know how many free crosses they got into our box from that side, but that’s eventually where the goal came from with Enzio not having a clue where he should be positioned.

People alluding to the 2nd half being better, don’t delude yourselves. Hartlepool managed the game perfectly and could have played all night without conceding. I bet they couldn’t believe how easy it was for them tonight, they barley had to break sweat. Real promotion contenders.

If we can make the playoffs then great, you never know, but I wouldn’t fancy us against any of the sides in there at the minute. We are too disjointed, unbalanced, slow and lack strength and energy. There is something of a rebuilding job to do over the summer, I just hope IB is up to the job or it’s another two seasons at least in the National League.

[jacobncfc]

I think the owners need to take some of the blame. No way did Ardley go from signing a competitive team from scratch last year to then deciding Rodriguess, Sam and Sloth were what we needed by himself.
Either way, Challinor has recruited well, we haven't and it's largely about the standard of player you sign as to where you finish.
We messed up pre season with signings but have also been unlucky with Roberts and Wes Thomas.
I'd be really surprised if we go up this year and without shrewd management and recruitment from the Reedtz and Burchnall we'll be in this position next season too.
Before you know it we're Wrexham or Stockport treading water for years down here.

I agree with this to an extent, but I think both Sam and Rodrigues (Sloth you can’t really say much about) have done about as much as you could reasonably expect adapting to a new country in extremely difficult circumstances. They aren’t stand out players yet, but they’ve contributed.

I would look more at our long line of experienced EFL professionals. Slocombe, McCrory, Chicksen, Rawlinson, Lacey, Ellis, Doyle, Reeves, O’Brien, Boldewijn, Turner. These are all players who are playing at this level because we’re paying them handsomely, and how many can you say are putting in the stand-out performances that their experience and wages should really warrant? Slocombe, Rawlinson and Lacey is probably about it, McCrory perhaps excused because of injury.

I also think you’re slightly overestimating how good we were last season. I think we were an above average team which was on course to finishing 5th-8th or something until we unearthed Roberts out of nowhere.