The Opposition View - Hartlepool

Following yesterday's excellent 3-1 win at Hartlepool, here are some views on the game from Pools' manager Mick Wadsworth and a few of their fans.

The Hartlepool boss admitted his 3-5-2 formation was unsuccessful, but felt his side created enough chances to take something from the game.

"It was a poor first half defensively. We changed the shape and tried to play out from the back a little more because we needed to do something after last week, but it didn't work and I'll take responsibility for that," said Wadsworth.

"Having said that, over the course of the ninety minutes we probably created enough chances to have won three games."

"I thought the own goal from Sam put the tin lid on the afternoon and really summed up how it had gone for us," he said. "We played poorly defensively and conceded poor goals.".


The Hartlepool fans were highly critical of Wadsworth's tactical changes and unhappy with their team's performance.

The following extracts are taken from Pooliebunker and Vital Hartlepool.


VicMick wrote:
'After all the hype of pre-season and a fairly good start we resume normal service. Quality (Nil) and level of performance (Nil) just like our scorelines (Nil). We should change our name to Hartlepool United Nil. We have been found out, we are soft, clueless, don't have an attacking threat, fragile back four, missing midfield. It's going to be a long hard Christmas. Come January we will be in the bottom 6 you watch. I'm just glad the season ticket was only £100, if they think I'm going to carry on travelling from Leeds to watch that garbage they can think again. Season ticket will be on ebay shortly.'


United wrote:
'Put your season ticket on eBay now and do us all a favour. I'd rather we went back to crowds of 2.5k than have morons like you!'


Alfalfa wrote:
'We should be putting the likes of Wycombe to the sword. Another humiliation.'


PooliePoolie wrote:
'That was bad. As bad as anything we had under Turner and Wilson. Absolutely disgraceful.'


Smokin Joe wrote:
'At least Notts County were a half-decent team - Wycombe were pants but were still far ahead of us in terms of guile, quality and fitness. So, now we really DO have something to worry about.


returnofaido wrote:
'We looked like a Sunday morning team that have had 3-5-2 dumped on them ten minutes before kick off.'


PJ_Poolie wrote;
'Totally Wadsworth's fault today. Too many changes especially the formation. We were basically playing three at the back. Suicide. Ainsworth hugged the right touchline meaning one of the centre backs had to close him down meaning nearly every break they had a man over.'


Paulus the woodgnome wrote:
'Why the drastic/excessive changes today. The team looked lost, confused and rudderless.'


Jonny wrote:
'The team selection and tactics were a joke, No one in the team seemed to know what they were doing. I'd just like us to get back to basics for the next game, 4-4-2 with Poole and Brown up top.'


Tree_With_Hamster wrote:
'Players at this level aint good enough to play out of position and never have been. 1 or 2 out of position is a struggle never mind the number we had today.'


The deluded Mr Turner wrote:
'Wycombe are a team I'd safely put a tenner on to be relegated. One decent player - Gareth Ainsworth.'


Paul Johnson wrote:
'Our players were visibly slower to the second ball, spent too much time dwelling on the ball and didn't have sufficient pace and/or guile to seriously threaten the opposition. The episode where WW geriatric Aisnworth skinned Horwood alive was embarrassing.'


kipper05 wrote:
'It wasn't a good performance but there were enough half chances for us to have rolled them over.'


Chip Fireball wrote:
'How many chances did they have? They missed with two free headers from a few yards out, and Flinders has made a world class save. Not being funny but....Gareth Ainsworth must be about 50. Everyone knows who he is and it was obvious after 5 minutes they wanted him on the ball as much as possible. So what do we do ? Play with no full back and nobody at any point within 10 yards of him when he gets the ball.'


mick ronsons mullet wrote:
'The best side won. Wycombe. End of.'


Next Game: Oldham v Wycombe - Sat 22nd October - 3.00pm

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