Another rubbish season - time for Pools to do better
Turner - staying
By Charlie Summerbell
May 12 2010
Hartlepool United’s season is all over, bar the shouting we can perhaps expect in their appeal against being docked three points, and it’s time to take stock. The one-word verdict on 2009-10 is “rubbish”, while the simple summing-up is “should have done better”. But, as usual with Pools, it’s not as simple as that.
Chris Tuner put together a brand-new team during the summer after the previous season’s narrow escape from relegation, but look at the League table and you can see there hasn’t been much of an improvement.
Once the Liddlegate three points had been deducted, Pools escaped relegation on goal difference – and while it meant they are looking forward to going into a record-breaking fourth season in football’s third tier, it is hardly something to crow about.
Yet Turner’s close-season recruitment drive provided the squad with a lot more strength than there was last season – from goalkeeper through to attack, Pools have far more going for them now than they had then.
Gary Liddle and Sam Collins have formed a good partnership, the full-backs are an improvement on the previous season, midfield has more to offer and the attack looked a lot more dangerous, especially once Roy O’Donovan arrived on loan from Sunderland.
So why didn’t it work out? Turner was right when he said time was needed for the team to bed in together, but it shouldn’t have needed a full season.
Pools were too week away and too flaky at home – they can play a bit when they have the ball, but they have fallen into the trap that has lured Pools teams time and again over the years.
They are too nice.
If they can play football AND make it difficult for their opponents to play, they can be a lot better than they have been this season. despite their struggles, the rubbish away form and home flops like the one against MK Dons, there is something there to work on.
Meanwhile, don’t hold your breath waiting for somebody to replace Turner as boss and don’t expect a new team like we got a year or so ago.It will be Turner trying to sort out contracts for next season and it will be Turner in charge when it all kicks off again next season.
He’ll be hoping for better luck, for a bit more bite and bottle in his team and a lot less cock-ups like the one that made the end of the season so worrying after that points deduction.
The chances of O’Donovan staying at the Vic appear remote, his form having alerted clubs with more spending power than Pools. But if he were to stay and could maintain his scoring record, the prospects for 2010-11 could be bright.Now where have we heard that before?