No excuses Pools - this is rubbish
Mick W - puzzled
By Charlie Summerbell
November 30 2011
Hartlepool United boss Mick Wadsworth says he can't fault the players for the team's current awful home form, a run that has seen them create as new club record with seven home defeats on the trot.
So who is the blame then?
Isn’t it the players who appear to lack collective confidence?
Isn’t it the players who, as individuals, flit in and out of games?
Isn’t it the players who give away daft goals and then waste chances as they try to score themselves?
After Saturday’s home defeat at the hands of puny Yeovil, Pools badly needed to end their sorry run against Phil Brown’s Preston, who had not won in their previous 13 games.
But once again they conceded a soft goal and struggled to get back in the game.
To be fair to Wadsworth he has done a great job at the Vic, creating a squad which he and most others believe is better than the current form suggests.
But perhaps it’s time for him to stop deflecting the flak and admit that at least some of the fault lies with the men on the pitch.
He told the Northern Echo: "It's a desperate result at home - thankfully our away form has kept us in a reasonable situation.
"We created chances, but conceded a poor goal and we never seem to get our necks in front.
"We may have had a penalty before the goal and then the ball goes in at the other end. Generally we did well and caused problems - I cannot fault the players, but we will get better.
"Away from home we have done well and played counter attack football but the players have to have confidence to play. We have a good bunch, but not a lot of options and we can't change things around.
"We need the supporters to stay with us and they have every right to be frustrated with things.”
With a massive centre-half and a striker in Neil Mellor who knows how to score – he hit three against Pools for Sheffield Wednesday last season.
He finished well midway through the first half for the game’s only goal and Pools could only regret an earlier lost penalty and later wasted chances.
Without a game this weekend, Pools have until December 10, when they go to Brentford, to sort themselves out.
It could take longer than that.