Why are Pools so bad?

Hartlepool United are virtually in League Two already, and the simple reason is that they are one of the three worst teams in League One.

They’ll probably finish bottom of League One, and that again is easy to work out – because they are probably the             worst TEAM in League One.

So having got the nasty facts out of the way, what about the story behind them – why are they so bad?

Last season they were mediocre, but somehow in 2012-13 they have become awful. They got off to a bad start and gradually got worse before Neale Cooper left and although John Hughes did manage to slow down the headlong tumble towards League One, he wasn’t able to perform the miracle that was needed to avoid the drop.

The knives are out for Hughes because he turned out to be merely human rather than Harry Potter, and while every footy fan has a right to an opinion those who have a go at the new boss do appear at times to be a bit unreasonable.

Silk purses from sow’s ears are impossible. He took over a weak squad and had no money to strengthen it, so is it fair to pillory him just because he couldn’t prevent the inevitable?

Losing 2-0 at home to MK Dons is a minor distraction to the crisis currently enveloping Victoria Park.

Pools are rubbish, they have no money to spend and the fans are in revolt. Football is a games of ups and down and just eight years after appearing in the play-off final in Cardiff, Pools are heading for the basement and it’s vital the slide is stopped.

Against Dons Pools again underlined their chronic lack of fire power, though losing Simon Walton to a red card soon after half-time didn’t help. They will appeal the decision, but luck hasn’t been with them much this season either.

Hughes told the Northern Echo: “The first-half performance wasn’t bad - we played some nice stuff. But we conceded a real poor first goal and a sending-off at the start of the half left us chasing uphill.

“It was a real bad day for us- we lost Ritchie in the warm-up, Sweeney with a hamstring and Evan with a hamstring. Subs were forced upon us and down to ten men, against a team like MK Dons who want to get the ball down and pass it, we are up against it.

“Are we goal shy? Yes, we need a couple of special people to unlock the door, play that pass, score a goal; “It’s not through a lack of commitment, sometimes you need a bit more.’’

The only good news is that apprentice of the year Luke James at last got on as sub and Jack Baldwin came back after injury to be star man, but like keeper Scott Flinders, he’s so good that Pools possibly won’t be able to keep him next season.

Roll on the cricket season.