October Review - Not at the bottom, not at the top

By Albatross
November 2 2004

Hartlepool United showed their Jekyll and Hyde form with a vengeance in October; as a result we sit firmly in mid-table. Here's Pools Online's regular review of the month just gone around Division 2 - a month that should see Manager of the Month going to Yorkshire....

Manager of the Month should be Bradford's Colin Todd; despite a heavy defeat at Luton last weekend, he has guided his team to 4th place in the table after winning five games on the trot before the visit to Kenilworth Road. It's a remarkable achievement when you consider that the Bantams were in disarray before the start of the season, and if they can keep things going then there's every chance that they will stage what initially looked to be an unlikely challenge for a quick return to Division 1.

Pools had the 10th best record in October, with their results exactly reflecting the difference between our home and away form - three home wins, three away defeats. Looking at this positively we only need to improve our away form to get into the playoff picture; negatively, if our home form wobbles we could find ourselves falling down to the wrong end of the table. The results of our next few games could decide whether we're facing a playoff challenge, a relegation struggle, or mid-table obscurity come the New Year.

Other than Bradford, a few other teams have impressed this month. Bournemouth picked up 13 points from their six games to rise into the playoff slots, while Tranmere's ten from five was enough to see them as Luton's closest challengers at the top. Huddersfield and Hull also reached double figures, but the only unbeaten side over the month were Bristol City. Their tally of nine points came though from two wins and three draws - City fans may well be wishing they could have converted a couple of those draws into wins.

Luton had a poor month by their recent standards, and need to pick things up again if they are to avoid being overhauled by the chasing pack. At the start of the month they were unbeaten and nine points clear of the rest; by the end, they had lost three times and seen the gap closed to six points and with Tranmere having a game in hand that could be reduced to three. Amazingly, despite having had an average month, Pools have actually gained ground on the leaders and another couple of wins could be enough to put us in touch with the playoff positions.

In terms of the main movers in October, Chesterfield and Colchester have both dropped out of the top six and some may feel that it's a case of their bubble bursting, while Sheffield Wednesday have proved that changing managers doesn't always see an immediate improvement by dropping from 8th to 15th and Bradford have jumped into the top four from below half way. As last season, most of the teams are pretty well bunched with nine teams separated by five points from Swindon in 7th to Port Vale in 16th. A good run for any of these teams could see them staking a real claim for a spot at the top end.

Life at the bottom of the division sees things also fairly tight, with teams up to Barnsley in 18th within three points of the relegation zone. Stockport remain rooted to the bottom of the division, with Torquay the only other team within range; meanwhile MK Franchise continue to struggle to the delight of many following a winless month. It's discouraging to see how many of the strugglers Pools have lost to on their travels; Franchise, Oldham and Peterborough would all be in even worse trouble if not for the three points they got against us.

November has on paper the potential to be a good month for Pools, with two of the three league games plus our FA Cup tie at home. A visit to Sheffield Wednesday is the only time we'll have to travel, and against a side with just one win in six home games we must have a chance of something. Then again, We've thought that already this season....