Hartlepool United start Pre-Season with a win

By Albatross
July 14 2005

Hartlepool United's pre-season campaign got underway last night, with a 1-0 win in Holland over TOP Oss. A couple of players made long-awaitied comebacks in the game while some regulars stepped up their training. At home, rumours continue to suggest Michael Bridges is signing up at Victoria Park.

It was a late goal from James Brown that got Pools off to a winning start, but possibly more interesting was the starting lineup. Scotty had deliberately not picked those that had been given an extra week's break, instead giving them an extra workout on the training ground, but even so this was a strong-looking team from Pools. It looks like Pools played 4-4-2 with Barron and Robertson as full backs, Clark and Brackstone in the centre, Bullock and Clarke in front of them, Llewellyn and Butler on the flanks and Daly and Proctor the strikers. Some of those positions may be wrong as information is still a little sketchy - but it looks like at least one of our two new strikers (probably Llewellyn) played out wide which may provide an answer to how Scott intends to keep everyone happy.

That situation may be about to change though, with rumours continuing to grow and firm up about the possible signing of Michael Bridges. A recent interview has seen Bridges admit - with some reluctance - that he has no future at the Stadium of Light; if he wants to stay in the North-East, then a move to Pools, already with several former Mackems already at the club, may fit the bill. Wages may be a stumbling-block, but the speculation is that Bridges is prepared to take a significant pay cut to stay in the North-East with a club he feels can kick-start his career with.

If Bridges does sign, we will have an array of striking talent that would put a number of Division 1 clubs to shame - and it will be hard enough as it is to keep everyone happy. Would it signal the end for one or two players at Pools? More importantly, are Pools preparing for the departure of one or both of last season's front two? There's no news of definate bids, but Boyd in particular has been the subject of plenty of attention in the recent past; currently Bristol City fans are speculating that he'll be the replacement for the departing Leroy Lita, although it has to be said that some of the fees being mentioned for Boyd sound like they're living in cloud cuckoo land with one poster even seeming to think that £800K would land them both Boyd and Nelson, another player seemingly much coveted by some at Ashton Gate. The fact they'd be moving to a team that isn't even in a higher division also makes me think that this is wishful thinking more than serious rumour.

Back to the game, and it's encouraging to see that a couple of our long-term injured players were fit enough to start. Darrell Clarke and Hugh Robertson were players that many thought would never pull on a Blue and White shirt again; both will need games to get up to speed, but both - Robertson especially - are capable of enhancing our prospects if they can recapture their form and fitness.

Next up then are Den Bosch, and we can expect to see a number of faces such as Nelson, Boyd and Sweeney back in the lineup. The fact that Pools were able to field a pretty strong side even without these players certainly shows how much strength in depth we're starting to develop; the fact that a youngster still qualified for the Youth Team grabbed the goal shows that we're still bringing through talented youngsters. I can't wait for the new season to begin.