Oldham Reaction: What have I done to deserve this?

By Albatross
December 31 2005

At about 4:20pm this afternoon, sitting in the away end at Oldham, a thought occurred to me. It troubled me, because it's not a thought I've had very often in 15 years or more of following Pools. Specifically, it was "what the heck am I doing here?"

After all, said the little voice, you could have stayed at home. £22 to get in, you're coughing away like a good'un, you could have spent some quality time with your wife and baby son, and after all this just isn't worth it. The moment passed: but it left me realising how little fun there is in following Hartlepool United at the moment. It's a question that it seems many spectators have asked themselves recently, and the attendance figures tell you what their answer was.

Are these the words of some callow youth, someone that's only known the good times at HUFC and expected them to continue forever? Emphatically not. My memories of Pools don't go back as far as some, but I can remember vividly plenty of low times: the disaster that was that record-breaking goalless run, the depression of the transfer embargo that left us playing the likes of Steve Jones, Denny Ingram and Tony Skedd, the departure of Alan Murray's carefully (and in some cases expensively) assembled squad, the struggles under Busby, McCreery, Houchen, MacPhail, Mick Tait. I can remember talking with Paul Mullen at one match, when we were discussing our respective travel plans for how we were going to get to Swansea in case (as looked possible) it would be our last game in the Football League. I remember witnessing the 8-0 defeat at Crewe in the LDV - and I still turned out for a game with Wigan the following Saturday.

Yet throughout those times I never found myself losing interest in Pools. Now, I find myself wondering if I should really bother with the game at Tranmere on Valentines Day (the next game I can reasonably get to) - and although I probably will be there it's not hard to understand why so many others are electing to stay away. 240 Pools fans turned out at Boundary Park - how many were there just over two years ago at the same time of year? About three times that unless my memory is playing tricks....

What's the difference? Well, I suppose my life and circumstances have changed a great deal for one. Fatherhood can change your perspective on things a heck of a lot. The other is though that I know Pools are capable of so much better than they've served up for most of this season. Even despite all the injuries, I know the players are better than the results they have managed. Yes the performances have improved in recent games (until today anyway) but the results haven't - and that is above all what matters to the fans. Going to watch Pools away in our promotion season didn't provide much entertainment in many cases - but did I care that we'd "only" beaten Shrewsbury 1-0, playing on the break? Not in the slightest! Far better three points from a controlled, tight performance than none from a free-flowing, expansive game. Jose Mourinho - someone I am rapidly beginning to think of as the most astute man in football - isn't afraid to win ugly; the point is after all to win.

Part of the frustration as well is the excuse bandwagon that seems to be merrily rolling along behind Pools. "It's the injuries.... it'll all be different when Boyd and Porter are back.... we actually played really well.... their keeper had a blinder.... didn't get what we deserved...." Maybe you can explain the occasional performance like that - but out of 25 attempts, Pools have won eight and lost no less than eleven. Unless results improve soon there is real danger that we'll get sucked into the relegation scrap - in a season where the man in charge was telling us that the target was automatic promotion. That now looks akin to David Steel in the early 1980s telling the Liberal Party to "go back to your constituencies and prepare for Government!" We were supposed to have not just a good team, but a good squad - able to cope with injuries and suspensions. Instead we go into the Transfer Window looking like we need to sign a left back, central defender, at least one wide midfielder on loan, and at least one forward. So far only one - a forward in the form of the promising but inexperienced James Walker - has been announced. So much for the strong squad then.

Our last eight league games have seen us take seven points of the 24 on offer. The promise of "jam tomorrow", that when our injury woes improve things will magically be all right again, has worn too thin. What are you going to do now Mr. Scott? Whatever it is, you need to make it quick - and you need to make it good. Or you will go down as the man who took a potential top 6 side into a relegation battle, despite some of the best backing any manager of HUFC has ever had from his board. Prove me wrong - if you can.