FourFourTwo Season Preview

[Sir Norman Gull]

A Hartlepool United fan's view :-

Opposition player you despise - 'Tommy Elphick's a nasty piece of work.'

Oh Dear Tommy I think you upset them up there last year! I think they are still a bit sensitive of the circumstances of the game.

 

[Gully]

Good, wouldn't want opposition players to actually like ours...hopefully the whole division will grow to loathe him for the player he is...we luv ya Tommy!!!

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Does anyone actually know what he did (or supposedly did)? Some pissed Hartlepool fan on the train was saying something about the black armband when we scored the winner, but I really can't believe it was any more than a misunderstanding.

 

[Rookie]

They also put us down for a mid table finish, but since when did predictions come true

 

[algie]

They also put us down for a mid table finish, but since when did predictions come true

Can you list there predictions

 

[Gully]

Does anyone actually know what he did (or supposedly did)? Some pissed Hartlepool fan on the train was saying something about the black armband when we scored the winner, but I really can't believe it was any more than a misunderstanding.

Didn't he do something like kiss the armband after we scored, an act that could easily be open to several interpretations or be considered somewhat misguided, either way they took it very badly indeed.

 

[algie]

Sour grapes because Savage scored a last minute winner.It ruined there day.

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Does anyone actually know what he did (or supposedly did)? Some pissed Hartlepool fan on the train was saying something about the black armband when we scored the winner, but I really can't believe it was any more than a misunderstanding.

It was Hartlepool's first home game following the death of one of their players......when Richie Barker scored for them he kissed the armband as a mark of respect....when we scored the winner Tommy made the same gesture in front of the home fans....I guess the only person who truly knows if it was done as a mark of respect or derision is Tommy himself!

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

I read (on here) he was singing, "I've been driving in my car" after the full whistle.

 

[SNOOBS]

I still haven't read the last issue of FFT and now got Septembers already

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

442 predict us to come 13th and Setenta Sports have predicted we will come 15th!

 

[Lady Whistledown]

442 predict us to come 13th and Setenta Sports have predicted we will come 15th!

What's the problem?

They predicted something like 20th last year, so they clearly think we're improving.

I can't get excited about our prospects at the moment either. Nothing to do with friendly results, it's obvious they mean bugger all. But we just haven't done anything to convince me we're on the up.

Hopefully McLeod will be useful, and Livermore and Hawkins solid (who gets excited about "solid" players though?). But Virgo, lovely though he is, I just can't see the point of signing, and the re-signing of Mayo and Hart has left me feeling deeply uninspired.

Wilkins did a bloody good job to get that squad up to seventh last season, I'm just not sure what we've added to it so far to progress any further, that's all.

 

[Gully]

Agree with what you say about last season, seventh position exceeded expectations for me (and judging by the comments on NSC, those of many others), I am now a little worried that they have now risen from normal to unrealistic for many...give it ten games and we should have an idea of where things are going, if we aren't doing as well as many predict then this forum will degenerate into a slag-fest...as if it isn't already at times!

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I just can't believe people are so bothered about a few pre-season friendly results, be they ours or any other club's. I don't think beating Hull makes Crewe promotion contenders any more than losing to Charlton indicates we'll be in the bottom four.

Since when have friendly games been even slightly accurate predictors of how the season's going to go? Can you really judge the upcoming competitive performances on the basis of a couple of run arounds on rock hard pitches against a bunch of builders, lifeguards and greenkeepers, a testimonial in the heat of July against a Championship side equally keen not to get injured, and a couple of money generating match ups for the local senior non leage sides?

If we beat a Premiership side 4-0 in one of these games, I wouldn't give a damn, therefore if we lose narrowly to a Championship team, I refuse to be concerned about it either.

Let's wait and see how the proper season goes, shall we?

 

[Gully]

Agreed, I am just about to head off to watch Forest Green play against Brum in a friendly, the latter of which I expect to be at the business end of the Championship and the former for whose chances I am somewhat more optimistic than those of the Albion. If this one goes to form it should be a comprehensive victory for the team from the second city...but I for one won't be complaining if it does, I am just looking forward to an afternoon out watching a footy match.

 

[Timbo]

These magazines put a bit of thought into the Premiership then just list the other divisions in some sort of order of size of club.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

True, without even looking, I bet they're tipping Leeds & Leicester for the top two in our division, followed by a punt on Southend and Colchester as their token "little club" predictions (just to show they do pay attention to the lower leagues).

 

[SNOOBS]

Who the f*** is Ben Walmsley on or FANS VIEW section, he'd happily get rid of Sir Douglas Loft!!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I haven't read a single NSC prediction for next season which is a straightforward prediction of where we will finish.

All the predictions have been tainted with an attitude towards the replacement of Wilkins by Adams:-

1. Wilkins would have got us to the playoffs next season.

2. Adams will do better than Wilkins did last season.

3. It'll be a disaster. Adams won't achieve what Wilkins did.

4. It'll be an amazing season. Adams is god.

Take your pick.

I'm waiting to see this squad play some League One football before I start to give the matter any thought.

 

[Lewes' best seagull]

Fourfourtwo put us as 19th last season so what do they know?