Hartlepool United Build Up

[Window Cleaner]

Disagree. Think you will find the core of the first team will be the same. Possible doubts in my view are Lallana and Spiderman. They were not brought in by AP and so have not "bought into" the plans. There will hopefully be severa; squad players who will be shown the exit as well as non-playing staff such as Pulis and Molyneux. Lambert will still be here in my opinion, will move on if we are not in promotion spots next Jan, not before. If he has any sense he will realise that he is not really PL standard, but sadly money talks louder than sense.

 

 

 

Lambert won't know whether he is PL standard until he actually gets there and tries it.Plenty of substandard players earning a diamond studded crust in the EPL.

If you do simple things well you've got your chance same as anyone else.

One 35 yd lob same as Saturday would set him up for a couple of months, just as it did for that Hull or Wigan bloke earlier on in the season. No-one can say RL isn't PL standard because he's never had a shot at it.He scores goals,

shedloads of them, if he just got half his usual total (or even a third) he'd be a valuable asset. Ormerod wasn't PL standard but he did a good job for us

and even scored some goals.I could make and endless list of players who don't really fit the job description but who are doing AOK at 20K a week.

[westmidlandsaint]

Anyone think we should give a start to Connolly as Barnard is cup tied for JPT? it would give him some more match practice or would people prefer to see Papa Waigo upfront with Lambert for the final.

 

Also like to see us get a 2-0 h/t lead and give young Oxlade-Chamberlain another run out seems he is preferred over Antonio at the moment

[markr27]

Antonio is injured.

 

Davis

 

James/Harding* Fonte Seaborne Mills/Harding

 

Puncheon Hammond Spiderman Lallana/Waigo

 

Barnard Lambert

 

...Perhaps?

 

* If Harding plays right back tomorrow, he'll start there on Sunday.

[brianoneils slidingtackle]

anybody know if the £5 tickets are selling well ?

[del boy]

Another 3 points to consolidate our journey to 7th place!

[Window Cleaner]

Antonio is injured.

 

Davis

 

James/Harding* Fonte Seaborne Mills/Harding

 

Puncheon Hammond Spiderman Lallana/Waigo

 

Barnard Lambert

 

...Perhaps?

 

* If Harding plays right back tomorrow, he'll start there on Sunday.

 

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see our midfield changed for tomorrow's game. Hammond looks clapped out of late .

[krissyboy31]

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see our midfield changed for tomorrow's game. Hammond looks clapped out of late .

 

Thought he looked good v Leeds, hence their midfield hardly got a kick!

[Saint Fan CaM]

Anyone think we should give a start to Connolly as Barnard is cup tied for JPT? it would give him some more match practice or would people prefer to see Papa Waigo upfront with Lambert for the final.

 

Also like to see us get a 2-0 h/t lead and give young Oxlade-Chamberlain another run out seems he is preferred over Antonio at the moment

 

 

I would agree with Connolly starting over Waigo, although AP may see that Waigo has played more and therefore he gets the nod. Not seen enough of Oxlade-C to make a judgement, although I am not sure he's done enough to warrant a look in beyond the bench yet.

[doddisalegend]

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see our midfield changed for tomorrow's game. Hammond looks clapped out of late .

 

He got almost a full 90 mins of rest on saturday. I'm told he was on the pitch but I have my doubts becuase I can't say I noticed him.

[markr27]

I cannot see who else AP could pick in the middle of the park, aside from Wotton.

Simon Gillett surely won't come into the team from out of no-where, unless of course...

 

...well...

could we see Pulis?

 

 

 

[Window Cleaner]

I cannot see who else AP could pick in the middle of the park, aside from Wotton.

Simon Gillett surely won't come into the team from out of no-where, unless of course...

 

...well...

could we see Pulis?

 

 

 

 

Gillett was in the reserves for he first time in ages last week. Depends on James status really.Don't forget we started at Brentford with Wotton and James.

[sperm_john]

hartlepool have been playing well of late, but home advantage and pressure from cortese should shine through, hopefully pards and the players know our season isnt over yet, promotion or no promotion, this is certainly one game jeff stelling wont be slightly biased towards us over! I predict 2-1 or 3-1 saints ...

[Window Cleaner]

hartlepool have been playing well of late, but home advantage and pressure from cortese should shine through, hopefully pards and the players know our season isnt over yet, promotion or no promotion, this is certainly one game jeff stelling wont be slightly biased towards us over! I predict 2-1 or 3-1 saints ...

 

 

What pressure from Cortese? has he been at it again without my knowing;)

[RinNY]

I've noticed one constant in some 40+ years of following the Saints, and that is a simply maddening inconsistency! Since we followed up thrashings of Walsall and Huddersfield by losing to Tranmere, and a sweet victory over Leeds with a bitter defeat to Swindon, I think you can count on our latest comfortable 3-0 win being followed by a dud defeat to Hartlepool. This is Saints ffs: you can count on it ... alas.

[Window Cleaner]

I've noticed one constant in some 40+ years of following the Saints, and that is a simply maddening inconsistency! Since we followed up thrashings of Walsall and Huddersfield by losing to Tranmere, and a sweet victory over Leeds with a bitter defeat to Swindon, I think you can count on our latest comfortable 3-0 win being followed by a dud defeat to Hartlepool. This is Saints ffs: you can count on it ... alas.

 

Consistently inconsistent proven over many decades.Just like the abysmal season we had following the play-off season with little change on personnel.

[stmusicdude]

Why should I be ITK over it:cool:, it's just the way things happen and human nature.

NC has already dealt with it in one of his interviews,if he talks about players "asking to leave" not being retained I think you can be fairly sure that it's not just a hypothetical situation. Anyway we have at least 2 players who have had their budding international careers nullified by being in League 1, both were "thinking" about moving on last season. AP talked them into staying, don't think he'll succeed again this time.Lambert? well his dad said he wanted a stab at the PL and I don't think we'll get there soon enough for him, he'll probably want to cash in on his season with us now rather than later.Lambert unlike many 3rd division hotshots still has potential for improvement on top of his obvious

ability to score a lot of goals and I can well see an EPL side taking a punt on that at 3 million or so which is, let's face' it chicken feed for the EPL where clubs regularly waste 5/10 million on complete non hopers.

£3 million is chicken feed to EPL? but they couldn't fork out £1m last year?

 

look again at how the prem & championship spending has reduced by 75% over last 2 years. The clubs who will want him wont have the £3m you quote.

 

I hope some players do leave. Those that have no chance of making the grade or playing reg in CCC ..

 

so name the players you think will leave to pastures new & go to EPL or CCC top rated teams..???

[Window Cleaner]

£3 million is chicken feed to EPL? but they couldn't fork out £1m last year?

 

look again at how the prem & championship spending has reduced by 75% over last 2 years. The clubs who will want him wont have the £3m you quote.

 

I hope some players do leave. Those that have no chance of making the grade or playing reg in CCC ..

 

so name the players you think will leave to pastures new & go to EPL or CCC top rated teams..???

 

Easy one Morgan, Lallana and Lambert.

 

This year's Rickie Lambert is a whole new deal from last year's. We'll just have to wait and see but in my opinion they'll all three be gone to pastures new this summer.

[RinNY]

£3 million is chicken feed to EPL? but they couldn't fork out £1m last year?

 

look again at how the prem & championship spending has reduced by 75% over last 2 years. The clubs who will want him wont have the £3m you quote.

 

I hope some players do leave. Those that have no chance of making the grade or playing reg in CCC ..

 

so name the players you think will leave to pastures new & go to EPL or CCC top rated teams..???

 

Last year Lambert had a great season with Bristol, but that was one season: who knew whether that would prove to be his high-water mark? This season he has been even better for us, and proved definitively that he is a class above L1 standard. Given the type of goals he scores -- the free kicks, the long range spectaculars, as well as the poachers goals and penalties -- I wouldn't be at all surprised if a lower level Prem team in need of scoring (a team like Wolves, if they beat the drop) signed him for something on the order of 3m (good business for us, after all, we can sign another lower league hotshot to replace him, & we have Barnard still); I will be very surprised if Lambert stays. We'll most likely lose Lallana & Schneiderlin too, as others have pointed out.

 

Unless we pull off the miracle of winning promotion this year; but since that'll pretty certainly require us to win all ten remaining matches to even have a chance of it, don't hold your breath on that!

[the saint in winchester]

I would rest Lambo and also give Morgan the night off (he's on 9 cards?). We need to give the back-up strikers a stretch of the legs before Sunday.

Leave these 2 on the bench, and give others a chance to stake a claim.

[Tac-tics]

Rest Lambert, Lallana, Connolly, Hammond.

 

Let Gillet and Oxlade Chamberline have a run out.

[Window Cleaner]

I would rest Lambo and also give Morgan the night off (he's on 9 cards?). We need to give the back-up strikers a stretch of the legs before Sunday.

Leave these 2 on the bench, and give others a chance to stake a claim.

 

 

No Morgan is on 8 yellows as far as I know. Puncheon is on 9

[doddisalegend]

I cannot see who else AP could pick in the middle of the park, aside from Wotton.

Simon Gillett surely won't come into the team from out of no-where, unless of course...

 

...well...

could we see Pulis?

 

 

 

 

He did score for the reserves against Swindon........................

[doddisalegend]

Last year Lambert had a great season with Bristol, but that was one season: who knew whether that would prove to be his high-water mark? This season he has been even better for us, and proved definitively that he is a class above L1 standard. Given the type of goals he scores -- the free kicks, the long range spectaculars, as well as the poachers goals and penalties -- I wouldn't be at all surprised if a lower level Prem team in need of scoring (a team like Wolves, if they beat the drop) signed him for something on the order of 3m (good business for us, after all, we can sign another lower league hotshot to replace him, & we have Barnard still); I will be very surprised if Lambert stays. We'll most likely lose Lallana & Schneiderlin too, as others have pointed out.

 

Unless we pull off the miracle of winning promotion this year; but since that'll pretty certainly require us to win all ten remaining matches to even have a chance of it, don't hold your breath on that!

 

So how much does Lambert, Lallana and Morgan bring us 5mil(?) even if we give Marcus his 3 mil back from this years spending we'd still have 2mil to buy replacements which is plenty at this level.

[Thedelldays]

So how much does Lambert, Lallana and Morgan bring us 5mil(?) even if we give Marcus his 3 mil back from this years spending we'd still have 2mil to buy replacements which is plenty at this level.

indeed it is...grant holt cost around half of lambert...

 

I really hope rickie stays but I will not be surprised if he goes in the summer to a higher level...if he does, it will be with my thanks and good luck wishes

[doddisalegend]

indeed it is...grant holt cost around half of lambert...

 

I really hope rickie stays but I will not be surprised if he goes in the summer to a higher level...if he does, it will be with my thanks and good luck wishes

 

Thats the thing I'm not worried about players leaving anymore. If the new owner wants his five (or three) year plan to work he has to invest in quaility (at this level) players. We don't need to accept the first offer through the door to pay the taxman or whatever, so I'm happy to believe that we will replace quaility with quaility. Coupled with being an attractive place to come in the lower leagues we should have the pick of the best lower league players that we need to get back to the Fizzy pop.

[Evil Monkey]

Ssssh..! People don't want to talk about the playoffs anymore. It seems that if we get our hopes up, the Lads go and dash them by losing. Just make like you don't care either way, and we'll creep towards the top 6.

 

BTW, could be a friendship tester for Matty and Jeff.

 

Hardy?

[krissyboy31]

Rest Lambert, Lallana, Connolly, Hammond.

 

Let Gillet and Oxlade Chamberline have a run out.

 

Hasn't Connolly been resting for 4 months? He needs match practise IMO, not rest.

[S-Clarke]

Just listened to pards pre-match interview..

 

James is injured, Otsemebor is too - and obviously murty and Thomas are, so we will possibly see Harding continue at RB tomorrow night.

 

Also Lallana is a doubt with a hamstring injury (i think thats what he said), and Jaidi still has a knock - so i doubt we'll risk either of those before Sunday.

[Window Cleaner]

Just listened to pards pre-match interview..

 

James is injured, Otsemebor is too - and obviously murty and Thomas are, so we will possibly see Harding continue at RB tomorrow night.

 

Also Lallana is a doubt with a hamstring injury (i think thats what he said), and Jaidi still has a knock - so i doubt we'll risk either of those before Sunday.

 

Under 15s it is then.

[RonManager]

Just listened to pards pre-match interview..

 

James is injured, Otsemebor is too - and obviously murty and Thomas are, so we will possibly see Harding continue at RB tomorrow night.

 

Also Lallana is a doubt with a hamstring injury (i think thats what he said), and Jaidi still has a knock - so i doubt we'll risk either of those before Sunday.

 

Jaidi hamstring tight.

Lallana groin.

[doddisalegend]

Jaidi hamstring tight.

Lallana groin.

 

Something that needs adressing in the summer not enough quaility cover.

 

I assume we will line up

 

Davis

Harding Fonte Seabourne Mills

Wagio Hammond Morgan Puncheon

Lambert Barnard

 

still not a bad side though vunreable on the right.

[70's Mike]

I've noticed one constant in some 40+ years of following the Saints, and that is a simply maddening inconsistency! Since we followed up thrashings of Walsall and Huddersfield by losing to Tranmere, and a sweet victory over Leeds with a bitter defeat to Swindon, I think you can count on our latest comfortable 3-0 win being followed by a dud defeat to Hartlepool. This is Saints ffs: you can count on it ... alas.

 

totally agree which made the sides of 78 and 84 special

[doddisalegend]

I've noticed one constant in some 40+ years of following the Saints, and that is a simply maddening inconsistency! Since we followed up thrashings of Walsall and Huddersfield by losing to Tranmere, and a sweet victory over Leeds with a bitter defeat to Swindon, I think you can count on our latest comfortable 3-0 win being followed by a dud defeat to Hartlepool. This is Saints ffs: you can count on it ... alas.

 

Must be something in the water down here

[Causer]

Just listened to pards pre-match interview..

 

James is injured, Otsemebor is too - and obviously murty and Thomas are, so we will possibly see Harding continue at RB tomorrow night.

 

Also Lallana is a doubt with a hamstring injury (i think thats what he said), and Jaidi still has a knock - so i doubt we'll risk either of those before Sunday.

 

Is Antonio injured or just out of favour.

[doddisalegend]

Is Antonio injured or just out of favour.

 

Injured I believe:(

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/PreviewDetail/0,,10280~2001648,00.html

[Dalek2003]

This is a league game, far more important than the JPT.

[Plumstead_Saint]

Easy one Morgan, Lallana and Lambert.

 

This year's Rickie Lambert is a whole new deal from last year's. We'll just have to wait and see but in my opinion they'll all three be gone to pastures new this summer.

I think you're wrong.

Lambert wants to be a part of our rise and rise, and will have accepted that it might take more than one season when he came on board IMO.

And I don't think either MS or AL are going to get that many better offers. Better to be part of a winning team with great facilities than move to the CCC and end up in a mid-table side that can't attract 25000 fans a game, and maybe lose form or first team place if they don't "gel".

I bl**dy well hope so, anyway

[St Landrew]

Ssssh..! People don't want to talk about the playoffs anymore. It seems that if we get our hopes up, the Lads go and dash them by losing. Just make like you don't care either way, and we'll creep towards the top 6.

 

BTW, could be a friendship tester for Matty and Jeff.

 

Hardy?

 

Le Tissier and Stelling.

[SuperMikey]

Winning the JPT will be far more of a confidence boost for the team as winning against Hartlepool. With Barnard, Seabourne, Puncheon and Otsemobor cup tied for the weekend, I think we can give them starts tomorrow (although Semi and Seabourne are still injured aren't they?), but we do need to rest some players. Lambert, Jaidi, Lallana and Hammond spring to mind as the immediate candidates, as they can really be key players on Sunday.

 

I think we'll line up like:

 

------------Davis----------

Harding--S'born--Fonte--Mills

Papa--Wotton---Morgan--JP

------Connolly--Barnard-----

[SNSUN]

I said we'll beat Tranmere, and Swindon and neither happened, so I should be cautious about this game. I'm not going to be though - I'll be at St Mary's tomorrow and I want us to win by a big margin, for entertainment value AND to get the party started for Wembley!

 

Fingers crossed we don't arse this one up, I don't think we will, but you never know. 3-0 Saints.

[Saints Warrior]

I would like to see palyers taken off if it looks like a few hackers are in the opposition team or any yellow cards flying around as a few are on 4 cards

[Charlie Wayman]

So Millwall beat Leeds 2-0 tonight, oh shioot soon there will be nobody left for us to catch. That slender thread of remaining hope is rapidly becoming the hangman's noose and guess who'd neck is being measured for size?

[Tac-tics]

Anyone else bricking it the Rickie will get injured.?

[Stu Man Do]

So Millwall beat Leeds 2-0 tonight, oh shioot soon there will be nobody left for us to catch. That slender thread of remaining hope is rapidly becoming the hangman's noose and guess who'd neck is being measured for size?

 

I think I speak for everyone when I say down negative man down!

 

Hoping for a good performance to cement first team places for sunday COYR's!

[Roger]

Stop going on about resting players for wembley. The league is far more important and whilst there is a mathmatical chance of getting to the play offs this is the most important competiition. No one will remember the jpt winners in years to come.

[St Landrew]

So Millwall beat Leeds 2-0 tonight, oh shioot soon there will be nobody left for us to catch. That slender thread of remaining hope is rapidly becoming the hangman's noose and guess who'd neck is being measured for size?

 

Having been alerted to your posts, I can see that you are possibly being needlessly negative, I think. We're not going to catch Millwall. Perhaps we never were. However, there are 3 other teams in the playoffs and Colchester are definitely starting to wobble. Just below them, Huddersfield and MKDons are on unstable ground, at present. But you carry on. I've no doubt you could find the cloud in a whole sky of silver linings.

 

Yes, we are not trying to catch Huddersfield or MKDons [or Bristol Rovers], but to leapfrog them. But they still have to play some of the top 6 teams, which means they can possibly undermine them without potentially pushing Saints out of a top 6 place. It's unlikely, but it's possible. Don't set yourself for disappointment, so that the let down is easier. That's not the way to support a team.

[maysie]

Stop going on about resting players for wembley. The league is far more important and whilst there is a mathmatical chance of getting to the play offs this is the most important competiition. No one will remember the jpt winners in years to come.

 

But surely as fans we're remember the great day out. Don't we deserve it...

[maysie]

So Millwall beat Leeds 2-0 tonight, oh shioot soon there will be nobody left for us to catch. That slender thread of remaining hope is rapidly becoming the hangman's noose and guess who'd neck is being measured for size?

 

Is there anything that gives you joy or any hope of happiness?

 

Pessimistic to a fault.

[Dark Munster]

I think I heard someone say this was a "must win" game ... Or was that another match?

 

It was another match.

And we didn't win.

[doddisalegend]

Stop going on about resting players for wembley. The league is far more important and whilst there is a mathmatical chance of getting to the play offs this is the most important competiition. No one will remember the jpt winners in years to come.

 

The league is done it would take a miracle to get out this year. Silverware comes first to throw away the chance to actually win a ****ing trophy just for an outside chance of the playoffs would be stupid. I and the other 44000 will remember the JPT winners (if they win). Clubs are rembered for their trophies (and I mean proper ones not winning the playoffs trophies) there will be plenty of years to celebrate the achievements of finishing in the bottom half of the EPL season after season in the years to come, the chance to win a trophy comes around but rarely.