2021-22 Relegation Thread

[Lemsagam Out]

Who will be dropping down to the National League along with us this season?

 

[kieran_vale]

I think you have to say it looks bad for Scunny already. Lost a lot of their better players and not replaced them either.

Unfortunately fear for Oldham just purely down to that owner. Hope you guys can be rid of him before it’s too late.

 

[GTFCfish]

Scunthorpe United.

End thread.

 

[electrode113]

Mansfield 4 losses in a row could be another contender for relegation.

 

[E10rifle]

Scunny and Oldham the obvious favourites, but there’s usually a post-January renaissance from someone.

Sutton look next best (/worst) because they’ve committed the classic cardinal sin of assuming that there’s not much difference between the divisions and kept their promotion squad together. The underlying statistical analysis would suggest that Col U are one of the worst sides in the division as well.

Brizzle are going to struggle for at least as long as the Barton saga drags on, but they’ve been in a bit of a death spiral for 2 1/2 seasons now and I’m not as confident as their fans seem to be that they actually have a really good squad for this level (cue them beating Orient next weekend to make me look like a twat).

Outsiders: Tranmere (can’t score at the moment), Mansfield (can’t defend at the moment), Barrow, Crawley, Newport (none of the latter three going to be troubling the top half IMHO).

 

[BarraMatt]

Carlisle are involved apparently. I don't think we will be top half this season but I'd hope that we would maintain a comfortable gap to the relegation picture over the course of the season.

 

[Bottega Don]

I think everyone in the country predicted us to finish bottom and for good reason, we have by far the weakest squad and one of the smallest budgets in the league. We have no room for any activity in the transfer market either due to our embargo.

Realistically, we should have gone down last season. We were very lucky the season wasn't a game longer or we would have been down.

This season has actually started better than expected in that we've managed to win a game of football. The team clearly has zero quality but they at least seemed to have fight in them, that all ended yesterday and I can see a pretty torrid run coming up.

 

[Greenacres]

Sutton look next best (/worst) because they’ve committed the classic cardinal sin of assuming that there’s not much difference between the divisions and kept their promotion squad together. The underlying statistical analysis would suggest that Col U are one of the worst sides in the division as well.

We did exactly that in our first season in the Football League, were looking dead and buried by Christmas but were able to strengthen the defence in the January transfer window and stayed up by a point...I wouldn't recommend that approach to anyone. Ironically I think having virtually no squad with only a few weeks to go before the season started, having to strenthen and rebuild before starting, may stand Hartlepool in good stead...I don't expect to see them looking nervously over their shoulders or at a trap-door as the season runs towards its conclusion.

 

[Chief Rocka]

We did exactly that in our first season in the Football League, were looking dead and buried by Christmas but were able to strengthen the defence in the January transfer window and stayed up by a point...I wouldn't recommend that approach to anyone. Ironically I think having virtually no squad with only a few weeks to go before the season started, having to strenthen and rebuild before starting, may stand Hartlepool in good stead...I don't expect to see them looking nervously over their shoulders or at a trap-door as the season runs towards its conclusion.

It's a weird one for us, although we didn't have much of a squad post playoff final we kept the nucleus together, a solid back five and midfield three who were ever present and most importantly the manager is still here (new contract pending, any day now) still missing the reliable 6 yard box poacher and our first win on the road but we'll be more than fine this season, there won't be many teams who come to Pools and take maximum points.

 

[Limerick Mariner]

I think everyone in the country predicted us to finish bottom and for good reason, we have by far the weakest squad and one of the smallest budgets in the league. We have no room for any activity in the transfer market either due to our embargo.

Realistically, we should have gone down last season. We were very lucky the season wasn't a game longer or we would have been down.

This season has actually started better than expected in that we've managed to win a game of football. The team clearly has zero quality but they at least seemed to have fight in them, that all ended yesterday and I can see a pretty torrid run coming up.

If Holloway hadn't decided Loft was rubbish when he came for a trial at GTFC, or more likely Fenty didn't want to pay his wage ask, I think you would have gone down instead of us. Hurst just had nothing to work with up front in the second half of the season, we went 8 unbeaten and drew 7 of them.

 

[BarraMatt]

I think Sutton may be alright this season, not sure how much EFL experience and knowledge Matt Gray and his coaching team have but he's obviously a very capable manager, unlike the two jokers we employed last season for our first time back in half a century. You hear of some of the solid L2 players we could have signed last summer and it's unbelievable that Dunn steered clear and signed some of the dross that he did.

In recent years you can always count on a club or two with off the pitch problems being down in the doldrums (Southend, Oldham, Scunny), and even teams that realistically should be decent yet everything goes wrong on the pitch (Grimsby, Colchester, Mansfield last season for example?)

 

[Essex2Wessex]

I expected Oldham to be in the shit last season, for all the obvious reasons, but they somehow pulled off not just survival but a really entertaining and enjoyable brand of football to watch (against us, anyway). Maybe the chickens of the awful ownership are now really sadly coming home to roost, but it's been on the cards for a few years, if so.

I reckon Sutton WILL pull together and sharpen up after the winter transfer window. There's obviously some astute management there, and the club is clearly well-run. And on the pitch, even in their current form, they're a long way from being the weakest team in the league.

 

[hellogregory]

We are 100% in this.

I know it’s spoke of like a joke amongst other clubs fans, but we are in this, absolutely. Maybe not in league position (for now), but the performance levels we are producing are that of a team that will be scrapping around at the bottom end. I still hope we’ll just about have enough to stay up, but it will be very tough unless we start playing better, we’ve rode our luck in some games, particularly last Saturday when we were very fortunate not to be defeated by Salford.

 

[GTFCfish]

So by March are there going to be 8 or 9 teams that are definitely going down just like last season.

 

[The Terminator]

I didn't think Oldham were THAT bad yesterday, they put us under pressure during numerous periods during the game, Vigouroux made 3 good saves and Hallam Hope fizzed a shot narrowly wide.

But they had players out, paid for some poor judgement in their shape and threw the towel in at 3-0 and just didn't do the basics at the back.

But unless their owner does sell up, they will go down. The similarities between them and ourselves are all too clear. The chickens have come to roost, it always does when you have a moron steering the ship.

 

[Soup Ladle]

It's a weird one for us, although we didn't have much of a squad post playoff final we kept the nucleus together, a solid back five and midfield three who were ever present and most importantly the manager is still here (new contract pending, any day now) still missing the reliable 6 yard box poacher and our first win on the road but we'll be more than fine this season, there won't be many teams who come to Pools and take maximum points.

Yeah pretty much. I think what we have is more than good enough to steer clear of danger but we are missing a finisher. One other thing we could potentially slip down the table because of such a lack of rest over pre season/burn out but the squad should be capable enough to cover it.

 

[JaredSUFC]

The first few games of the season were always going to be a free hit for us as it were, with games against FGR and Salford in our first few fixtures combined with adjusting to a new league.

What we need to work on is eliminating simple errors (both goals we let in FGR were easily preventable) and naivety (both goals against Oldham). But as we move on we should adapt.

In Matt Gray’s first season after 18 games we were 2nd bottom and looked doomed. 18 games later when the season finished early due to lockdown we were as close points wise to the playoffs as the relegation zone. It’s too early in the season to be overly concerned.

 

[Chief Rocka]

Yeah pretty much. I think what we have is more than good enough to steer clear of danger but we are missing a finisher. One other thing we could potentially slip down the table because of such a lack of rest over pre season/burn out but the squad should be capable enough to cover it.

Didn't Harrogate do similar last season? Started off like a house on fire then ended up staggering over the finish line, I'd still be happy with 3rd bottom this season.

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

I wouldn't be worried about relegation to the National League, we'll be in the Northern Counties East League by 2023.

 

[Casey]

I think Sutton may be alright this season, not sure how much EFL experience and knowledge Matt Gray and his coaching team have but he's obviously a very capable manager, unlike the two jokers we employed last season for our first time back in half a century. You hear of some of the solid L2 players we could have signed last summer and it's unbelievable that Dunn steered clear and signed some of the dross that he did.

Matt Gray was asst manager here at Crawley under Dermot Drummy and has a good reputation among the professional football folk.

Decent rep at Crawley too.

Jim Baker

 

[Scunny Pacifist]

Yeah we are going out of business. Fuck Swann and anybody who likes him. The man is a repugnant leech. I despise the dirty c***.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Didn't Harrogate do similar last season? Started off like a house on fire then ended up staggering over the finish line, I'd still be happy with 3rd bottom this season.

If the first six games are anything to go by I'd be far from happy finishing 3rd bottom but ultimately that keeps you up and this season that is the primary aim.

 

[Chief Rocka]

If the first six games are anything to go by I'd be far from happy finishing 3rd bottom but ultimately that keeps you up and this season that is the primary aim.

Oh yeah, I'm not settling for 3rd bottom and our very early start has given us hope of a good season, but there's a long way to go, for me survival is the only target we should be aiming for.

 

[Scunny Pacifist]

Oh yeah, I'm not settling for 3rd bottom and our very early start has given us hope of a good season, but there's a long way to go, for me survival is the only target we should be aiming for.

I think you will go up. Great manager and that momentum will see you through. I used to go out on the piss with Mr Stelling. We are good mates so always to see Hartlepool do well

 

[Shrimper92]

So by March are there going to be 8 or 9 teams that are definitely going down just like last season.

And there'll be fans of clubs in top half positions claiming they're in it too.

 

[Scunny Pacifist]

Now then Shrimper hows tricks? Hope the orange man takes you back up. Me and the bairn love a trip to Southend. Tesfaye Bramble. Now there was a player as was Barrington Belgrave

 

[Kauto Star]

I didn't think Oldham were THAT bad yesterday, they put us under pressure during numerous periods during the game, Vigouroux made 3 good saves and Hallam Hope fizzed a shot narrowly wide.

But they had players out, paid for some poor judgement in their shape and threw the towel in at 3-0 and just didn't do the basics at the back.

But unless their owner does sell up, they will go down. The similarities between them and ourselves are all too clear. The chickens have come to roost, it always does when you have a moron steering the ship.

Funny team Oldham. They played some good football at Valley Parade last month, certainly didn't look like relegation material. Although, having said that, they looked very limited up front.

 

[Railway Blue]

Yeah we are going out of business. Fuck Swann and anybody who likes him. The man is a repugnant leech. I despise the dirty c***.

Forgive my ignorance, but can you explain why Swann is so detested. I remember him leaving Gainsborough and thinking you'll do well with him and his money.

 

[Bottega Don]

Forgive my ignorance, but can you explain why Swann is so detested. I remember him leaving Gainsborough and thinking you'll do well with him and his money.

It isn't his money, it's his wife's.

Swann's big issue is he promises too much and talks too much. He promised a shiny new stadium and exciting football, we've got neither. I do feel sorry for him with regards to the stadium, he was completely screwed over and essentially robbed of millions by the council. I know he's still fighting to get that back.

Another one of Swann's issues is that he listens to the fans too much. Football fans are emotional, chairman shouldn't be. Him sacking Graham Alexander due to fan pressure was a really bad move, loads of our fans now act like they didn't want him gone though which is stupid.

The thing that really turned fans on Swann recently was him selling the ground to himself and asset stripping the club. He sold the ground to himself for payment of £11m of debt that he'd racked up.

The club is in a really bad state, if we get relegated there is a good chance we will go out of business.

 

[Railway Blue]

It isn't his money, it's his wife's.

Swann's big issue is he promises too much and talks too much. He promised a shiny new stadium and exciting football, we've got neither. I do feel sorry for him with regards to the stadium, he was completely screwed over and essentially robbed of millions by the council. I know he's still fighting to get that back.

Another one of Swann's issues is that he listens to the fans too much. Football fans are emotional, chairman shouldn't be. Him sacking Graham Alexander due to fan pressure was a really bad move, loads of our fans now act like they didn't want him gone though which is stupid.

The thing that really turned fans on Swann recently was him selling the ground to himself and asset stripping the club. He sold the ground to himself for payment of £11m of debt that he'd racked up.

The club is in a really bad state, if we get relegated there is a good chance we will go out of business.

I remember him trying to buy Gainsborough's ground, which was owned by a fan's trust, but they refused to sell. I suppose you had no say in the matter.