Hartlepool United are showing the hallmarks of becoming a good team
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 So these are all kind of hallmarks that you would associate with a team that will generally do quite well in a season.
00:07 Whether it's just because it's heart of the pool and we're a little bit sceptical about things, you know, how the last 12 months and such has gone.
00:13 But no, overall, you can't really grumble. It's been a really, really good start.
00:17 Like I say, they look a threat going forward. They score on goals. I think there's only Chesterfield scored more goals than them this season.
00:23 Is it perfect? No. Even the team that's top, you wouldn't say that it's perfect. There's always room for improvement.
00:30 I think the clean sheets is something that you really need to work on.
00:34 You know, John Haskie's had 20 games in charge now and he hasn't kept a clean sheet.
00:37 That's quite an extraordinary start really, I would imagine.
00:41 And ultimately, you will need to sort that out because you would suspect that they'll not be able to keep scoring two and three goals every week to win games or get points from games.
00:52 But beyond that, like I say, they keep pace with some of the front runners.
00:58 I know that Chesterfield defeat was a real sort of kick to the teeth with the way that it happened.
01:02 The start that they had, they put themselves in such a good position going 2-0 up so early to then lose it in the second half and in stoppage time.
01:10 But I would imagine that they are going to be up there. They look sort of, certainly out of the teams that we've seen so far, they look the strongest in terms of the squad and the ability that they've got in there,
01:20 the strength and depth that they've got from the bench.
01:22 So, if you're going to be keeping pace with a side like Chesterfield, you are going to be in and around the sort of top three, I would imagine.
01:29 Even beyond that, if you look at the away games, they've got a Chesterfield, Barnet and Southend.
01:34 You know, you add the 10 points that Southend have had deducted off them, they're right up there at the top as well.
01:38 You couldn't really have asked for three tougher away games to start back in the National League.
01:42 Now, I know they've lost two and won one of them, but the fact that they've been able to bounce back and they keep the home form so good,
01:49 you can kind of get away with those defeats and you'd almost, you'd rather have those games at this stage of the season than later on in the campaign when,
01:58 you know, we're getting to the nitty-gritty and you're thinking that they might have to go to somewhere like Chesterfield.
02:01 Instead, these teams are then going to have to come to the Vic, like you say, and already that's looking like it's going to be an important place and teams aren't going to want to come up here.
02:09 I think the Wilson manager, Stuart Maynard, at the weekend, you know, he credited the Hartlepool supporters for how hostile it was and just how much pressure that they put them under in the first half.