• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

League Two Monkey Hangars v Rovers

Match result

  • Hartlepool

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Draw

    Votes: 3 100.0%
  • Tranmere

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    3
  • Poll closed .
Monkey Hangars v Rovers
Posted by Ian
Victoria Park
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - 07:45 PM
Until: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - 10:00 PM
(Adjusted for timezone: Europe/London)
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Unless they have a rash of injuries and / or lose key players in January, I think they are certain to go up. Their first choice side is probably the best eleven at this level, including Matt, Stevens, Caddick and our own Kane Wilson, who I think is their best player. A pity we could not sign him permanently a couple of years ago.
 
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RLC, I totally agree. But fortunately, I’d say they are the only side almost certain to go up. All the chasing pack have their frailties and a good winter transfer window could see a Salford, a Bradford City or even a Bristol Rovers leap out of the pack by Easter. FGR apart, it’s a mediocre division. Having said that, I think we are well placed, particularly if we can keep/replace Hawkes and find some way to score a few more goals.
 

Boz

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Haven’t seen Forest Green live this season, but they didn’t seem that impressive in the 0-0 draw with Rovers. That said, they look well-placed to go up, assuming they keep their better players. Northampton looked good in beating us, but Spurs have recalled their loanee striker, weakening them.

Rovers are in a decent position, how we go on from there will depend to some extent on dealings in this window. Another striker with experience is a must. It doesn’t seem likely from current rumours that we will be strengthening central defence, which could result in using makeshift options if either Clarke or Davies join NKP on the unavailable list
 

Ian

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Exeter should have won the game really and Caprice was his usual energetic self down the left. Crossing wasn’t great though..
 
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RLC, I totally agree. But fortunately, I’d say they are the only side almost certain to go up. All the chasing pack have their frailties and a good winter transfer window could see a Salford, a Bradford City or even a Bristol Rovers leap out of the pack by Easter. FGR apart, it’s a mediocre division. Having said that, I think we are well placed, particularly if we can keep/replace Hawkes and find some way to score a few more goals.
I am not sure I agree that the division is mediocre. There are not as many standout teams as there were during the 2018-19 promotion season, when Lincoln, Bury and Mansfield were streets ahead of the majority of sides, probably due to the financial impact of Covid. However, I would say the general standard is high and the division is ultra-competitive.

To give two examples, both Oldham and Barrow have given us very tough matches, and the former arguably should have beaten us a few weeks ago. I did not see much difference in the quality of the football played by promotion chasing Orient, and relegation threatened Barrow, as both sides knocked the ball around well.

I think Mansfield are the most likely of the teams in the chasing pack to come through and win promotion.
 

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I think our own prospects still massively depend on getting a decent striker in. Despite improvements I just can’t see Nevitt or Jolley scoring regularly. Maynards injury is a blow and Glatzel was getting better but we won’t keep clean sheets every week and it may end up costing us.
I know Cheltenham went up last season without scoring many but not sure they were as lacking in front of goal as we have been.

All that said, we are still very close to the top 3
 

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Close to the top three is not the top three though and getting a decent striker in could be the difference. It could be really fine margins as we don't concede or score many. Conceding only 14 goals all season is ridiculous, if we can just improve up front, that should push us into the top three easily.
 

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Decent strikers don’t grow on trees though and at this stage of the season we would be very fortunate to recruit one who could considerably boost our firepower. I don’t see any point in loaning another youngster, so the options are either an experienced pro and trust they do better than Nugent or part with some money (do we have any?) for a striker proven at NL level and hope they make the step up.

While I agree with Sparky about our own younger pair, it’s frustrating that Glatzel picked up the injury just as he was starting to look the part. If able to continue in that same pre-injury form, Paul is potentially good for getting into double figures. Morris, used by a manager who knows how to get the best out of him is capable of the same.

On Ian’s point about not conceding many, my view is that we do need to add another central defender to the squad, as improvising with players out of position should either Clarke or Davies join NKP on the unavailable list, is likely to jeopardise that good defensive record.
 
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Ian

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Good points Boz although I think MP needs to take risks now and again and it will be incredibly frustrating if we fall short again this season. We are in a good position in the league but just need to push on if we are looking at automatic places.
 
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I agree with Boz that we need another centre half. It seems unlikely that we will bring in another striker who is prolific, so could there be a tactical rethink now that McPake has arrived ? A 4231 formation, with Morris, Hawkes and McPake forming the three, could work.
 
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We make the trip to Victoria Park on Tuesday night for this rearranged fixture.

Hartlepool struggled for several weeks after the departure of Dave Challinor, but have recently hit form under his replacement Graeme Lee, and are unbeaten in five games, winning their last two. The signing of Omar Bogle seems to have been key to the turnaround; he is a decent striker at this level and scored their winner at Crawley on Saturday.

Pool's home record remains one of the best in the division and this is a tough match, hardly the ideal fixture to try and get back to wining ways. However, with games against Port Vale, Newport, Northampton and Mansfield to follow, we could really do with three points. Exeter have a winnable home game on Tuesday and could be two points behind us with two games in hand if we fail to win. Several other clubs are also now in touching distance if you factor in their games in hand.

I think Mellon will make some changes for this one, whether that is Nevitt starting up front alongside Hemmings, or switching to 4231 with Hemmings as a lone striker.

It is going to be a tough evening and the result is too close to call.
 
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It is worth bearing in mind, despite my slightly gloomy preview, that with the exception of the Forest Green game we have only conceded once in open play in the last thirteen matches, and that was Doohan's error against Salford. Remarkable really.
 

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I hope we don’t go back to 4231 as I’d worry if we’ll have enough goal threat. As RLC says Omar Bogle is a real handful at this level and a genuine goal threat. He was apparently lucky not to be sent off in their win at Crawley although having just watched the Crawley manager John yews post match interview (always good for a laugh), his own Crawley players were “absolute garbage“

There is some pressure on this game with some arguably harder games on paper to come. A recent draw at barrow and defeat at Walsall has raised some SWA concerns about our ability to score enough goals on our travels. No need to panic and after the FGR defeat we responded with a Tuesday night win, albeit at home to Stevenage. Away to an inform Hartlepool who may fancy a late surge to the top 7 is a different task altogether.
 

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I hope we don’t go back to 4231 as I’d worry if we’ll have enough goal threat.
Yeah, I've never been a fan although with Spearing out, I don't think we have the same control in mifdield so it might help us dictate the game more.
 
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I expect us to bounce back. Pools will be more open than Walsall, so we will have more space and opportunities to counter-attack. They need three points and a draw won't help their play-off hopes. Warrington may be the key as we will be without our other two defence splitters (Glatzel and Spearing). I'm going for 0-0 or a 1-0 smash and grab. I am expecting Hemmings on his own with McPake and Hawkes on the wings, Morris and Warrington in the engine room and O'Connor protecting the defence.
 

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While I can understand RLC looking for the positives, particularly after a disappointing weekend, goals from the penalty spot count against us as much as any other kind of goal. We seems to be conceding a fair few spot kicks this season. I'd like to forget about the Forest Green hammering too, but teams like struggling Oldham and promotion rivals Sutton managed to get a point out of their games with the Vegans. What is encouraging is that Rovers remain in an automatic promotion spot and our future progress still remains in our hands.

Pools have come out of the doldrums after Challinor's departure and gone on a decent run. The recruitment of Bogle, who's certainly at decent striker at this level has helped. The other player who stood out in their slightly unfortunate defeat at PP was right-back Sterry, who hit the post. While Pools might be an outside contender for the play-offs their primary intention is to secure L2 status for next season, so not expecting them to be significantly more adventurous than Walsall.

Finding it hard to see how Micky will set us up for this one. Jolley is short on confidence and think the home defence is physically strong, but Nevitt/Hemmings is a fairly similar pairing, which hasn't looked like delivering much in goals. So Hemmings as lone striker with 3 behind; McPake Warrington Morris? Although after his stellar debut, it didn't sound like young Lewis was much different from the rest of the midfield at Walsall. O'Connor and Foley protecting the same back four and Doohan, injury permitting? I'm less comfortable with a 4231 in Spearing's absence, but 442 doesn't seem to be delivering for us in the away games.
 
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While I can understand RLC looking for the positives, particularly after a disappointing weekend, goals from the penalty spot count against us as much as any other kind of goal. We seems to be conceding a fair few spot kicks this season. I'd like to forget about the Forest Green hammering too, but teams like struggling Oldham and promotion rivals Sutton managed to get a point out of their games with the Vegans. What is encouraging is that Rovers remain in an automatic promotion spot and our future progress still remains in our hands.
Our defensive record is incredible, whichever way you look at it. Excluding the FGR result, we have conceded three in twelve games, including penalties. The point I was making is that teams are simply unable to carve us open in general play, aside from the league leaders.

We also got a point against Forest Green in the reverse fixture, and unlike Oldham did not concede five goals !
 
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The more I think about the shape of the side in Glatzel's absence, I reckon the 4231 formation is the best approach. That system gets our most creative players on the pitch (Hawkes, McPake and Morris), and allows Morris to play centrally where he can dictate games more easily than from a wide position. I think Hemmings is clever and talented enough to operate as a lone striker if he is fed by those three.

I don't think Jolley or Nevitt are good or consistent enough to justify their places in a 442 at the moment, given that we sacrifice a lot in midfield with that system.

It will be interesting to see what Micky does tomorrow night.
 

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The more I think about the shape of the side in Glatzel's absence, I reckon the 4231 formation is the best approach. That system gets our most creative players on the pitch (Hawkes, McPake and Morris), and allows Morris to play centrally where he can dictate games more easily than from a wide position. I think Hemmings is clever and talented enough to operate as a lone striker if he is fed by those three.

I don't think Jolley or Nevitt are good or consistent enough to justify their places in a 442 at the moment, given that we sacrifice a lot in midfield with that system.

It will be interesting to see what Micky does tomorrow night.
I think that will be the formation for the away games, then 4 4 2 at home.
 
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