My concerns

Quoted from Grim74

It's crazy to think but what ever the circumstances Hurst should of been a bit more professional dropped his stubbornness and offered Amond a 2 year contract, instead we got a panick buy low scoring journeyman on a 2 year contract.

PH offered Podge a 2 and a half year contract in January which he declined. If he had wanted to stay then he would have accepted that contract.

Quoted from Mariner_09

Either way, we could easily go on 8-10 game unbeaten run with 5 or 6 wins included and move nicely into the upper mid table by the end of September.

ONE win would put us in mid table. The table is embryonic at best at this stage.

Quoted from rancido

PH offered Podge a 2 and a half year contract in January which he declined. If he had wanted to stay then he would have accepted that contract.

Why sign a contract in January when there was no promise of promotion at that point. Considering his scoring record he would have known that come the end of the season he would clearly be a wanted man.

I'm not saying we should have signed him but why offer him a 2.5 year contract then a few months later a one year contract?

PH does seem to have a history of falling out with strikers.

From January maybe PH wasn't convinced that Podge was up to League Football and not value for money given the decent contract he would expect.
"Podge offers little" is a frequent comment on Hartlepool forum.  Maybe PH was right all along.

Quoted from chipsandgravy

"Podge offers little" is a frequent comment on Hartlepool forum.  Maybe PH was right all along.

Maybe but he still offers far more than those we have got

Quoted from Ipswin

Maybe but he still offers far more than those we have got

His one goal in 5 appearances so far this season certainly matches several of our players.

Well we're not going to see who was right about what after 4 bleeding games are we?! Amond's ability to score goals in L2/Hurst's skills of judgement will be fairly self evident by The autumn and winter months. I was unhappy Podge left and we appear to have sanctioned this, but it's not as if he's smashed in 6 goals is it. All in good time. I'm more concerned that we sign another accomplished striker. Podge is the past. It's the present that matters.

Think however some don't like acknowledging - it is a step up this season. With a new team. Saw some comments yesterday 'good opportunity to get points'..etc etc - I honestly can't see what thats based on. Given we have never played Stevenage, or Notts C recently - plus we're still finding our settled side. Nor can anyone suggest 'we'll lose against them'..truth be known we dont know. It isnt negative thinking to accept we may not be top 6 or whatever, nor is it accepting mediocrity to be ok for retaining a League place. Expext nothing, each game as it comes, any success is a huge bonus in my eyes. We do need at least 3 in..striker, centre back, midfielder at least. But we also have potentially a pretty good side in time. Must remember its not just us who is learning things as we go..manager and players also.

Hurst said after the Wycombe game that he wanted to bring in two more players who could push for first team places straightaway. To me, it seems pretty obvious that the areas we are lightest in are at centre half and centre forward. That is not a criticism of the players we have, but an acknowledgement that we need more, preferably better, options in those areas.

Broadly speaking, however, I've been encouraged by what I've seen in the first four games. Apart from that horror first half at Colchester, we've been very competitive. With better finishing, and some better officiating, we could well be significantly better off than what we are. The next two games are important, and very winnable. But, whatever the results of those games, I think we've seen the potential of this team. I'm confident we'll be fine.

All we really need is an end product, We took it to Orient in that first half and created chances with nothing to show for it but a couple of penalty shouts. Set piece delivery was poor though dunno if the wind was catching them out but it also seemed like poor delivery. I'm just hoping for players to start becoming more dangerous in the box. It seemed like most chances didn't end up in a decent shot or header.