By Albatross
October 10 2003

Here we go then, CT's old team against his new one in the league for the first time. Wednesday travel with hope, but Neale Cooper is certain to have Hartlepool United fired up for this one - and a full house will be there to see if Pools can show Turner the error of his ways.... Turner's new team got off to a somewhat shaky start to the season, and although they are well up the division they are not dominating the league in the way that many - both Wednesday fans and outside observers - thought that they would.

To be fair, the majority of Wednesdayites never claimed they were going to stuff every team they came up against - but there's no doubt they expected to be doing somewhat better than they have been. It may be this burden of expectations that's affecting their home form - just two wins from seven - but their away form is currently the best in the division with four wins from six games.

Their season started with an away win at Swindon, but the Owls almost blew a 3-0 lead, and with Pools recording a famous victory (albeit on penalties) at Hillsborough and then Oldham coming away with a draw one or two alarm bells were ringing. Even more will have started after their next home match saw them go down to Wrexham, and with a couple of defeats on the South Coast to Brighton and Bournemouth some fans were getting more than a little worried - especially when leading scorer Shefki Kuqi was loaned to Ipswich.

Two wins have followed, albeit against some of the lower rated opposition in the division in Notts County and Brentford - though as we discovered to our cost Brentford are no mugs! Currently then Wednesday sit in 4th place - one position and just one point ahead of Pools.

Kuqi isn't the only player to have left recently, but the departure of him and Alan Quinn (loaned to Sunderland) seems to have given Turner a bit more money to play with. Adam Proudlock has arrived from Wolves, and Michael Reddy has been loaned from Sunderland to boost a front line that's already responding to the increased competition - both Owusu and Holt have been in the goals recently. Another loan signing - David Lucas - is almost certain to be in goal tonight, as the Owls have had something of an injury crisis between the sticks, with Tidman and Pressman both missing.

Robbie Mustoe will probably return after being allowed to rest his legs a little last week, and there will of course be one or two ex-Poolies on view in addition to CT and CW: Graeme Lee and Brian Barry-Murphy are both likely to start, although Paul Smith is currently out injured.

For Pools, the main point of speculation is of course who will be playing in place of the suspended Chris Westwood. Westie has looked exceptional so far, forging a partnership with Nelson that's eclipsed the Westie/Lee partnership that served us so well last season, and there's no doubt he leaves a big hole to fill. The most obvious choice seems to be to bring Barron across and play either Arnison or Bass on the right, but some comments made by Cooper this week at a HUDSA Q&A session seem to indicate he's got something else up his sleeve. Tinkler? Craddock? Clarke? The people that know aren't saying, but apparently it's going to surprise a few fans.

Ryan McCann is set to miss out through injury, but Gabbiadini is well and truly in the frame; he may have to settle for a place on the bench though. Other than that, there's unlikely to be many changes from the side that took a point at Bournemouth last weekend.

It's a sellout crowd for the first time in years, and that's hardly a surprise. The Owls are the biggest draw in the division, and with Turner and West making the switch last season, and taking players with them over the summer, there's more than a little spice in the encounter.

Wednesday travel to Pools knowing that a win is expected - but also that a side that's gone over a year without a home league defeat, and one with a recent victory over them to boot, awaits them. It's a tough game for both sides, and I can quite easily see the game finishing in stalemate. 1-1 then, with Humphreys on target against his one-time club.