By Charlie Summerbell
July 31 2009

If the 2009-10 season turns out to be as poor as the pre-season build-up, we could all be in for a difficult nine months. But surely things can only get better for Pools after a frustrating build-up in which Chris Turner has been hit with a series of bad results, disappointing performances, injuries and a failure to sign a couple of players he badly wanted.

Before we go any further let's get Turner's (right, slimline and dark haired version) situation sorted - he says that whatever his job title is, he is in charge of football matters at the club "at the moment".
So let's forget all this Director Sport rubbish and call him the manager, because that is exactly what he is - he drew up the retained list at the end of last season, signed the new players during the summer, picks the team and decides the tactics.
So, he is the manager.
And as the manager he must be as disappointed as the fans are over the pre-season results, though of course all Directors of Sport - sorry, managers - say that in pre-season, it's performances that matter, rather than results. Then, as soon as the season starts, it's results that matters above performances.
Greavesie was right - it's a funny old game.
In five games before the weekend visit to Mansfield, Pools had lost four times and won only once, and to make matters worse, the performances weren't up to much either.
But of course with seven new players in the squad, time is needed to get everybody gelling and hopefully it will be all right on the night (well, afternoon actually, August 8 at MK Dons).
Ben Clark has had to have surgery on a hernbia operation and Richie Humphreys is out of action with an ankle problem, while James Brown is just coming back from his knee injury and at Mansield right-back Neil Austin won't be risked.
At Gateshead in midweek, Sam Collins and Jon Andre Fredriksen were left out as a precaution, but should be OK at Field Mill.
And to top it all, Richie Jones has asked for a transfer.
It's not been plain sailing at all since training started a month ago, and Turner will be hoping that isn't a sign of what is to come between now and the beginning of May.