By Mill House
April 17 2013

So where did it all go wrong? If there is a simple answer it was last summer when the summer signings meant that the previous season's relatively successful "get the ball down and play" was usurped by a "let's lump it up to the big noisy lad up front."

The writing was on the wall in those first few games. Seven goals conceded and none scored in the first three games.

The supporters were quick to spot the problem. They voiced their dissent asking why did the manager persevere with playing his highest paid player?

As tempting as it is to lay most of the blame on Steve Howard, specially after the astonishing arrogant comments attributed to him on his arrival at Sheff Wed, there was never a settled midfield, nobody out wide who could  get to the goal line and pull the back to  give an ageing centre foward at least a chance of getting on the end of it.

No pace and a woeful lack of effort and confidence in a number of players.

The transformation in the side in recent weeks  came too late. Walton became a changed man and the likes off Collins returned to their imperious best.

In the first game of the season Crewe trounced us 5-0 but in  the return fixture we put in more effort than any Hartlepool side in recent memory, closing down a more than useful footballing side, and eventually forcing them to capitulate to a 3-0 defeat.

Sadly, we couldn't keep up that workrate in subsequent games and the season bumped along the bottom - in every sense - with far too many 0-0's.

So where do we go. Ken Hodcroft remains enigmatic with this offering on the official site: