By Albatross
July 28 2003

Hartlepool United have no less than four games scheduled this week as the pre-season preparations hit top gear. Saturday's game against the Wendies didn't tell us a great deal though - except perhaps as a warning not to believe the Hartlepool Mail when it talks about trialists.... So where were the Dutch Trialists that the Mail told us about then? Although there were three players on show, none of them were from Holland, although Pedro Dimas is at least from overseas. It could be I suppose that someone heard the name of Mark Rasmussen mentioned and assumed the Newcastle-born former Burnley player was from Heerenveen....

Of the three, only Dimas seems to have made much of an impression with Pools fans, with Rasmussen not offering much and Chris Moore barely having time on the pitch. As promised it was pretty much a reserve lineup from Pools, with only two likely first team regulars playing in Westwood and Robinson. The Wendies put out a much stronger team than we'd been lead to expect, and unsurprisingly ran out comfortable winners.

With four games this week - at Berwick on Tuesday, Billingham Town on Wednesday, Home to Newcastle on Friday and at Whitby on Saturday - the chances are that the likes of Dimas and Moore will have another chance to impress - and so possibly will a few other players. Cooper has admitted that he thinks he still needs to strengthen the squad, and he may yet use these games as an opportunity to look at a few more trialists. A number of players failed to impress on Saturday, including Adam Boyd - a player that surely needs to make a breakthrough soon if he's to fulfil his promise of a couple of years back.

One thing that a lot of people seem to be saying following the match is that our need for a new Keeper is now pressing. Jim Provett didn't impress too many people, especially after the third goal went in, and it seems unlikely that he will be seriosly pressurising Taff for his place. As I've said on the Message Board recently, I think Taff plays best when he knows he's fighting for his place - and even if it's just to provide him with competition and cover we need to have another capable keeper on our books.

Meanwhile some of our young players continue tomake a name for themselves. Sweeney, Istead and Robson all looked good against Wednesday, and our Youth Team then beat Celtic 2-1 in the u19 Final of the Sage Soccer Festival in Durham yesterday (Sunday). They had previously beaten Scunthorpe and Derby County on their way to the final. After their exploits last season, when they won their section of the Youth Alliance, it's looking like the Pools youngsters intend to carry on in the same vein this year.