Hi everyone and welcome back to the north of England and to Hartlepool United who were fighting for survival in their first ever season in the Premier League. After the first 13 games had been played I was in 15th place just two points away from the dreaded bottom three. Let’s see how the season has progressed into March.
December Results
With 5 games in total in December I would need to get the selection policy in the starting eleven just right as I have a very small squad and I am looking to strengthen in January. The month started off well with a convincing win against West Ham in which N’Diaye smashed the ball in from 25 yards into the top corner. That was as good as the month got and we then went on a run of not winning for the rest of December. We managed to score quite a few goals but also conceded too many and that was what cost us.
January Results
A busy December took us into a very busy January with no less than 7 games to play. It was an important month and it would be an indication of where I was going to finish by the end of the season. Like the previous month it started off well as we progressed in the FA Cup after a 1-0 win against Burnley. We then managed to travel to the Emirates and pick up a point against Arsenal once again we weren’t able to sustain the form for the whole month and only managed to score 3 goals in 5 games. The one positive aspect from this month was that I was able to bring in two fresh faces in the form of David Dunn from Blackburn who would add experience and an extra face to Hartlepool along with goalkeeper Scott Loach signed from just over £1million from Watford as I haven’t been that impressed by Oblak so far this season.
February Results
The final month of part 2 saw much better performances from my Hartlepool side and even though we only managed to pick up 4 points from a possible 12 and were knocked out of the FA Cup by my beloved Newcastle (I obviously let them win) I was happy with the way things went. The form of N’Diaye was turning a few heads and I was starting to get some interest from a player who I have just signed for £500k back in the summer.
Performance of Part 2
V Nottm Forest
Two goals from N’Diaye and one from teenage prodigy Lee Foyle was enough to see off bottom side Nottm Forest in what was a very exciting game. It was a massive win and that’s the reason it wins performance of part 2. It was also the winner as there wasn’t really many competitors for the title which shows the way in which the last few months have gone.
Table
The table didn’t make very pleasant reading as I had dropped 3 places into 18th. Luckily for me though is I still have time left to chance this and I have a lot of the teams around me still to face for the second time this season. It was going to be tight and I was just hoping for a change in form and it will certainly be an exciting end to the season.
Thanks for reading
Warren
Darren Smith
29 января, 2011 at 16:52
Hey Warren, you have taken Hartlepool so far and a tough season was due really. I still think you’ll avoid relegation and hopefully stay in the Premiership. N’Diaye will be vital and Gardner needs to help out more from corners like in the Nottm’ Forest game. Good luck mate.
warren
30 января, 2011 at 11:54
Hi Darren
I guess it was and you dont always have successful seasons. I think we will and the games against Leicester and West Ham etc will be huge in deciding what division I will be playing in next season.
N’Diaye has undoutbly been the signing of the season and he is vital to our survival this season. HIs goals are a massive bonus as they are coming from a position had isn’t that prolific.
Laxeyman
29 января, 2011 at 17:11
Hi Warren, I’ve never read about a relegation battle before, so your story is very interesting. Every game is important from now on, and I reckon you can avoid relegation, but it’s going be to a scrap. Hopefully N’Diaye can keep banging them in, good luck!
warren
30 января, 2011 at 12:03
Hi Laxeyman
It should be very interesting and one I hope will have a happy ending. I agree every match is important whether or not we think we can take points off a side.
kevin
29 января, 2011 at 18:05
Hi Warren
You’ve got a real fight on your hands to avoid relegation so lets hope you can leap frog over West Brom and Leicester. Godd luck mate!!
warren
30 января, 2011 at 12:09
HI Kevin
Im nervous for the end of the season but yet really excited. The aim was to stay in this league and hopefully I can achieve this by the time the last game of the season has finished.
Birdy
29 января, 2011 at 21:34
Hey warren
You have got a massive fight on your hand with relegation battle. Like Kevin lets hope you can leapfrog over West Brom and the others and stay in the Premier League.
Good luck mate
warren
30 января, 2011 at 16:58
Hi Birdy
I really hope that we can continue the good work we have been doing over the past few seasons and stay in the premier league so that we can build for the future.
CsAtlantis
30 января, 2011 at 01:19
Hi Warren
How are your last 10 fixtures looking like? Leicester and West Brom would seem to be the sides you can aim for to overtake and secure your position in the Premier League
If they can blend in Dunn and Loach should be able to give some more stability to your squad (Dunn’s a pretty good free kick taker i think, but he does get injured quite often, Loach is a keeper with good potential)
warren
30 января, 2011 at 17:03
Hi CsAtlantis
The final ten games arent that bad if I am honest and if I get the wins from the games I feel I should win then I will have no problem staying in this league.
Dunn is only really here on a 6 month basis as I feel that he wont be good enough if I want to progress the quailty of my squad. Loach I think will be a good signing and I am sure that he will have a bright future ahead of him here at Hartlepool
Johnny Karp
30 января, 2011 at 08:12
It will be a fierce relegation fight in the coming months, I wish you the best of luck!
warren
30 января, 2011 at 17:04
Hi Johnny
Yer it will be tight and I just hope that I am able to pick up enough points to stay in this league.
Sears
30 января, 2011 at 14:44
I’ve never read a story where someone has been directly involved so this is extremely interesting. Hopefully you can stay up, good luck :-)
warren
30 января, 2011 at 17:08
Hi Sears
The fact that everyone is excited to see me in a relegation fight and that they have never really come across this in a story that has been posted on the internet makes me feel that I am not performing well. Im sure I will just have enough to stay in this league but you will just have to wait and see.
Lye
31 января, 2011 at 01:45
Hi Warren,
Not the best of results but you have 10 more games to save your season. Hopefully the experience of David Dunn can calm things down and you can escape from relegation. Good luck.
warren
1 февраля, 2011 at 11:08
Hi Lye
Like you have said 10 games left thats 30 points still up for grabs from here till the end of the season. Dunn is a signing that will show his bags of premier league experience and it will rub off of the other players as well.
harrry
31 января, 2011 at 21:23
what is n’diaye and gardner first name’s so i can look them up for my team ?
warren
1 февраля, 2011 at 11:11
Its Craig Gardner who starts the game at Birmingham City and the other is Alfred N’Diaye who start the game at Paris St Germain in France.