By Albatross
October 30 2003

It wasn't a great month for Hartlepool United, but we're still well into the top 10 in Division 2 and that's no mean feat. It's time for the end-of-month report for October, but who will get Manager of the Month? Looks like a two horse race... It's not been such a great month for Pools in October, with no less than 12 clubs scoring more points than us. 6 points from 5 games, just one defeat, but too many draws have cost us a chance of being right at the top of the division. Our only win of the month was the away game at Chesterfield, and Neale Cooper will be looking for improvement in both results and performances in the coming month.

There are two contenders for Manager of the Month. Plymouth and Barnsley have both taken 13 points from 15, storming to the top two places in the division. Paul Sturrock looks the more likely to get the award as his Plymouth side have averaged three goals a match, recording impressive wins over Tranmere (6-0), at Port Vale (5-1) and also at Hillsborough (3-1). Barnsley recorded more modest wins, and included victories over some of the struggling sides in Peterborough and Wycombe - but Gudjon Thordarson is still exceeding most expectations with the Yorkshire club.

The only other side unbeaten during the month was Bournemouth, who have also vaulted into the top 4 after three wins and two draws, but things are still very tight at the top. Plymouth have 30 points from 16 games, there are four teams three points or less away, and six points covers the entire top 10. Brentford in 17th are just ten points behind the leaders - and a good run for pretty much any side from there upwards could see them in the promotion places.

It's not been such a good month for the sides that were at the top of the table last month. Every team that was in the top 7 on 30th September has fallen at least one place, and only one of them - Colchester - was in the top half of the form table for October. Swindon's plummet has been the most spectacular, dropping from 5th to 14th during a month that saw them finish with the worst record in the division - just two points from five games. Former leaders Port Vale were only marginally better, taking four points from 15 and dropping back to 5th, and it's looking suspiciously like their bubble may have burst. Brighton seem to have suffered from the managerial turmoil following Coppell's departure to take on Reading, and it may be that with Mark McGhee at the helm they will settle down again.

Coppell was in fact the only managerial departure of the month. The three sackings so far all happened in September - with Mathias leaving Tranmere and Sanchez departing from Wycombe right at the end of the month. A few others will be looking nervously at the table though, not least of them being Danny Wilson. After being tipped by many (including me!) to be at the top of the table, and spending some serious cash, 11th place for Bristol City is a big disappointment. Steve McMahon may be one of the longest-serving managers in the league right now, but their win over Pools was pretty much the only bright spot for Blackpool this month, and improvement is needed. Other managers are less in trouble only because their teams were expected to struggle, with Roy McFarland at Chesterfield and Billy Dearden at Notts County firmly in this category, while Barry Fry's recent purchase of Peterborough makes him possibly the most secure manager in the league - despite currently occupying a relegation place and failing to chalk up a league win in October.

The big thing I see is that Division 2 is possibly the most tightly contested division we've seen for some time. No one team has currently put together enough good form to start pulling away at the top; other than Chesterfield, no team looks like being set adrift at the bottom either. Any team in the top 15 knows that a few good results will have them right in the mix - and that of course goes for Pools as much as anyone. It's that magic word - consistency - that's the problem; and if one of the teams near the top can show it over the next month we may finally start to have some idea of who's going where. Could it be Hartlepool United? Here's hoping....