By Albatross
September 9 2005

So Blackpool help me out? Hartlepool United travel to Bloomfield Road on the crest of a slump, and with injury keeping out a number of players. Rain in the uncovered temporary stand may not be the only thing to dampen our spirits. Our opponents got off to a poor start, but they have since shown signs of recovery. A home defeat to Chesterfield and draws at Tranmere and Yeovil and at home with Swindon left them with three points from four games - and worse was to follow with a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Rotherham. Since then though they have recorded two 1-0 wins, at home to Bradford and away at Doncster. Currently they sit in 13th position. they are also into the second round of the Carling Cup though, having overcome Hull.

Goals have been at something of a premium, with just six scored in League action so far. The only player to have scored more than one is John Murphy with two; and other than the cup win they have only scored more than once in one game, the 2-2 draw at Tranmere that saw Scott Vernon grab his only goal of the season. Vernon is likely to start, instead of Murphy, as he has for a couple of games; Colin Hendry may well decide not to change a winning side, meaning the former Oldham striker would partner Keigan Parker.

Pools meanwhile face something of a quandry with new injury worries this week reducing Martin Scott's options. Boyd and Robson are both missing, and in the case of Boyd in particular Scott has got the fans backs up; although he didn't name him, it was widely believed Scott's comments about players needing to play through injuries was aimed at last season's leading scorer. Whether or not Scott's tardiness in substituting Boyd was a factor, the news that he needs an operation means Scott's words seem to have backfired on him.

Given he took no part in the reserve team game in midweek I'm expecting Mark Tinkler to be at least on the bench and possibly in the side, hopefully adding some much-needed control in the middle. Neill Collins will probably return alongside Nelson following his u21 exploits; however the problem in defence is the left back position. No Robertson; no Robson - don't be surprised to see Humphreys reprising his early-season role there, with the only other options seeming to be Brackstone, the predominantly attacking Llewellyn, or asking someone like the right-footed Ben Clark to play there. On the flanks we still have a problem in terms of the right wing; will it be Humphreys, will it be Eifion Williams, Chris Llewellyn or a switch across for Butler to allow Llewellyn in on the left flank? Up front Proctor looks a certainty to start, but will it be Daly alongside him? Llewellyn? Eifion? We just don't know.

The problem is, Pools are going into this game knowing that the pressure is already growing on them: meanwhile our opponents have had a confidence boost in the last couple of games, and the Pools side - already seeming to be struggling for shape and direction - is being more disrupted by the week. In some ways there seem to be parallels with England's performance against Northern Ireland and HUFC at the moment: we've got quality players, but they're not being used in the best way, while other sides that maybe on paper have less talent are getting it together, playing a defined system where they all know their jobs, and showing that there's a lot to be said for hard graft and organisation.

I have to admit that I'll be heading to Bloomfield Road with hope and confidence running at a low ebb. Pools have yet to perform at anything like their best; the team seems to be in disarray; and we're missing both of our most dangerous attacking players from last year in Boyd and Porter. Last season we talked about the performance at Oldham being "this season's Blackpool"; there's every chance that Blackpool could become "this season's Oldham". Pools need to recapture some of the form, organisation and determination of last season if we are to earn a result. I'm afraid I can see a defeat on the cards, albeit not a heavy one: 1-0 to the home side, and a lot of unhappy and wet Poolies.