By Albatross
December 1 2003

Hartlepool United didn't have a bad month in November, winning all three home games, but Neale Cooper was never in the running for the Manager of the Month thanks to our away form. It's still tight in Division 2, even at the halfway stage as Pools Online looks at the state of play. There was no surprise as far as Manager of the Month was concerned - QPR's Ian Holloway has taken the award after a November that saw QPR record 13 points from 5 games, concede just two and score 10. The only real blot on their copybook was a Cup defeat at the hands of Grimsby, but as the award is on League results alone, Holloway's table-toppers still took the award.

As far as Pools were concerned, our four league games saw us win the two home games but lose both away fixtures - the 11th best record in the division suggesting that it's more likely to be mid-table safety we're looking at than being in the thick of it at either end come the end of the season. It's a tough month ahead though, with visits to QPR and Oldham, and home games against Colchester and Barnsley - anything more than 6 points will be a bonus.

If this month's results show anything, it's that consistency is not a word in the dictionary at many clubs. Other than our next league opponents, only Blackpool recorded more than two wins (although most teams played four games admittedly), with 12 from 5 to move them up to 11th come month end. No less than 11 teams won between 6 and 8 points, meaning that the division has been quite volatile with a win being enough to move up several places for many teams. QPR and Plymouth have pulled away slightly, but just nine points separate Brighton in third and Tranmere in 18th. Pools are in 5th, but only by virtue of goal difference with three other teams on the same number of points.

For most teams then it's been an OK month, although Peterborough and Tranmere are probably happier with their tally of 7 points than Plymouth and Brighton. However, there are always exceptions at both ends, and at the wrong end of the form table this month are three teams that failed to pick up a single victory. Oldham drew two of their games and are in danger of being sucked back into the relegation mire, Wycombe picked up a solitary draw despite a fine Cup win over Swindon and the arrival of Tony Adams, but avoided being the worst team in the division for November on Goal Difference. Sheffield Wednesday pick up the wooden spoon, one point from four games and a goal difference of -6 causing them to plummet down to 17th. In fact this is the second bad month in a row for Chris Turner's team, who have now failed to win their last eight in the league. All is not lost - a good run could have them surging up the table with things so close - but with their forwards malfunctioning, a midfield injury crisis, and the team seemingly having to let their leading striker (Kuqi) leave on a free to ease their financial troubles, the confidence to put that run together seems to be in short supply.

With the season approaching the half way mark, you would expect teams to know what they are likely to be playing for; however, it's so tight that even Oldham in 19th place could harbour playoff hopes with a good run. QPR and Plymouth look set to be battling for automatic promotion, but any team in the top half will feel that a good run could see them up there. At the bottom, Wycombe and Chesterfield are already looking doomed, the gap to safety already being eight and seven points respectively; however beyond that things are tightening up, with Notts County just a point behind Peterborough and Stockport, who in turn might see mid-table as a possibility if they have a good month in December!

November has though seen a remarkable lack of activity on the Managerial front. No-one got sacked, and the only change in the hotseat has been Adams' arrival at Wycombe and the departure of caretaker John Gorman at his own behest. This may well be in part due to the closeness of the division, and also the fact that of the teams struggling some have already changed managers while others (such as Chesterfield, Notts County and Oldham) are known to be under crippling financial restraints. Possibly the most under pressure are those in charge of the teams considered to be under-performing - Danny Wilson at Bristol City, Paul Groves at Grimsby, and Turner at Wednesday. Will one of them be walking the plank before Christmas?

Meanwhile, seasonal wishes to our former rivals Darlington, who showed plenty of Christmas Spirit a month early by giving various gifts to their opponents and receiving a number of cards. In fact, with four red cards, they had more sendings off during the month than they scored goals or won points, and with no less than 16 yellows to add to that collection it must look lovely above the mantlepiece at the Reynolds Arena. Whether the FA will be so impressed, given the Loids disciplinary record that now stands at 8 red and 41 yellow cards by the end of November remains to be seen.