Going Dutch Again

So we're off to Holland for our annual lesson in how to keep the ball. Two games in three days will be a useful leg stetcher, but more importantly it will allow the new manager, coach and player to settle in.

Colin Cooper has the most to benefit. He needs to get to know his new charges and he needs to stamp his authority on them.

He also needs to concentrate fully on Hartlepool United and to put his Boro past behind him - at least for the time being.

He won't find many, if any, Pools supporters who have much of an intrerest on affairs on the other side of the estuary, and we Poolies do have fears that we will become a nursery club for the Boro.

That might be useful in the short term - say if were  fighting relegation or going for promotion, but not long tewrm. We need to develop our own talent, play them and if they're good enough sell them.

Comments like this have more value for Steve Gibson than Ken Hodcroft: "We might be able offer some of their young players not quite good enough for Tony Mowbray’s team the chance to play some first-team football."

Of course, Cooper/Hignett's experience as coaches of up and coming talent will be very useful with much travelled Jack Compton the first.

By all acoounts he has the pace we were missing last season, and if someone encourages him  to get to the by-line now and then that would be a major improvement on last season's long diagonal balls aimed for Howard.