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With the transfer window closing in five days I have these thoughts:
1 Could Pearce,arguably our best defender, be kept out of the team because he's about to leave?
2 Why does Hawley, who was at the match, not have a squad number according to yesterday's programme and neither does his picture appear on the players' sponsorship pages. Is he off too?

Pearce cannot get a game currently as (before yesterday) we have kept 3 clean sheets in a row. Hard to drop a defender with this in mind.

Hawley clearly is not a player Hargreaves wants but offloading him seems to be proving more difficult than he thought. Last I heard a long term loan was being lined up but it seems this has fallen through on what percentage of wages are still to be paid by TUFC. I am under the impression he is on a fair whack of wedge (which makes the situation even more frustrating).

I was thinking that Pearce might be off, but can't see why he wouldn't play really it's not like he would be cup tied should he have moved on, unless he is on his way and we're worried about getting him injured before he goes? Hope he stays.

As for Hawley, who knows? I thought we were trying to off load him, Nuneaton was it?, but they wanted us to pay some of his wages..?

I spoke to Hawley at the end of the match yesterday and he confirmed he was fit to play.

No interaction with Benyon, Thompson and others so I reckon Chris is determined to offload him.

I suspect he is the type of character who is negative and in truth has never fitted in at Plainmoor. Strange because the vast majority of players

who come to our club do fit in and love the atmosphere. CH has definitely got the squad playing for him and in my opinion his man management skills are one of his strengths.

Interesting, I noticed they were all sat in front of me too and Hawley definitely seems to have this "I'm above this" look on his face as he looks around and talks to people etc. Maybe it's the beard (which has resurfaced). Shame because I wanted him to do well for us - I thought not giving him a squad number at all or having him in the team picture was quite petty though, on the surface at least.

I wouldn't sub Pearce in, despite being an excellent player Downes and MacDonald are working well and getting the best out of each other. Would be foolish to change that at this point.

Pearce was injured at the start, prompting Downes and MacDonald to start, and having played well, it's unfair to drop them. Hawley isn't in CH's plans, and I'm taking a guess, but I would imagine he's being made to train alone, making it hard for him here, making him want to leave.