Last season Hartlepool completed their version of the “Great Escape”. With only a game to spare Hartlepool secured their League Two status. At one point the club were rock bottom of the Football League and 10 points adrift but somehow they survived and are now hoping a turn in fortunes awaits during the coming season.
Hartlepool United: Pre-Season And The Season Ahead
Manager Ronnie Moore has wasted little time in attempting to improve the squad. So far 10 new players have signed and there is a prospect of more new faces being added as Moore wants to increase the pressure on the existing squad. These signings are largely thanks to new chairman Gary Coxall and new owners JPNG. The chairman has also stated that he wishes to purchase Hartlepool’s ground, Victoria Park, which is currently owned by the town council. Coxall said “We will sit down with the council about making some sort of plans to purchase the ground, so the club owns the ground. We have had various meetings, informal chats about our plans. We have got a common goal, to protect the football club and protect it at Victoria Park”.
Pre-season started well, along with the new signings Hartlepool secured three wins and a draw during their first four friendlies. They also scored an impressive 14 goals albeit against non-league opposition. However poor defeats at home to League One side Scunthorpe United by four goals, and away last Saturday at Vanarama National League (formally Conference Premier League) Gateshead 5-3. After the Gateshead game Moore issued a warning to his players, “There will be no days off. I am looking for a massive improvement this week”.
Despite this indifferent pre-season, Ronnie Moore has no plans to change from the 3-5-2 formation that he has used throughout. This formation was also used to help secure their league status. “We played 4-4-2 last year and couldn’t cope with it. Teams were over-running us in midfield and then we went 3-5-2 and did really well”. Amongst the new signings are wing-backs Jack Carroll and Carl Magnay, former Chelsea youth player, central defender Harry Worley and ex Sunderland goalkeeper Trevor Carson. Time therefore, which Hartlepool have little, may be required for the defensive unit to gel.
Hartlepool have two more friendlies (Dunston on 29th July and Chesterfield on 1st August) to get things right on the pitch and be prepared for the start of the season. They open the season with a home game against Morecambe. This is then followed by a derby against York City. The club and their fans will be mindful that a consistent start to the season will be key. Home form will also be vital but an improvement on last seasons 7 wins from 23 home league games must be improved upon. A home win in their first game of the season against perennial mid-table side Morecambe will help keep any nervous thoughts of a repeat of last season at bay, for a short while at least.
Whatever happens, Hartlepool’s long suffering supporters will just be hoping for a less stressful season this time round. The manager that masterminded the great escape last season is still in charge, many new signings have been made to improve the squad, and new owners and a new chairman is in place. Their fans therefore will hopefully be quietly optimistic that another season like last one is not on the cards, however you couldn’t blame them one bit if in the back of their minds doubts lingered.
