KH - action needed

By Clarence Rode
April 8 2009

Hartlepool’s League One future is not settled yet, and knowing them it won’t be settled until the last game of the season at Bristol Rovers on May 5. But whether they survive or make the big drop into League Two, a lot of work needs to be done this summer to get the club back on the right tracks from a playing point of view.

This has not been a good season on the pitch, with inconsistent performance causing headaches for two managers, Danny Wilson and Chris Turner. 
We can go into the details of why this has happened, with injuries, suspensions, bad luck, bad tactics and selections and bad decisions by officials all factors. But they will all add up to one simple fact – the squad that began this season, with only three new players added to last season’s squad, was not good enough.
Only Richie Jones (left) of the newcomers has played regularly, and while he hasn’t had a bad season, a club which fails to improve its squad significantly after one inconsistent season in 2007-09 is hardly going to do well in 2008-09.
In fact, an apparent lack of ambition – or lack of funds – last summer is to blame for what has happened this season.
Was the manager to blame or was it the leader of the pack, Ken Hodcroft?
Whoever was at fault, the secret after a major cock-up of that nature is to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Pools aren’t rolling in money, but they aren’t struggling as badly as some. It’s unlikely that they are one of the estimated dozen clubs who are near to following the likes of Darlington and going into administration between now and the beginning of next season.
If KH presides over another summer of inactivity, Pools will have another poor season next time as well, even allowing for James Brown (right)returning from injury.
For a start Joel Porter looks as if he is off home to Oz, and how do you replace a striker who has passed 20 goals in a season hampered by injury and poor team performances?
A fit Brown could match that goals output, but he needs somebody alongside him.
But attack isn’t the only area in need of strengthening – midfield needs at least two new players, the defence needs at least three.
Basically, not doing enough last summer mean that the behind-the-scenes work needed this summer is huge.
And it would help if, when next season starts, midfield players capable of scoring ten or 12 goals a season (Sweeney) are NOT played at full-back and midfield players whose first instict is to turn and go backwards (Liddle) ARE played at full-back.
Over to you, Pools.