Join Robbie Stelling and Rich Mennear on the latest episode of the Poolie Podcast as they discuss the fallout from Hartlepool United’s 5-1 defeat against Rochdale and the latest regarding the ownership and takeover situation surrounding the club.
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00:30Hello and welcome to the latest Puddy Podcast. I'm just going to adjust my curtain there with myself, Richard Minna and Robbie Stelling from the Hartlepool Mail. Plenty to discuss. Robbie, following the, how would you describe it? Mauling, humiliation, really disappointing, heavy defeat at Rochdale on Saturday, final away game of the season, which of course saw hundreds of Pools fans donning their flat caps. Great effort from the Pools fans as ever.
00:58You couldn't say the same for the performance on the pitch, but we'll get to that shortly. Especially disappointed, I think, after the recent upbeat performances and certainly the Gateshead victory felt like a really positive step in the right direction.
01:12But it all came crashing down a little bit. Quite a lot at Rochdale on Saturday, so we'll dig into the bones of that shortly. We'll discuss Anthony Limbrick's current role, current position, his future, and then head into the latest takeover news as well, ahead of the final game of the season.
01:28Yeah, it was obviously incredibly disappointing, Rich. I think that goes without saying, as you alluded to there, it actually started off as a really positive week.
01:50Pools beat Gateshead, and although the scoreline was close, the game was not especially close. Pools were pretty comfortable, and it's obviously a good Gateshead side, albeit they've lost a number of their most important players in January and have had a really difficult run under former Pools captain Karl Magne.
02:07They are nonetheless still in the hunt for a playoff place, and Pools had nothing really left to play for.
02:14So perhaps Gateshead might have fancied their chances of returning to form.
02:19But Pools produced a strong performance, didn't they? And I think the hope was that we could then go into the remainder of the week with plenty of positivity.
02:29Pools had won four of their last six games. They were enjoying a strong end to the season.
02:34And that final away game of the season is always a really good day out.
02:38Pools do not tend to do particularly well on that final away game of the season.
02:43But given the effort that the fans make, it's always certainly a carnivore occasion.
02:48And of course, with it being Rochdale only two, two and a half hours away, it was a welcome change compared to some of the recent games.
02:55Fans obviously travelled to Dorking the year before, and that was a 12.30 kick-off.
03:00They've been in London loads of times.
03:02They travelled to Plymouth dressed as stormtroopers, I think, once incidentally.
03:06I think that was a 5-0 defeat as well.
03:08So Pools don't tend to do well.
03:11Look, I think you could forgive them for losing the game, to be honest, Rich.
03:15Rochdale are a very good side, one of the best sides I've seen this season.
03:20They obviously had far more to play for than Pools as well.
03:24I think that was significant.
03:26They needed to win to secure their place in the playoffs.
03:29And more than that as well, you obviously want to get in that top five as Pools fans.
03:33We know all about that, having been through it fairly recently, because that means you get a home quarter-final in the playoffs.
03:39And that can be hugely significant as well.
03:41So there was plenty to play for for Rochdale.
03:43And I think they would have started the game as pretty strong favourites, given the fact that Pools were stranded in mid-table and perhaps had one eye on the summer.
03:52And certainly at least one eye on the off-field situation, which, again, Anthony Lundberg might well have been hoping to speak about that impressive performance against Gateshead when he met with myself.
04:04And a number of the rest of the press on Thursday.
04:07But inevitably, after what went on on Wednesday, the interim board statement suggesting a takeover was highly unlikely to be completed before the end of the season.
04:16Obviously, that's when Raj Singh has vowed to stop his funding of the club.
04:20And then there was the whole debacle with the Hartnepal College and the youth set up as well, which probably didn't paint Pools in a particularly good light.
04:27So a lot of that positivity evaporated, actually, through no fault of Lundberg or the players.
04:32Nonetheless, it was the manner of the result and performance, I think, especially given the fact that there were 730 Pools fans.
04:42Yes, it's one of the closer games this season, but it's not exactly on the doorstep of Hartnepal, is it?
04:48It's still a good couple of hours.
04:50And of course, it's a significant commitment for fans, albeit the flat caps was a slightly toned down iteration of the fancy dress.
04:56Fans have still got to go out and plan their outfits, spend money on their outfits.
05:01And then, of course, there's the travel and tickets to consider.
05:04The fans were absolutely superb throughout, sang their hearts out from start to finish and stayed to applaud the players off, which was probably more than they deserved.
05:14Pools were lacking cohesion, lacking structure.
05:17They were lacking intensity.
05:19They struggled to get to grips with Rochdale's press.
05:22They didn't really seem to have much of an identity, which is something that Lundberg, I think, will be particularly frustrated with,
05:27having worked so hard to begin to instill an identity to a Pools side who have had to deal with a lot of changes in the dugout in recent years.
05:36Clearly, that hasn't helped.
05:38But Pools stuck to their task reasonably gamely in the first half, I felt, although they were second best all over the pitch.
05:45There were mistakes throughout.
05:47Adam Smith, I don't think, will be pleased with his role in the first goal when he sied down Lee and Ayinde leading to Devante Rodney's penalty.
05:55Or the third goal when the ball rebounded off his chest and into Ayinde's path when he looked favourite to win the initial challenge.
06:02But Smith certainly wasn't helped out by some pretty poor defending, albeit a relatively cobbled together back three.
06:08Nonetheless, a back three that impressed against Gateshead on Easter Monday.
06:12Pools were far too easy to play through in midfield, even though they had a man advantage for large parts of the afternoon.
06:18And in Nathan, Sharon, Jamie Mung and Nicky Featherstone, they have certainly two really experienced midfielders,
06:24one who is perhaps slightly more dynamic at all, who are capable of either reading the game or putting a challenge in.
06:29So the fact that they were so easy to play against was really, really frustrating.
06:34Manny Disserouet was hardly in the game at all.
06:36Joe Gray worked really hard, but had to plough a pretty frustrating loan, furrow and feed off scraps.
06:43So the fact that Pools were outplayed and outclassed, sometimes that's going to happen.
06:47You're going to have bad days at the office, particularly at this stage in the season when there's nothing really left on the line.
06:54But the fact that they were out for, I think, was the most disappointing thing, Rich, because we often talk about,
07:00I've said it as well a couple of times already, that Pools had nothing left to play for.
07:03But what about pride? The pride in the shirt, the pride for the supporters.
07:08730 fans, as I've said, who were really fantastic.
07:11And not just the 730 who made the trip to Rochdale, the more than 500 who made the trip to Halifax,
07:17the more than 200 who made the trip to Dagenham, the fans who have spent countless hours on the road, on the train,
07:25the fans who have spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of pounds to support their side this season.
07:31These are not fans who are used to seeing a lot of success.
07:35These are fans who have stuck with their team through thick and thin.
07:38It's been a really lean period.
07:39It's been a really difficult time to be a Hartmopol United fan over the last decade.
07:43So, obviously, with the one exception in 2021 and the half of the season that followed in 2022,
07:50the fans deserve enormous credit.
07:52But I think, unfortunately, they were let down by the players on Saturday.
07:56It's interesting, isn't it?
07:57Obviously, the season ended in terms of, you know, competitiveness for the playoffs
08:01and they were safe a few weeks back.
08:03But you would think with the takeoff situation still very much dangling over the club
08:08and a lot of the players are out of contract.
08:13And in the coming weeks that there is a huge amount of play for from the players themselves.
08:17You know what I mean?
08:18New prospective owners are obviously hopefully close and looking on and looking at everything
08:23from the head coach to the players, who they might want to keep next season,
08:25who they might want to go.
08:26So, yeah, really disappointing results, especially, as you say, with the fanciness off the pitch as well.
08:32So, we'll move on swiftly from that.
08:35I don't think there's much more else to say about the Rotterdam defeat.
08:37Just on Anthony Lindbergh himself then, he's handled himself very well.
08:46He's, I think, as you said a few times, won on quite a few of the Pools fans after certainly a tricky start.
08:52The Gateshead game, obviously, were both at last week was a lot of positives from that.
08:57And I think fans would have been quietly encouraged from that.
09:02But Saturday would have certainly dented his hopes of, you know, I don't know, remaining in the club a longer term.
09:08How do you see things currently?
09:09Obviously, the takeover issue is a big thing as well in terms of the head coach position.
09:14Yeah, and look, I've said it loads of times.
09:17I'm a big fan of Anthony Lindbergh.
09:20I think it's difficult to overstate how challenging the job he's inherited has been.
09:26I mean, it would have been difficult if the off-field situation had been slightly more stable
09:31because he was under an immense amount of pressure.
09:33He was given the job at a time when I imagine not even he really expected it.
09:37I think we were all surprised when Lenny Lawrence made the decision to step down when he did.
09:42We've spoken before here about the fact that we both probably felt that the plan was that Lenny wouldn't lead the team
09:48until the end of the season and then Lindbergh would perhaps take charge in the summer
09:52when he had a bit more time to get his feet under the table.
09:55But he was thrust right into the hot seat.
09:59Again, I think there's a slight misconception that Pools were flying at the time that Lindbergh replaced Lenny Lawrence.
10:04That wasn't true.
10:05Pools hadn't won for four games prior to the change in the dugout.
10:08I think that was perhaps one of the reasons Lenny decided that he was going to step down in favour of Lindbergh.
10:14They obviously had a couple of high-profile injuries as well.
10:16Mancini, who was just getting back to his best.
10:18Joe Gray, who had been really influential in the weeks leading up to Christmas
10:22and that impressive win over Oldham on New Year's Day.
10:25And of course, he can't have foreseen, although Pools as a club are no stranger to off-field turmoil,
10:31he can't have foreseen that Raj Singh was going to suddenly and unexpectedly announce his resignation.
10:37And not only that, that he was going to set a timeline on the takeover of the club,
10:42varying to Pools funding at the end of the season.
10:45That's meant that inevitably a lot of the thoughts, a lot of the talk,
10:50a lot of the conversations have been directed towards off-the-field issues.
10:53He's had to fend off a lot of questions about those off-field issues,
10:57when, to be honest, he's not the man that should be doing it.
11:00The interim board, I appreciate, have tried to communicate wherever possible.
11:04I completely understand that their hands are tied to an extent.
11:07I completely understand also that it's a difficult, stressful and uncertain time
11:10for everyone connected at the club.
11:12No one has a crystal ball and can see what the future's going to be.
11:17It's very difficult to know whether it's going to be positive,
11:20whether it's going to be negative, what sort of change we're going to get at all.
11:23Pools and Limbrick has had to navigate a really difficult situation,
11:27and I think he's navigated it as well as could possibly be expected.
11:33Pools did start to win games.
11:35Obviously, the defeat on Saturday is going to be a black mark against his name.
11:40We saw a slightly similar situation with Kevin Phillips, didn't we?
11:44He actually made a positive impact,
11:46and that 7-1 defeat against Gateshead in March
11:49was the one really significant black mark against his name.
11:53But I think most fans could see what he was trying to do.
11:55They could probably appreciate that there were more positives than negatives.
12:00I imagine that the feeling, although it probably wasn't the case
12:03when Pools had that miserable run of eight matches without a win,
12:06I imagine the feeling now is similar towards Anthony Limbrick.
12:09He's certainly likeable.
12:12He's certainly charismatic.
12:13And I think that does count for something.
12:15He's warmed.
12:16His heartable fans, rather, have certainly warmed to him,
12:20thanks to his approach.
12:21He's very sincere.
12:22He's pretty level-headed, but he's really passionate and enthusiastic as well.
12:26I think he's bought into what it means to be a Hartlepool United manager,
12:30and I think fans have responded to that.
12:32There have been some improvements on the pitch.
12:35Pools have had a number of injuries.
12:36Certainly on Saturday, they weren't helped by the absence of Billy Sass Davies,
12:39who's been really impressive.
12:41They utilised Louis Stevenson as sort of a stopgap right centre-half.
12:46It didn't really work.
12:47In truth, he was replaced at half-time.
12:50Jack Hunter, another player not familiar in the role, had to come in and fill in.
12:54So there certainly have been a number of challenges.
12:57Just to go back to the Kevin Phillips comparison,
13:00I think a lot of fans were surprised when Pools decided not to stick with Kevin Phillips.
13:04And on reflection, I think that that was quite clearly a mistake.
13:07Darren Sarr's tumultuous tenure was probably one of the most challenging,
13:10controversial, contentious managerial periods in recent history.
13:17I think although Limbrick, like Kevin Phillips, is not perfect.
13:20They're both still relatively inexperienced and young managers.
13:24They're still learning their trade.
13:26I think that they both probably have shown that they deserve to be stuck with.
13:32Obviously, Pools cannot rewind time and go back to Kevin Phillips.
13:35He's obviously had a difficult spell at Fylde as well,
13:38probably hasn't done himself any good.
13:40But for so long, Pools have been characterised by a higher and higher culture in the dugout.
13:45And that's made things really difficult for the players.
13:48We spoke to Manny Disruwe a few weeks ago.
13:50He said that this season has felt like three different seasons,
13:53given the managerial changes.
13:55Nicky Featherstone as well, who's pretty much seen everything there is to see
13:58in more than a decade at Hartnepoel United,
14:01admitted last week that the changes in the dugout have made things challenging.
14:05Stability is so important.
14:07Look at the sides who have achieved success in the National League this season.
14:11They operate on a far more stable footing.
14:14Dean Brennan, manager of Barnett, who have just won the title,
14:18he's been manager there for three or four years.
14:22York, Adam Hinchewood, has been manager there for 18 months.
14:25Again, it might not seem like a massive amount of time,
14:28but Pools have had four managers since York appointed Hinchewood.
14:31Phillips, Saar Lawrence and Lindbergh.
14:34A number of the other teams, Gates said, OK, they've lost a couple of managers recently,
14:38but they operate on a stable footing.
14:40You can see what they're trying to do.
14:41They tend to recruit from within.
14:44Halifax, Chris Millington, he was Pete Wilde's assistant prior to his appointment.
14:48All of these teams operate on a far more stable basis.
14:51Look, Lindbergh has made some mistakes,
14:53and Saturday clearly will not have done his case any favours.
14:57But nonetheless, I still believe he is the right man.
15:00He's inherited a really challenging situation in a squad that is not his own.
15:04I think he's done enough to deserve a chance.
15:07I think he's done enough to deserve a summer to recruit his own players,
15:11further imprint his own stamp on the side.
15:14Of course, it doesn't matter who's in the dugout, Rich, to be honest,
15:18if Pools cannot get this takeover sorted,
15:20because they're going to need to be able to have at least some time this summer
15:24to plan for next season, because at the moment they're obviously running the risk
15:27of potentially losing a number of high-profile players,
15:31or even worse, if things don't work out,
15:33slipping into administration and teetering on the edge of footballing oblivion,
15:37and that obviously can't be allowed to happen.
15:40Yeah, just on the...
15:42Well, actually, before we get the takeover front,
15:44just in terms of the National League next season,
15:46obviously Truro won promotion with John Askey,
15:49so he'll be heading back to the North East next season.
15:51It's a long, old trip, I think, in eight-hour drive.
15:52Yeah, Carlisle obviously came down, along with Morecambe as well,
15:56so Carlisle have, I think, significant backing and funding,
15:59it's fair to stay behind them,
16:00so they'll be a big fish next year,
16:03in terms of their squad rebound this summer.
16:06But yeah, just moving on to the takeover situation then,
16:09obviously, when Raj Singh announced he was stepping down as chairman
16:12and looking to sell the club,
16:15the end date in terms of his funding was the end of the season,
16:18which is obviously a week today,
16:19the bank holding Monday game against Forest Green Rovers,
16:22and obviously a lot has happened in those six or seven weeks,
16:26but, you know, there still isn't a deal signed, sealed and delivered.
16:30So I think the club issued a statement last week,
16:33just basically saying that it's highly unlikely
16:35it's going to be before the end of the season,
16:36so we'll wait and see whether it's this week or not.
16:39But fans are desperate for some positive news.
16:42Robbie, how do you see things currently?
16:43And yeah, it's a huge couple of weeks for the club.
16:49Yeah, it certainly is, Rich.
16:50I mean, it can be hard to see the wood from the trees at times.
16:54These last six weeks, as you've said, so much has gone on.
16:58Sometimes it feels really positive.
17:00Sometimes it feels less positive.
17:03Look, it's certainly a daunting period.
17:05I mean, the one thing I would say is that Raj Singh can't be the owner
17:09of this football club forever.
17:10There was always going to be a time when this club was going to have to change hands.
17:14Inevitably, that brings with it a period of uncertainty
17:17and a purely footballing perspective.
17:19I think Singh has probably taken the club as far as he can.
17:22There have been some good times.
17:25There have been some less good times as well.
17:26I think importantly, though, the division between the fans and the ownership
17:30is so wide.
17:32I'm not sure that that rift can necessarily be healed.
17:35And we've spoken time and again about the significance of the fans.
17:38When Pools do have success, the fans play a really big role.
17:43I was speaking to Gavin Skelton before the game on Saturday,
17:47and we were reflecting on when Pools' last return to the Football League.
17:50A lot of fans will remember when they played Karlan at the time Skelton
17:53was assistant manager back in August.
17:56There were times then when the atmosphere was so red hot,
17:59it almost felt impossible for Pools to lose their home games.
18:02The backing was so impressive.
18:05And that has been lost to an extent.
18:07Look, fans have stuck by their side really well.
18:10They've travelled in their numbers.
18:11Obviously, Saturday's game was a really impressive turnout
18:15and a brilliant effort from the fans who really did stick by their side
18:19despite a pretty abject display.
18:22But I think it's important that the fans, the town and the club
18:27are more united than they have been.
18:31It's very difficult to see Pools progressing in the current guise.
18:35Look, the ideal situation, the ideal scenario clearly would have been
18:38that a takeover deal is completed before the end of the season.
18:42Obviously, that would have secured the club's future.
18:44It would have been a much-needed morale boost,
18:47and it could have been significant for a number of other reasons as well.
18:49Of course, inevitably, as you said, a number of the players
18:52who are out of contract this season could certainly be forgiven
18:55for looking around and at least beginning to explore
18:58what other options there might be
19:00because it's easy to forget that these players have livelihoods
19:04to take care of.
19:05Football, especially at this level, is a very uncertain business.
19:08You're unlikely to get more than a one- or two-year contract.
19:12So you want to make sure that you can secure yours
19:14and your own family's futures.
19:15A number of these players have young families.
19:17Nathan Sharon, obviously, his wife, Charlotte,
19:20just gave birth to their second child only last month.
19:24So it's certainly going to be significant.
19:27The next couple of weeks are going to be significant
19:29in terms of what sort of state the squad,
19:32this season's squad, is going to be left in.
19:34Look, first and foremost, the first priority is making sure
19:36Hartlepool United still exists next season.
19:42But I think what fans want is they want to have a club
19:44that is capable of thriving, not just surviving.
19:47The last couple of years since relegation back to the National League,
19:49I think it's felt a bit like pools are going through the motions.
19:52And at times there have been supporters of long, long standing
19:55who have stayed away on principle
19:57because they feel that Raj Singh is lacking the ambition,
20:00lacking the clarity, lacking the vision
20:02to help pools return to the football league.
20:05And Hartlepool United is a football league club.
20:08I'm not sure it always operates like a football league club
20:10at the minute.
20:11But when you look at the fans, when you look at the history,
20:14Hartlepool is clearly a football league club.
20:16The challenge that they have is that there are a number
20:17of other clubs at this level that will feel exactly the same.
20:20I mean, look at this year's playoffs.
20:22You've got the likes of York and Oldham gunning for promotion.
20:25Those are both former football league clubs,
20:27proud former football league clubs in similar positions to pools.
20:32Look, the statement seemed to suggest to me
20:36that there are still talks ongoing.
20:38That's obviously a positive thing.
20:40I still believe that Singh is pretty sincere
20:42in his desire to part company with the club.
20:47But obviously, the sooner things can happen,
20:50the sooner things can get sorted, the better.
20:52Because if pools are to thrive and not only survive,
20:55then they're going to need to have a lot of the summer,
20:58a significant amount of the summer to plan.
20:59There are some big decisions to be made over the future,
21:03which is of the staff, both playing and non-playing.
21:06And of course, recruitment is so significant at any level.
21:09But sometimes, especially at this level,
21:13and if things are allowed to drag on for much longer,
21:15then pools risk not only losing a number of their players from this season.
21:18And I think most people would still agree,
21:20despite Saturday's performance,
21:21they have the core of a competitive squad that if they can add to,
21:24they could have a reasonable hope of challenging next season.
21:28But also in terms of signing players,
21:30I'm sure pools wouldn't like to have a list of targets drawn up
21:33and try and get some of their business done early on.
21:35How often do we have that conversation that we're frustrated pools take too long
21:39to get going with their business?
21:40Well, it looks like that's going to be similar this season.
21:43As I say, the first priority is securing the future of the club.
21:47And it's important that it gets done as quickly as possible.
21:51Obviously, there are a number of challenges,
21:54a number of things to overcome when negotiating a deal.
21:57I imagine it is a time-consuming and difficult process.
22:01But of course, Raj Singh completed his takeover of the club
22:04in about three weeks,
22:05albeit things were perhaps slightly more pressing
22:07given the incredibly precarious financial situation.
22:10But there is a bit of a feeling, I think, now, Rich,
22:12that things are starting to drag on.
22:15So let's hope it gets done sooner rather than later
22:17for all sorts of reasons.
22:18I remain cautiously optimistic.
22:20I can certainly understand why fans feel as though
22:24it's a really daunting time.
22:26And the sooner it gets done,
22:27the better for absolutely everyone involved with Hartlepool United.
22:30Yeah, for sure.
22:32It's set to be a very interesting week or two on that front.
22:38We'll keep you across everything online
22:40and in Hartlepool Mail out every Thursday.
22:42Just a couple of bits on the play in front.
22:45Obviously, Mancini, I think Anthony and Ricky had spoke about
22:47again prior to the Rochdale trip.
22:49Is he one of the players you'd expect to see
22:51at the pick next season or not?
22:54And just in terms of, you know, this time of year,
22:58a lot of, we talk about recruitment,
22:59but it is around kind of April, May time
23:01that a lot of recruitment is done ahead of the new season.
23:04So whilst deals might not be announced
23:06until June, July pre-season,
23:08a lot of the work is ongoing at the minute.
23:10And I imagine Pools are in a very tricky position
23:12that they can't really move forward on much,
23:14if any, of that front of the minute.
23:17Yeah, and look, I mean,
23:18in terms of the recruitment side of things,
23:20I don't think it would do Pools any harm
23:22to try and have an idea of certainly
23:24what positions they want to strengthen in
23:26and hopefully have some targets lined up.
23:29But it's pretty much impossible to do anything
23:31other than that, isn't it?
23:33Pools obviously don't know what kind of budget
23:35they're going to be working with next season,
23:37what the sort of ambition is going to be.
23:40It's very difficult to know
23:41whether they're going to be able to sign
23:42X type of player, Y type of player.
23:47Limbrick and obviously everyone involved
23:48in the recruitment are basically
23:49in an impossible position.
23:51And of course, the other side of things,
23:54a number of their players
23:55who are out of contract this summer
23:56are effectively there for the taking
23:57because for all the likes of Manny Disirouet,
24:00Joe Gray, Nathan Sharon,
24:01might have often suggested
24:03there would be an eagerness on their part
24:05to stay or certainly the fact
24:07that they have enjoyed representing
24:09partner pool United.
24:11If another club comes in,
24:12it's going to be very difficult.
24:14Pools are effectively powerless
24:15in the current state of limbo
24:17to prevent them from going elsewhere.
24:20So that obviously is a significant challenge
24:23facing everyone at the club.
24:25Mancini, I think frustrating
24:26is the perfect word, isn't it?
24:27Because he's such a talented player.
24:29I think based on talent alone,
24:30he could certainly play in the football league.
24:33He is the sort of archetypal
24:34bums off seats type player.
24:36Whenever he is in action,
24:37he gives fans a real lift.
24:39Whenever he gets the ball,
24:40you have that sense
24:41that he's about to make something happen.
24:43He is so creative.
24:44He is so technically good.
24:45He carries the ball really well.
24:47He brings other players into play.
24:49He certainly brings the best out
24:51of the likes of Manny Disrué and Joe Gray.
24:54But physically, he's so temperamental.
24:56And that is obviously incredibly frustrating,
24:58not just for Anthony Limbrick,
25:00but of course for Anthony Mancini as well.
25:02And the Pools fans who have really formed
25:05a connection with him,
25:07despite the relatively limited amount of time
25:09that we've seen him.
25:10I mean, 14 games last season.
25:13He has got through more games this term.
25:16The different managers have had
25:17different sorts of approaches
25:18to dealing with him.
25:21Darren Sall was always quite bullish.
25:23He'd never tend to relish the fact
25:24when Mancini was brought up in
25:26press conferences.
25:28And he used him fairly sparingly.
25:30He started him occasionally,
25:31but tended to be reluctant
25:32to start him twice in a week.
25:35Lenny Lawrence used him very sparingly,
25:36tended to favour just 20 minutes
25:38from the bench.
25:39I think Anthony Limbrick has adopted
25:40a slightly different approach
25:41and has tried to throw him in
25:43from the start
25:44and see if he's going to sink or swim.
25:47But he's only played three times this year.
25:49I mean, it's even more frustrating
25:50that he was so impressive
25:51against Oldham on New Year's Day
25:53than he missed the next two and a half months.
25:55He was so impressive against Boston as well.
25:58And he hasn't been seen since.
26:01I think at National League level,
26:04you're less comfortable in keeping players
26:07that you might call luxury players,
26:09players that you cannot guarantee
26:11are going to be fit and available
26:13and reliable every week.
26:14And reliability is really underrated,
26:16especially at this level.
26:18You have thinner squads.
26:19You have smaller squads.
26:20You obviously have lesser budgets
26:21that means you can go and sign players
26:24throughout the season
26:25if you have a couple of injuries
26:27here and there.
26:28So you can't afford to be carrying
26:30many players.
26:31And there's going to come a time
26:32in Anthony Mancini's career
26:33when it doesn't matter how good he is.
26:34It doesn't matter how talented he is.
26:35If he cannot prove that he can get fit
26:38and stay fit,
26:39look, some players are more prone
26:40to injuries than others.
26:42But if Mancini cannot prove
26:44that he is a bit more robust,
26:46if he's able to make himself
26:48more available more often,
26:50then that's going to put off
26:51potentially interested parties.
26:53If it was down to me,
26:54I would give him another year
26:55if the budget is there.
26:58But obviously,
26:59there's going to come a time
27:00when pools are going to have
27:01to make a decision.
27:02Look, they're going to have
27:02to make a decision on him this summer.
27:04That's clear.
27:05I think some people will say
27:06his talent means that
27:07the pool should stick with him.
27:09He offers something that
27:10no other player in the squad does.
27:11And I think there will be other people
27:12who will say it's time to part ways.
27:14He hasn't been fit and available
27:16for nearly enough time.
27:18I think I would give him another deal
27:19depending on the fact
27:21that you're able to maintain
27:23some of this squad
27:24and hopefully have a budget
27:25that will allow you to add
27:26and strengthen a little bit,
27:29make sure you have some strength
27:30in depth.
27:31I think he's worth a risk
27:32for one more season,
27:34but he's going to have to have
27:35a big season.
27:36He's going to have to prove
27:36that he can do it more often
27:38than he has done the way.
27:40Good stuff.
27:41I think we'll just end, Robbie,
27:43just with a brief overview
27:45of the season, really,
27:46given there's only one game left
27:48for a screen, as I say,
27:49at home on Monday.
27:51Pool's currently 12th.
27:53Just doing some very basic maths.
27:54I think they can pretty much finish
27:55anywhere between 11th and 16th.
27:58But either way,
27:59they're probably going to finish
27:59slap bang in the middle,
28:00which you always tend to end up
28:03where you should do in the end.
28:05And Pool's, as I say,
28:06have just fallen short
28:07both ends of the pitch this season.
28:09Yeah, how do you sum up the season?
28:12One of frustration or just...
28:15There was a brief spell
28:17where we were getting
28:18a little worried over our shoulder,
28:19but do you think Pool's
28:20have probably finished
28:20where they deserve to?
28:22I would say so, Rich.
28:25I'd say probably they're
28:26about a mid-table team this season.
28:28I genuinely believe
28:30that there is quality in the squad.
28:32They've obviously got
28:32loads of experience.
28:34I think that was something
28:35that Darren Sahl prioritised
28:36in the summer.
28:37He wanted experience.
28:38He wanted reliability.
28:40Pools were probably too soft at times.
28:43Last season, Darren Sahl
28:44certainly was determined
28:46to change that.
28:47They probably, I think,
28:49leaned too heavily into experience.
28:50I think they've got nine players
28:51over the age of 30.
28:54And certainly prior to the arrival
28:55of the likes of Jamie Minley
28:56and Sam Falarin
28:57were looking a bit heavy-legged.
28:59They certainly are one
29:00of the oldest squads
29:01in the National League.
29:04It has been a frustrating season.
29:07I think it was...
29:08It's potentially a season
29:09of some degree
29:11of unrealised potential.
29:12I feel this is a pretty decent squad.
29:14There aren't many number nines
29:16better than Manny Disirouwe.
29:18They've got some pretty solid centre-halves,
29:21albeit Luke Waterfall
29:21hasn't had his best season.
29:23Nathan Sharon has been excellent
29:25in the heart of midfield.
29:26Ray is clear he's obviously
29:27been an inspired loan signing,
29:30albeit he's only been
29:30at the club since January.
29:32So there is a capable squad,
29:34but I just don't believe
29:35at the minute there are
29:36the solid foundations needed
29:37for Pools to achieve sustained success.
29:41The instability in the dugout,
29:42we've already spoken about that.
29:43Not just three different managers,
29:45but three completely different managers
29:47with completely different ways
29:48of doing things,
29:50completely different ways
29:51of playing,
29:52and you put your faith
29:52in someone like Darren Sahl
29:53to go and recruit
29:55a certain type of player
29:56to play a more robust,
29:57direct brand of football.
30:00And then after 15 games
30:01or whatever it was,
30:02you realise you've made a mistake.
30:03You try and change tack.
30:04Lenny Lawrence, I think,
30:05did pretty well
30:06in trying to gradually
30:06transition Pools
30:08into a slightly more
30:09possession-based team.
30:10Anthony Lindbergh
30:10has taken on the mantle,
30:12tried to do something similar,
30:13albeit there have been times
30:14when it's felt a bit
30:15like square pegs
30:17in round holes.
30:21It's been frustrating.
30:22It's been chaotic as well.
30:23It's been frustrating
30:24how chaotic it has been.
30:25There's obviously been
30:26all this swirling off-field
30:28uncertainty.
30:30I think there have been
30:30so many wrong decisions made.
30:33There have been a lot
30:34of dramatic moments as well.
30:35There was obviously
30:35that pretty public
30:37training ground bust-up.
30:40There's been all sorts
30:41of uncertainty,
30:43turbulence.
30:46It's certainly not a season
30:47that will live long
30:48in the memory.
30:49Or if it is a season
30:49that lives long in the memory,
30:50it will do so
30:51for all the wrong reasons.
30:52I think in many ways
30:53it encapsulates a lot
30:54of the problems
30:55that have plagued
30:55Tarnepal United
30:56in recent years.
30:58This is a good club.
30:59It's a big club,
30:59but it needs to operate
31:00as one as well.
31:01It needs to tap into
31:02the potential
31:03that the fans provide.
31:06This is certainly still
31:07a football league club,
31:08but at the moment
31:09I'm not sure it has
31:10the resources,
31:11the ambition,
31:12the vision
31:13to return to the football league
31:14because it's one thing
31:15saying,
31:16oh, we are a football league club,
31:17but you've got to prove
31:18that you've got to earn
31:19the right to return
31:20to the football league.
31:21Look at how many
31:22former football league clubs
31:23have become stranded
31:24in the National League
31:25who I think have spent
31:26five of the last seven seasons
31:27outside of the football league.
31:28They are running
31:29a serious risk
31:30of getting stranded.
31:32There have been plenty
31:32of mistakes
31:33on and off the pitch.
31:34I think the playing squad
31:35have underperformed.
31:36There's no doubt about that,
31:37but I think they haven't
31:38been helped
31:38by some mismanagement,
31:41some strange decisions,
31:43some wrong appointments.
31:44Well, let's be honest,
31:45Pools have been chasing
31:46their tails
31:46since the appointment
31:47of Darren Sahl,
31:48which felt like
31:49a bizarre decision,
31:50especially when you had
31:51a promising young manager
31:52like Kevin Phillips
31:53already in place
31:54and it proved
31:54to be a calamitous mistake.
31:56Pools have done their best
31:57to make up some ground.
31:59They flirted with the playoffs.
32:00They flirted with relegation
32:01and I think that just
32:02about sums it up.
32:02It's been a rollercoaster
32:04of a season.
32:05They're going to finish
32:06in mid-table.
32:07They finished on 60 points
32:08from our season.
32:09They've got 59 this season,
32:12so they might finish
32:13one worse.
32:13They might finish level.
32:14They might finish two better.
32:16That just about sums it up.
32:17Has there really been
32:18any progress?
32:19I'm not so sure.
32:20Good stuff.
32:22Thank you very much, Robbie.
32:23I think we've pretty much
32:24covered everything there
32:24over the last 30 minutes or so.
32:27Hopefully, we'll be back soon
32:29with a takeover special,
32:30but we'll wait and see
32:31on that front.
32:32In the meantime,
32:33head to the Hattopool Mail website
32:34for the latest Pools news
32:36for Robbie.
32:36As I say,
32:37the paper version of the mail
32:39is out every Thursday
32:40and as it stands,
32:42we'll be back next week.
32:43Thanks, Robbie.