Paul Hartley gives this admission over Hartlepool United's start to the season following Bradford City reverse

Pools are without a win in their opening five league games, as well as being comfortably beaten in the opening round of the Carabao Cup, after slipping to a 3-1 defeat at the Suit Direct Stadium against the Bantams.

David Ferguson scored Pools’ first goal on home soil this season but it wasn’t enough to ensure any points, with Hartlepool now one of just three teams still searching for a first win.

And manager Hartley has acknowledged that his side haven’t done enough during the early stages of his spell in charge.

“It’s been tough. It’s not been easy,” Hartley told The Mail.

“It’s been a tough five games to try and get the blend and the performances. We’ve been OK in spells but we’ve not done enough.

“We’ve not done enough throughout the five games so far as the results will tell.”

Pools are coming off the back of a double-header at the Suit Direct Stadium, two games in which Hartley had targeted a maximum six points but instead has had to settle for just one with a goalless draw against Tranmere Rovers.

“I was encouraged with the first half [against Bradford],” said Hartley.

“I think going a goal down we showed good character to come back into it. But the second half we weren’t at the races.

“Tuesday night we keep the clean sheet, but we should do a little bit more.”

And now things flip for Pools, as they face back-to-back league fixtures away from home at early pace-setters Leyton Orient before another long trip to Colchester United, with an EFL Trophy tie against Harrogate Town sandwiched in between.

Hartley said: “We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to try and pick a team that will show a bit more.”

But while Hartley accepts it has not been the ideal start to his tenure in terms of results on the pitch, he believes he is seeing signs of a new squad of players gelling together after a summer of upheaval at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Speaking ahead of the Bradford defeat, Hartley said: “It’s always the same at the start of the season. You want to try and get off to a good start.

“Our start has been pretty slow, we know that. But we’ve had to make a lot of changes throughout that period with the turnover of players.

“We’re probably seven weeks into the job so there was always going to be that difficult period when you bring the players in.

“They’ve not all come in at the same time. We wanted our players together seven weeks ago as a whole unit, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

“I can see an improvement in the players, and we’re getting partnerships on the pitch and the training pitch. They’re gelling really well.

“But it’s always difficult when you have that turnover of players and getting everybody to know each other and what they’re good at and what they can do better.”