Liam Kennedy: Coxall and Hignett pull off January transfer masterstroke

The fans feared high profile departures, the chairman denied it via social media and the manager discussed shipping out those in and around the fringes of his squad to free up wriggle room for additions.

In all honesty the former appeared to be a lot more likely, especially given the performance levels shown by those with the axe hanging over their head.

But we are less than a fortnight into the winter window and Pools have already been able to offload two of their out-of-form, under performing players.

And here is the most remarkable bit - they’ve done so at a profit!

Who’d have imagined that first Shrewsbury Town would fork out the best part of £25,000 for Toto Nsiala, a player who many Poolies would have given away for nothing.

And then, with his route to the first-team blocked by new boy Sean Kavanagh and fit-again James Martin, current third choice left-back Jake Carroll was sold for an, as yet, undisclosed fee to Cambridge United.

It’s a good job he was blameless in the U’s capitulation before Christmas.

Although, word from down south is that the fee may not quite be as generous as the one received for DR Congo international Nsiala.

Either way, to get anything back for either of those players, especially after capturing them on free transfers, is a steal by Pools boss Craig Hignett and chairman Gary Coxall.

Maybe this is shaping up to be a decent window after all.