Takeover talk will not affect Hartlepool United focus - Craig Harrison

It’s a quick turnaround for Pools this week, with the rearranged trip to Chester tomorrow, then another away day at Eastleigh four days later.

All the while the club could find itself under new ownership by the time the trip to the south coast comes around.

But Harrison, whose players will get paid as scheduled on Thursday, says his squad are focused solely on matters on the park, not with things they cannot control off it.

“We hear of a possible takeover. Do we have hope? That might be a bit dramatic,” he said.

“We need to do our jobs. It’s hard to say. We all know there’s a lot going on, lots of rumours, hearsay.

“We need to stay focused. We need to get something in the next two games to kickstart the season.

“Confidence is low from top to bottom and football is a huge mental game. The same players went on a long unbeaten run, not giving goals away.

“It’s up to them to turn things around this time, too.”

Mistakes are proving costly for Harrison and Pools this season.

The manager admits he finds it hard to remember a game this campaign where his side have been handed victory on a plate by the opposition.

But he can certainly recall numerous occasions where his players have obliged in gift-wrapping three points for the opposition.

“It’s a mad division,” he said.

“But I’m sure going back over things, the teams who concede the least goals and make the least mistakes will always find themselves at the top end, maybe top four, of any division. Since the start of the season we haven’t done that.

“It’s hard because the same players battered Macclesfield for 86 minutes at home and lost. That results took the wind out of our sails and we have suffered since then.

“We have had games when we could have lost 6-0 and won, games we should have won 6-0 and didn’t win.

“The team, 100 per cent, at the top makes the least mistakes.”