Anthony Limbrick reflects on Sam Folarin's best position after attacker bags first Pools goal
Hartlepool United head coach Anthony Limbrick has been reflecting on Sam Folarin's best position.
The 24-year-old scored his first Pools goal in dramatic fashion at the weekend, coming off the bench to head home a 94th minute winner against relegated Ebbsfleet.
It's been a frustrating start to life at the Prestige Group Stadium for the former Middlesbrough and Queen of the South man, who has found himself on the fringes of the side since penning an 18-month contract after leaving Harrogate in January.
Blessed with impressive natural athleticism and blistering pace, Folarin scored a superb individual goal against Pools on New Year's Day 2023 but found his opportunities limited in North Yorkshire in the opening half of this campaign. With Pools lacking a bit of pace and energy in their side after Joe Grey underwent surgery on a groin problem, they swooped to sign both Folarin and Reyes Cleary, who arrived on loan from West Brom. While Cleary has wasted little time in announcing himself as one of the National League's hottest properties, scoring four goals in his last five games, Pools fans have had to be more patient with Folarin. The winger arrived from Harrogate having struggled for game time under Simon Weaver and by his own admission was lacking match sharpness. Folarin will now be hoping that Saturday's winning goal, his first in a Pools shirt, will provide him with a platform from which to start establishing himself in the North East.
One of the challenges for Folarin has been getting to grips with Anthony Limbrick's 3-5-2 formation. Naturally a winger, he lacks the defensive instincts to operate as a wing-back and has found himself being deployed in a more central role, meaning he faces stiff competition from the likes of Mani Dieseruvwe, Gary Madine and Joe Grey, all well-established in the Pools side. However, Folarin is no stranger to the role and even played as a lone striker at Wetherby Road, although by his own admission it was not something he particularly relished. The likeliest route to success in the current shape looks to be using Folarin, who has started just two games for Pools since his January arrival, as one of two strikers. Limbrick believes his side have the flexibility to accommodate Folarin.
"We'd seen him play up top for Harrogate before as a lone striker," he said.
"You have to be flexible - I think the shape can sometimes be made too much of. When you look at Reyes Cleary, he's got five goals and four assists playing at wing-back in the 3-5-2 and he's got no goals and no assists playing in a 4-2-3-1 as a winger.
"It's about numbers and getting players into certain positions at certain times. When Ebbsfleet pressed us as a three, we dropped Louis Stephenson down and we were more like a back four at times. I think those things have to be taken into consideration.
"I think Sam can be flexible, I think he can play as a running 10 or up front in a two. He's got absolute pace, obviously; it's harder for him when teams drop off and defend deep, he's better when they're higher and he can be a threat on the counter-attack. There's flexibility in there, we can set up as a four or a three and be effective in there but at the moment the shape seems to be working."