Anthony Mancini: why the mercurial Frenchman can still be Hartlepool United's pièce de résistance

The 23-year-old's first season in the North East promised so much but, in the end, delivered relatively little.

Mancini spent more time on the treatment table than he did influencing things out in the middle, playing just 14 times.

Even from that small sample size, the former Angers, Burnley and Accrington Stanley man did more than enough to establish himself as one of the most talented midfielders in the National League, receiving a standing ovation from Southend fans after a dazzling performance in Essex, proving too hot to handle for champions elect Chesterfield and scoring a watching-winning screamer against Ebbsfleet.

However, his potential remains, for the most part, unrealised.

Compare his three goals from 14 appearances, including three from the bench, to Chris Conn-Clarke, who bagged 22 goals in 46 National League games for Altrincham, or Josh Stokes, who bagged 18 goals in 38 outings for Aldershot.

That creative pair lined up for sides who might well have started the campaign with lesser expectations than Pools but who punched well above their weight and finished in the top eight.

Both men have stepped up to the Football League, with Conn-Clarke signing for League One Peterborough and Stokes securing a move to Championship outfit Bristol City.

In other words, the sky's the limit - for Pools and Mancini.

It seemed, at first, that Mancini might not be a natural fit under new manager Darren Sarll, who places a greater value on a willingness to work hard and sacrifice oneself for the team than he does on moments of individual brilliance.

Indeed, the boss issued a warning to Mancini when he told the Hartlepool Mail that the mercurial Frenchman would have to earn his place in the side - such was his standing last season that he walked, or rather, limped, into the XI and was rushed back under John Askey and Kevin Phillips with unfortunate consequences.

The major issues confronting Mancini under his third permanent manager since he signed for Pools last July are how he will adapt to Sarll's style and approach, where he will fit in his side and whether or not he can keep himself fit - as Sarll said, being available for less than a third of the season is not good enough, no matter how much talent he possesses.

Mancini might have frustrated Pools fans at times last term - of course, no one will have been more frustrated than the man himself, who is desperate to impress - but he has shown a good attitude and is well-liked in the North East.

He proved at the weekend that he can slot into Sarll's system, which depends on a relentless, robust press all over the pitch, and that it doesn't have to come at the cost of quality; he scored in midweek, albeit from the spot, and had a major influence throughout the first half of the thumping win over South Shields.

Providing he can continue to adapt to Sarll's approach, then his talent, creativity and flair is such that he will be hard to overlook when Sarll sits down to name his starting XI ahead of the National League opener, a long trip to Yeovil, on August 10th.

Adam Campbell, this summer's marquee signing, who arrives fresh from helping Crawley secure the unlikeliest of promotions to League One, looks set to line up in the 10, Mancini's preferred role, and, given his pedigree, experience and talent, will be hard to displace.

He did well in a slightly wider role at South Shields, while he could also be utilised in a deeper midfield berth although, with Sarll having signed three new central-midfielders, that seems less likely.

Supporters might well point out that his influence was lessened when Kevin Phillips deployed him on the flank, although it's worth remembering that he was still coming back from injury and was lacking in match fitness.

Whatever solution Sarll settles on, a side with both Campbell and Mancini in the XI is likely to be stronger than one with just one of them in the team.

Of course, all of this will become an irrelevance if Mancini cannot keep himself fit.

His fledgling career so far has been, frustratingly, peppered with injuries and, while it can be tempting to point the finger at the player, it's important to note that some people simply have more luck than others. All Mancini can do is keep himself in the best possible condition and hope the footballing gods smile on him.

Despite such an exciting start to his Pools career, most of last season was decidedly lacking in the mercurial Mancini's va va voom. If he can avoid a repeat of his injuries in the coming campaign, then the supremely talented Frenchman could still be Darren Sarll's pièce de résistance.