Could Hartlepool United live to regret the decision to release Josh Umerah after the striker signed for National League rivals Dagenham and Redbridge?

Despite Umerah's obvious qualities, popularity and impressive first season, it's hard to envisage a situation in which a new deal to keep him at the Suit Direct Stadium would have suited either party.

Some might suggest that the potential departure of Mani Dieseruvwe could have opened the door for the 27-year-old, who had to play second fiddle to the in-form marksman all season, while it might also have been prudent for Pools to keep hold of him in case the worst happens and Mani D heads for the exit.

The fact is, while there might be some underlying logic to that thinking, it would be impossible to expect Umerah to hang around in case Dieseruvwe were to leave and Pools opt to replace him from within, while it's equally hard to conceive circumstances where Pools would offer him a new deal as, effectively, an insurance blanket.

While, for a lot of fans, it was sad to see Umerah go, it probably wasn't much of a surprise. A new deal didn't seem to make sense for either player or club.

Umerah has scored goals at National League level for Wealdstone and proven he can do it in the Football League with Pools. He is, at least, good enough to lead the line for someone in the fifth tier.

It seems a long time ago now, but Umerah scored 15 goals in his first season at Pools, despite playing at a higher level, in a struggling side and, strangely, seeming to fall out of favour under Keith Curle.

Some fans will remember watching him bag a late brace at Mansfield on a wet Friday night, coming off the bench after Curle opted to start Mikael Ndjoil through the middle. It was the same game as Brody Paterson lined up on the wing. Oh, the glory days.

After a strong start to his Pools career, Umerah was said to have been the subject of interest from various Football League clubs. Nothing materialised, and some fans felt his performances thereafter reflected a frustration at not having secured a move. That's harsh, and it's worth bearing in mind his second season was plagued by injuries, while having to compete with 25-goal Mani Dieseruvwe did him no favours.

Umerah started this season in the side, leading the line on the opening day and finding the net, sparing Jake Hastie's blushes by scoring the rebound after the Scotsman had insisted on taking a late penalty, despite Umerah being charged with spot-kick duties.

Unfortunately for the former Boreham Wood, Ebbsfleet and Torquay frontman, that goal was one of just two he'd manage in a challenging second campaign in blue and white. The sequel is rarely ever as good.

As much as anything, Umerah was the victim of bad luck and, from his point of view, unfortunate circumstances.

He received a very harsh red card in the second game of the season, at home to Gateshead, which opened the door for Mani Dieseruvwe to score a brace, establish himself in the side and cement his status as the first choice number nine.

From then, injuries hampered Umerah's progress, leading to surgery and limiting him to just 20 league appearances.

Frustratingly for him, his last outing came on December 30, just a week after Mani Dieseruvwe had been ruled out for a month, giving him a rare chance to make an impression.

When both were fit, Dieservuwe's form meant it was inevitable that he was the undisputed first choice.

A lot of fans felt the pair couldn't play together and, while there are some similarities to their game, they probably didn't line-up alongside each other enough to make a concrete judgement.

As it was, Umerah was let go at the end of the season and was snapped up by Dagenham and Redbridge, allowing him to move back down south. Almost all Poolies will surely wish him well.

The Daggers look to have made a shrew start to their summer. Attacker Reece Grego-Cox, who worked with Pools boss Darren Sarll at Woking, became their fourth summer signing on Tuesday afternoon and could complement Umerah better than Dieseruvwe did. He is a totally different type of forward, more likely to line-up as a second striker.

From a Pools perspective, this summer is now all about keeping hold of the talismanic Mani Dieseruvwe; indeed, Sarll described it as "fundamentally important".

It will, of course, be no mean feat, given that Dieseruvwe notched 23 league goals in a, generally, underperforming side and was one of the best, most consistent players in the National League.

If rumours are to be believed, chairman Raj Singh has already demonstrated his resolve by turning down bids for Dieseruvwe in January; concrete interest seems all but certain, so supporters' best hope is that the owner holds firm again this summer.

Pools will also need to add cover and competition for Dieseruvwe.

Again, that will be no easy task, as any striker coming to the club will be well aware that Dieseruvwe has the shirt, so it will be a real challenge to find someone happy to spend plenty of time on the bench who is also up to the demands of the National League. That was never going to be Umerah, who is too good to be a back-up.

If Umerah goes on to score loads of goals for Dagenham, that doesn't necessarily mean Pools made a mistake in letting him go.

Realistically, the platform for him to rediscover his prolific form no longer exists at the Suit Direct; bagging 15 goals from the bench is almost impossible.

In fact, seeing Umerah find his scoring touch once again would be pleasing to most Poolies, who will remember how he stood head and shoulders above some of his teammates two seasons ago. Just as long as he doesn't find the net against Pools, of course.