Dave Challinor has this message to his Hartlepool United squad ahead of Ebbsfleet clash

Pools beat Yeovil Town 4-1 on Tuesday in the first round of the FA Cup in his first game in charge, with the squad facing another long trip this weekend, away to Ebbsfleet in the National League.

Competition for places is strong and Challinor says his appointment is a ‘fresh start’ for everybody.

Challinor said: “I think that’s the change you get when a new manager comes in, it is a fresh start for everybody.

“Maybe the ones that have been on the periphery of the squad or out the squad ultimately have the opportunity to put themselves in the shop window.

“We said to the players straight away that one thing I will demand of them is that everyday we train is an opportunity for us to get better.

“Everyday we train it’s an opportunity for one of them to make us go ‘ooh, he’s telling me that he needs to be involved’.

“In most instances, they will make our decisions for us.

“Sometimes they will make it easy because if we produce performances like we did on Tuesday evening, it becomes easy because the players pick themselves.”

Challinor added: “The ones who at the minute are maybe on the bench or desperate to get that chance, the next opportunity for them comes this morning to show what they can do in training.

“Them lads who at the moment aren’t starting or aren’t playing, they’re the most important ones in a strange way.

“The ones who are playing take care of themselves but we have to make sure the ones who are on the periphery a bit keep motivated and chomping at the bit to keep trying and getting in there, showing us what they can do and make our lives as difficult as possible.

“So if there is a little bit of a blip in terms of result or performance, they’re going ‘I showed you over the last few weeks that I’m going to be the one that takes that shirt’ and that’s what we have got to do.”