Dave Challinor looks at how Hartlepool United will cope with Joe Parkinson's departure while searching for a new assistant

Joe Parkinson's departure as Dave Challinor’s number two at the start of the week left a big gap in Pools’ coaching team.

Parkinson has worked with Challinor at AFC Fylde and had been his assistant at Victoria Park since he was first appointed in November 2019.

But after helping the club secure promotion back to the Football League, Parkinson decided to leave Pools due to personal reasons.

That leaves Challinor conducting a careful and meticulous search for a new assistant.

“We have to move on,” Challinor admitted. “It won't be quick or easy but we'll assess what we do and who might fill that gap.

"If the right person is there then we have scope to be able to bring somebody in. I'm not in a massive rush to do that, who ever we bring in needs to add the same if not more value than Joe did.”

As it stands, Pools legend Tony Sweeney will continue his role as first-team coach, almost stepping into the assistant manager role as default for the time being.

But in terms of a permanent replacement, Challinor is currently weighing up a few potential options.

“I've got a few ideas,” he added. “There’s lots to weigh up and ideally from my perspective, I'd want to bring in somebody I know.

"That doesn't have to be someone who I've worked with before but it's knowing what is out there. If we're being really analytical of ourselves as a coaching staff, we've got myself who played as a defender and Sweens who's a midfielder so if you could bring in someone who was a forward that would tick a box.

"It's easy to say that and it probably won't be the case so we've got to look at the people who are out there and the best candidates and whether it works logistically.”

Although Parkinson will be a big miss around Pools, Challinor insists that it won’t impact his team’s ability to do their job on and off the pitch while searching for a new assistant.

"It doesn’t really change anything,” he continued. “We just pick up where we need to and within what we do, we tend to mix a session.

"A bog standard training session where you do a warm-up, passing drill, possession and then a game. We'd usually have it where Jake [Simpson, S&C coach] would do the warm-up, Joe might do the passing drill, Sweens might do the possession and I do the game, whatever it might be.

"It's just a case of picking that up and we are all hands on deck anyway and we have equal responsibility and ideas that we put forward.

"There will be situations where we miss it a little bit more. We've not had a game since Joe has left so that could change where in the matchday warm-up Joe would usually do the possession while I usually can be floating around looking at things in terms of what goes on.

"There will be things like that to tweak. It won't be a massive problem for us to deal with, it's just one we'll get on with best we can.”

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