Hartlepool United boss Darren Sarll insists "the shackles are never put on" after Pools finally end goalscoring drought
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Sarll caused considerable consternation with his controversial team selection at the weekend after he again left both Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey, who scored 38 goals between them last term, on the bench.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt felt like a game Pools needed to win but the home side made the worst possible start and went 2-0 down within 25 minutes following goals from Jayden Harris and Ashley Nadesan.
An already frustrated fanbase appeared to be losing faith in Sarll but the boss made a string of changes, introducing both Dieseruvwe and Grey before the break and bringing on Anthony Mancini and Nicky Featherstone at half time.
That meant Sarll dispensed with his 4-4-2 diamond formation and sent Pools out in a far more fluid 4-2-3-1 as the home side battled back into the game.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe under pressure manager's initial team selection was a little hard to understand as Pools began the game with an XI that had not scored a single goal between them all season.
With supporters baying for blood, Sarll wasted little time in changing things and Pools were much-improved in the second half, securing their first home win of the season thanks to Luke Charman's first goal for the club as well as a hat-trick from Mani Dieseruvwe.
As well as the change in shape and personnel, it seemed as though Pools were playing with a newfound freedom that has been sorely lacking for most of this season.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSarll, who values structure, sacrifice and defensive organisation over moments of individual magic, has come in for criticism of late from fans who feel he is stifling the creativity of the Pools front line.
However, the boss defended his recent decisions and insisted his side are given freedom to attack and express themselves.
"The shackles are never put on," he said.
"The shackles, emotionally, are probably a result of the form that we've been in.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"The players really do care about what happens here, absolutely they do.
"We played with a lot of tension and there was an awful lot of fearful defending, which surprised me.
"We were timid, we didn't attack with purpose or intent.
"I just wanted to make the players realise that there are so many more challenging things going on in the world and in life, this is the thing they need to enjoy.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"Some of these lads will blink and their careers will be over, they'll look back and wonder about the things they spent too much time worrying about.
"It was a really simple message, we made the changes and off they went."
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.