Hartlepool United defender admits he has become "used" to managerial merry-go-round at Pools
Hartlepool United defender David Ferguson admits he wasn't surprised by another season of managerial changes at the Prestige Group Stadium.
Pools have used three different managers for the second successive season, with Darren Sarll replacing Kevin Phillips over the summer, Lennie Lawrence taking over from Sarll in October and Anthony Limbrick, the 16th permanent appointment in the last decade, handed the reins in February. Since Ferguson first signed for the club in the summer of 2020, the defender has played under 13 different managers, coaches or caretakers.
Looking back through the long list of managerial appointments, the one thing that stands out is the striking difference between the sort of characters Pools have opted for. At best, the club seem to have adopted a haphazard approach, chopping and changing between experienced managers like Richard Money, Keith Curle and John Askey, relative rookies such as Kevin Phillips and Anthony Limbrick, and even complete novices like Graeme Lee.
The hire and fire culture that has come to define the club has meant that players have had to adjust to a whole host of different styles and approaches; this season alone, Pools have gone from the direct and outspoken Sarll, to the measured and pragmatic Lawrence and now to the energetic and forward-thinking Limbrick. Although there are a number of reasons a squad that looked set to be competitive at the start of the season have underperformed, not least ongoing off-field issues, the changes in the dugout can't have helped.
A quick look at some of the most successful sides in the National League will show that stability is important. Charismatic Irishman Dean Brennan, who led Barnet to the title with an impressive 102 points, first took charge of the Bees in 2021. The likes of Chris Millington and Kevin Maher, who steered Halfiax and Southend to the play-offs respectively, are among the division's longest-serving managers. Phil Parkinson was appointed Altrincham boss in 2017 and has helped the Robins punch well above their weight with limited resources; Pools have made 20 different appointments, permanent and interim, since then.
For Ferguson, the managerial merry-go-round has become par for the course at the Prestige Group Stadium. The 30-year-old, who has made more than 200 appearances for Pools, has been promoted, relegated, scapegoated, appointed captain, stripped of the armband, written off and re-energised under Limbrick during a remarkable stint at Pools. The full-back, who is one of a host of players who could be at risk of leaving the club this summer amidst ongoing off-field uncertainty, admits he's come to expect a degree of chaos at Pools.
"I'm quite used to three managers a season to be honest," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.
"You just sort of adapt to it, I've played under so many managers here and they want different styles. You can understand fans' frustration because you know the type of player you are, but when a manager wants something, you've got to listen to what he wants.
"Look, it has been difficult, just like other seasons have been. It's a bit of the norm to me, Feaths (Nicky Featherstone) and lads who have experienced it over the three, four, five year period.
"There's no consistency, you want something to build, you need some sort of plan. You see the likes of Barnet, they've had a project or a plan. Certain clubs like that go on, you look at momentum, look at other teams that have thrived and got promoted. They've all done well, they kick on and it's all about momentum. You try and get some foundations and then you build on them. Getting back to the managers, when you're chopping and changing and players are coming and going constantly, the core group isn't sticking together and that's been the result over the last few years.
"It needs some sort of plan and project, and you need to build from it. It's one of them, hopefully in years to come, whether I'm here or not, I can be a part of it. Me and Feaths know a lot about the club; we've been here when it's good, and we've experienced it when it's not so good. We take the good with the bad I guess.
"We know what it takes and we know what needs to be done, but it's out of our hands I guess."