Hartlepool United head coach refuses to blame off-field issues for humbling Rochdale defeat

Having been so impressive during Easter Monday's statement win over rivals Gateshead, Pools had been hoping to continue their strong end to the season when they travelled to Greater Manchester, backed by more than 700 fans in fancy dress, to take on a Dale side who knew that a win would secure their place in this year's National League play-offs.

Pools had endured a difficult few days in-between the win over Gateshead and the thumping defeat at Rochdale as the dramatic takeover saga took another turn when the interim board released a statement suggesting it was "highly unlikely" a deal would be completed before the end of the season, when owner Raj Singh has vowed to stop funding club operations. The news came as a particularly bitter blow given the fact that fans were beginning to hope a deal was edging ever closer; local businesswoman Shelley Hammond, who is known to have long retained an interest in the purchase of the club, posted on Instagram with the caption "Hartlepool bound" at the beginning of the week. Hammond, who is the founder and CEO of Herd International Group, has been linked with the takeover of Pools since the establishment of The Club HUFC Ltd on Companies House late last month, although it appears a deal is taking longer than expected; it took Singh three weeks to complete the purchase of the club after he set up Clarence 18 on Companies House in similar fashion.

Throughout a turbulent couple of months, Limbrick has insisted that his side have remained focused on what happens on the pitch despite all the swirling chaos around them. To an extent, that's probably true and there is little the Australian and his players can do to alter the course of events at the negotiating table, but it's hard to imagine Singh's public resignation and the uncertainty it has thrown up hasn't had at least something of an impact on the squad, many of whom are out of contract at the end of the season and will be keen to resolve their futures as soon as possible. Certainly, many fans have found it difficult to think of much else other than the takeover in recent weeks, especially since Pools secured their place in the National League but lost hope of sneaking into the play-offs.

In all likelihood, other factors are probably at play too. Pools made the trip to Spotland with nothing left to play for other than pride, while Rochdale were eager to secure a top five finish, guaranteeing them a home quarter-final in the play-offs. Pools were forced to field a makeshift back three after Billy Sass-Davies, who has impressed in recent weeks, and Luke Waterfall were both ruled out through injury. When things started to go wrong for Pools, it was perhaps less surprising to see heads drop than it might have been at another stage in the season when there was more on the line, even if the manner of the capitulation was disappointing.

Yet the reality is that Limbrick and his players have been plunged into an extremely difficult position which is not of their own making. The fact that the Australian, so keen to impress at the Prestige Group Stadium and further his own reputation in the footballing world, has had to face a whole host of questions about the ongoing off-field uncertainty, even though it should really fall to a member of the interim board to address the growing concerns, must be a source of considerable frustration. For the players, many of whom have young families to take care of, the lack of clarity regarding their own futures is likely extremely challenging. Although a number of the high profile players who are at risk of leaving in the summer, such as the likes of Mani Dieseruvwe, Joe Grey and Nathan Sheron, have all expressed an eagerness to stay, or at least a genuine passion for the club, few fans could begrudge them a move if it secures their livelihoods for another season or more. It's no coincidence that Pools, a club with plenty of potential but so often overcome by chaos and instability, has had so little success in recent years. Footballers, like so many people, need solid foundations to be able to thrive.

Yet Limbrick, perhaps wisely, declined to make excuses following Saturday's drubbing, his side's heaviest defeat of a pretty miserable season. The fact was that Pools were second best by some distance all over the pitch, with the visitors outplayed, outclassed and outfought by a Dale team who have come out on top in this season's two meetings by an aggregate score of 8-1, an embarrassing margin. While it's true that there were a number of extenuating circumstances, the gulf between the two sides was stark and a reminder of how far Pools still have to go, providing of course a deal can be completed and the club's future secured. Limbrick, who will be keenly hoping his side can bounce back against Forest Green Rovers on the final day of the season next week, refused to blame the swirling off-field uncertainty for his side's humbling defeat.

"I don't think so," he said.

"We've been focusing on our jobs, trying to do what we need to do.

"It hasn't affected us recently and we'd been on a good run, we've shown we can win games and win games well.

"I don't think so, it was a normal prep for the game but unfortunately we just weren't at the levels we needed to be at. We weren't good enough."

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