Hartlepool United interim boss Nicky Featherstone taking things "game by game" as Pools continue hunt for next permanent manager

Featherstone, who is among the favourites to land the job permanently, has been at the helm for more than a month now and has overseen a run of five National League games unbeaten that's seen Pools revive their faltering play-off hopes.

Having endured a nightmarish start to life in the dugout as Pools were dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage by Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity, Featherstone seems to have things heading in the right direction.

Since that miserable defeat to Gainsborough, Pools have put together an impressive run of five matches unbeaten, beating a resurgent Solihull Moors and play-off chasing Halifax while drawing with strugglers Sutton and Morecambe as well as in-form Wealdstone.

While Featherstone, who has spent more than a decade at Victoria Park and is the club's third-highest appearance maker of all-time, has been helped by a favourable run of fixtures, few fans would dispute that Pools have been much-improved in recent weeks.

At the same time, the interim boss still has a lot of work to do; Pools lost ground in the play-off race on Saturday and are now five points behind seventh placed Southend and nine shy of Scunthorpe, who are sixth, while performances have been more battling than brilliant.

Although Pools have made some steps in the right direction, many of the problems that plagued Grayson, who was sacked in October after just 15 games in charge, have continued to trouble Featherstone and there is a feeling that the veteran midfielder is still searching for the perfect formula, particularly in the final third.

Yet there have also been some real positives, not least the form of attacker Adam Campbell, who has scored twice in his last three games and produced a man of the match performance against Wealdstone on Saturday having found himself out in the cold at the beginning of the campaign.

The longer the hunt for the 14th permanent appointment of controversial chairman and owner Raj Singh's tumultuous tenure goes on, the likelier it seems that Featherstone will land the top job on a permanent basis.

That said, there are some fans who are wondering what's taking Pools so long if, as many now think, Featherstone is their current first choice while Chris Beech, who made more than 100 appearances at Victoria Park as a player, is also understood to have held talks with the club last week.

Whoever takes charge next will have their work cut out if they're to buck the depressing recent trend of managerial failure in the North East; of Singh's previous 13 appointments, only promotion-winning boss Dave Challinor has lasted more than a year in the role, while all of the last five incumbents have survived 17 games or fewer.

As it stands, Featherstone is set to take charge of his seventh match as interim boss when Pools make the long trip to an Eastleigh side who have themselves already made a change in the dugout this term on Saturday.

Yet there could still be potential for drama this week, with Featherstone admitting to the Red Radio that he wasn't sure what might happen between now and the long trip to Hampshire.

"It's literally game by game at the minute," he said.

"We'll see what happens - if I need to take it longer than this, then I will do.

"We'll wait and see, that's out of my control."

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