Hartlepool United legend Micky Barron has his say on embattled new manager Nicky Featherstone
Hartlepool United legend Micky Barron has had his say on the appointment of new manager Nicky Featherstone.
Having enjoyed such an impressive eight-week spell in caretaker charge, Featherstone could hardly have endured a more challenging start to life as permanent Pools boss since he was appointed until the end of the season earlier this month.
The 37-year-old landed the manager's job on a permanent basis after leading Pools on a run of seven National League games unbeaten - including four wins and three draws - that saw his side re-energise their faltering play-off push.
Having moved within striking distance of the top seven, however, a run of four matches without a win has seen Pools lose significant ground in the race for the play-offs.
After their unbeaten run was ended at the hands of a resurgent Yeovil, Pools were dumped out of the FA Trophy in humiliating fashion by Northern Premier League Division One Midlands minnows Anstey Nomads, widely regarded as one of the worst results in the club's entire history.
Pools failed to get past strugglers Braintree before being beaten at home by Scunthorpe, one of their direct rivals for a play-off place, on Boxing Day.
Featherstone's side knew that three points on Friday had the potential to lift them into the National League play-off places for the first time since September, but instead Pools find themselves four points adrift of seventh-placed Southend, who have two games in hand, after the Shrimpers beat rivals Braintree despite having defender Ben Goodliffe sent off after 45 minutes.
Scunthorpe, meanwhile, have opened up a 12-point gap between themselves and Pools having played a game fewer and, barring a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, look to be all-but out of sight.
That means that Pools are, in effect, fighting for one play-off place with Southend as well as the likes of Halifax, who leapfrogged Featherstone's side in the table on Boxing Day, Solihull Moors, Woking and Wealdstone.
With Pools set to travel to National League leaders Rochdale, who have won all of their last seven matches, on Tuesday evening, Featherstone's side are at increasing risk of being dragged back into mid-table.
Remarkably, there is already a sense that pressure is beginning to mount on the new boss, with fans growing frustrated at his apparent reluctance to play two up front as well as his somewhat drab and dour approach to media interviews.
Of course, Featherstone will also be painfully aware that chairman and owner Raj Singh, notorious for his lack of patience when it comes to hiring and firing managers, is unlikely to look too kindly on anything other than a genuine play-off challenge ahead of a looming "review of performance" set to decide his fate and therefore his managerial future scheduled for the end of the season.
Barron, who made 374 appearances for Pools and twice helped the club win promotion, admits Featherstone is probably finding out the hard way just how challenging life as a manager can be.
"When Nicky took over, he had a really good spell," he said.
"I thought Raj would give Nicky every possible opportunity to take the job and give him enough games to prove that he could do it.
"I think he had a good run of games fixture-wise and he did well, he got some good results and I can see why they've given him the job.
"Hartlepool have tried every sort of manager going, they've had experienced ones, not experienced ones and most in-between.
"I was at the club a long time, but as soon as you're asked to be manager, being at the club a long time doesn't really mean anything.
"All of a sudden, you have a lot of questions being asked of you - and a lot of them you never thought would be asked.
"I think it's how he operates off the field that will either make him a success or not, there are so many things to organise, so many things to prepare. That'll be the thing that's probably shocked Nicky more than anything else.
"On the football side, he looks like he's got staff he trusts around him who can help him, but it's the stuff that's off the pitch that's difficult.
"The biggest part of management is having to deal with the players, and I think that comes with experience if I'm being honest.
"I hope he does really well, I just wish they were picking up results and playing really good football. I get the impression that he's been getting results but the football hasn't been great, which is fine, but it won't be long before the fans are wanting some more exciting football."