Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll admits he still has one or two decisions to make ahead of naming side for National League opener

Pools completed their pre-season preparations with a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest B, which Sarll described as their worst performance of the summer.

However, it has been a largely positive start to life in the North East for the new boss.

After releasing nine players at the end of April, Pools have added seven new faces, including three - much-needed - new recruits in midfield while also securing the services of versatile attacker Adam Campbell, who dropped down two divisions to return to Victoria Park after helping Crawley win an unlikely promotion to League One last season.

Indeed, Sarll's recruitment has taken on a distinctly local flavour, with four of the new signings having links to the region.

Pleasingly for Pools fans, Sarll's summer shopping spree appears to have been focused and well thought out, with the new boss strengthening in the areas where his side were weakest last season.

Supporters had to be patient while waiting for a new goalkeeper but welcomed a new face in-between the sticks on Saturday after Adam Smith, who was born in Sunderland, signed a short term deal following a successful trial period.

After winning five and losing two of their seven warm up matches, Pools can now turn their attention to the real thing next weekend.

Sarll and his side are set to begin with their longest trip of the entire campaign as they travel to Somerset to take on Yeovil, one of the new manager's former sides.

Sarll spent the best part of three years in charge of the Glovers, leading them to the National League play-offs in his first season in charge before finding things more difficult during a tumultuous next two campaigns, overshadowed by the tragic suicide of captain Lee Collins, who was just 32, as well as a host of off-field uncertainties.

Despite having a relatively small squad at his disposal, Sarll still has a number of decisions to make when it comes to naming his XI for the National League curtain raiser next week; he will have to choose between Joel Dixon and Adam Smith in goal, while veteran midfielder Nicky Featherstone's pre-season performances means he might force his way into the side.

Sarll, who will be pleased to have one or two headaches, admits he has a fair idea of his side but insists that his players can still change his mind ahead of the big kick off.

"A bit of both - I have an idea," he said.

"The benefit I have over any supporter is that I get to see them Monday through to Friday.

"Supporters can only go off the back of what they see on a Saturday or a Tuesday night.

"You have to have that value to training otherwise, what's the point of being a full time club?

"The value to training is that they've got to turn up and perform at their very best every day, be physically excellent and show that their attitude, temperament and professionalism are of a very, very high standard.

"That does dictate the decisions we make going into the game.

"On the flip side, I think we've built, Joe (Monks) and I, a team around an ideal scenario.

"It may be that the sum of all those parts are available to be picked against Yeovil, and it might not be. That's why we do things in pre-season where we look at certain scenarios that may come up.

"Again, I have the benefit of knowing what's planned and what's not.

"I'm really pleased with where we are at and, whatever side we send to Yeovil, we feel we're in good shape."