Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll wants his side to continue to improve out of possession in final three pre-season friendlies

Pools have won three of their first four warm-up matches, responding to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Scarborough Athletic with a thumping 5-0 win over South Shields.

Sarll is set to take charge at Victoria Park for the first time this Saturday when Pools host Sunderland under-21s before Scunthorpe, last season's National League North runners-up, visit on Tuesday.

Pools conclude their pre-season preparations with a home game against Nottingham Forest B on August 3rd and kick-off their new National League campaign the following weekend with a long trip to Yeovil, one of Sarll's former sides.

The new boss is renowned for his emphasis on a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the team, hard work out of possession and a relentless press all over the pitch.

Pools showed signs that they were beginning to adjust to Sarll's demands during their win over South Shields but the boss feels there is still a considerable amount of work to be done, suggesting an hour of Saturday's performance was no better than "meh".

With the level of opposition set to go up a notch, Sarll is determined to use his side's next three matches to perfect his side's shape, structure and work without the ball.

"What I liked about South Shields, for the first half an hour, was that we won the ball back really high up the pitch, three of the five goals came from us winning the ball in good areas," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.

"That's got to be the foundation of our team.

"I know everyone wants to see some sort of artistry to football, especially in the modern day, but every player has 88 minutes out of 90 without the ball.

"I want those 88 minutes, the ball is the bonus.

"The 88 minutes of work ethic, stopping, staying in shape, being a team player, being a teammate, being fit, understanding your roles and responsibilities.

"I want 88 minutes, the two minute bit for me is forgivable if the 88 minutes is top, top.

"I want that, and we've got to drive that.

"For half an hour I saw that, I was really happy for half an hour but I thought the other 60 was just ok.

"I don't want to be ok, I want to be top, top.

"If I can stretch that half an hour to 60, then I think that would give us a hell of a chance.

"I like it when my teams are comfortable at 0-0 60 minutes in. I always think with our fitness levels, our mentality, the benefit now of making five subs, I think we can now take games away from people.

"The 88 minutes, for me, away from the contact of the ball, is everything.

"It's 90 odd per cent of the game. I want that bit, I don't want five per cent of the game.

"I think stretching that half an hour over the next three games is really important for everyone, whatever the sides look like.

"I think it's irrelevant, the construction of the sides, it's the principles of play, it's their fitness, their organisation, their understanding of what I expect."