Hartlepool United manager "genuinely believes" Pools can challenge for National League play-off place this season
New Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone insists he "genuinely believes" his side can challenge for a National League play-off place this season.
While Pools still have a lot of work to do, a run of seven matches unbeaten under Featherstone has given them a fighting chance of gatecrashing the top seven this term.
Although Saturday's disappointing defeat at the hands of a resurgent Yeovil saw Pools miss out on the chance to climb into the play-off places for the first time since September, even the most optimistic of fans would have struggled to imagine their side being in such a strong position when Simon Grayson was sacked following a miserable run of just one win in 11 matches.
While performances have, other than the hugely impressive showing during last month's dominant win over Eastleigh, been more battling than breathtaking, Pools have made significant strides under Featherstone and are beginning to look like a side capable of, at least, challenging for the play-offs.
Even so, many fans will not accept a mere challenge for the top seven, with supporters keen to see their side qualify for the play-offs and give themselves a chance to return to the Football League.
Although it remains to be seen exactly, there is also a feeling 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 another season of relative mid-table mediocrity ahead of "a review of performance" to determine Featherstone's future at the end of the campaign.
Despite the fact that seventh placed Southend, who are two points clear of Pools, have two games in hand while Scunthorpe, who are sixth and also have a game in hand, have already opened up a seven-point gap, Featherstone remains bullish about his side's chances of sneaking into the play-off places come the end of the season.
"We've got lots of quality in the squad," the new Pools boss told the official club website.
"We've got a good mentality and we've got different qualities all over the pitch, whether we have to defend - our defensive record is up there with the best in this league - or be more expansive.
"We just need to add a few more goals to our game but there's loads and loads of quality right throughout the squad, not just the starting XI but we've got players who can come on and change games. We've got quality on the bench and in the squad as well.
"This is a squad that should be battling where we are at the minute, what we've got to do is find a level of consistency with the performances which then will take care of the results.
"If we get that right - the performance levels - then I genuinely believe that we should be in with a shot to push for the play-offs and get after one of those spots."