Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone slams Woking thrashing as most embarrassing moment of his life
Hartlepool United manager Nicky Featherstone slammed Saturday's 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Woking as the most embarrassing moment of his life.
Pools endured a nightmarish start to an exciting new era as they were outplayed, outclassed and outfought by a Woking side who had been without a win in any of their last four matches in the first game since American businessman and investor Landon Smith completed his surprise takeover of the club on New Year's Eve.
Featherstone has been on the wrong end of his fair share of disappointing results - the 7-0 defeat to rivals Gateshead in March 2023 springs to mind, as well as two humbling cup exits at the hands of Northern Premier League opponents since he took over as manager - but Saturday's trouncing in Surrey was a bitter pill to swallow.
Indeed, it was a result that even the most pessimistic of Pools fans - not to mention the most optimistic of Cardinals supporters - would have struggled to see coming, with Featherstone's side so impressive during their statement win over league leaders Rochdale last time out.
What's more, Pools had been buoyed by the news of Smith's takeover of the club, bringing to an end Raj Singh's hugely turbulent and controversial reign; even if the news might not have had the same impact on the players as it has on the fanbase, supporters must surely have expected to see some sort of spring in their side's step.
Yet it was hard to find much to feel hopeful about in what must rank as among the worst Pools performances in recent memory.
For all Woking deserve huge credit for a purposeful, productive and controlled showing, Pools looked lacklustre, leggy and lacking in ideas.
Having laid down a real marker during their dominant win over Dale, it was little surprise to see Featherstone stick with the same 3-4-3 formation that had served him so well in Lancashire, with the returning Reiss McNally, who replaced Jack Hunter for his first start since September 13, the only change in personnel.
Yet Pools failed to do any of the things that had made them so effective against Rochdale - having pressed so relentlessly and pushed themselves high up the pitch, Featherstone's side sat back, invited pressure and left frontman Alex Reid, once again, painfully isolated up top on his own.
Perhaps the biggest concern, however, was the lack of fight from the visitors, who looked crestfallen throughout and appeared to wave the white flag after the normally reliable Cameron John was sent off on the stroke of half time.
Pools were punished for a slow start when the impressive Luton loanee Olly Sanderson stole in front of John to head home his sixth goal of the season, while the hosts doubled their lead when the towering Chinwike Okoli, surely the one man the visitors should have been keeping an eye on in the area, was allowed far too much time and space at the back post to score from close range.
Just when Pools must have been hoping to make it to half time and have the chance to regroup, John saw red in the third minute of first half added time following a reckless lunge on the outstanding Josh Osude. Osude, who had been getting the better of John from almost the first minute, pinched possession and skinned the York loanee, who lashed out in frustration, steaming in from behind and leaving referee Calum Walchester little choice but to give him his marching orders.
From there, it always felt like Pools were going to have a mountain to climb but the visitors never even managed to leave base camp, with Woking in complete control throughout a second half that had more than a hint of embarrassment about it for Featherstone's side.
Having stemmed the tide for a time, the contest became a rout late on as Harry Beautyman, so often the scourge of Pools, produced a deft first-time finish with 14 minutes of normal time remaining before substitute Ashley Boatswain added insult to injury late on.
Pools now have it all to do if they're to have any chance of overhauling seventh-placed Southend in the race for the National League play-off places, while Featherstone's attempts to convince the new ownership he is the right man to lead the club beyond this season could hardly have got off to a worse start.
"It wasn't good enough today - we didn't run enough, we didn't fight enough," the Pools boss told BBC Radio Tees Sport.
"The message from me ever since I've been here has been that we're National League players, we have shortcomings and we're going to lack in certain qualities and stuff like that. What we can't lack in is the ability to run around, work hard and fight for each other - I didn't see that right from the off.
"If I'm totally honest, I didn't see that coming after the Rochdale game. That's a massive surprise for me, I'll take it on the chin; I picked that XI, that's on me.
"There's got to be a mentality shift from this group of players, the drop off from when we play well to when we play poorly is too much. You're not going to win games of football being so up and down, so that's something we've got to address in the coming weeks and see if we can get more consistency in our game.
"I've said it right from the off since I've come in, we don't deal with setbacks well. We started the game poorly, we went 1-0 down and we can't respond to that setback.
"It's tough, they're an honest group of lads usually - I didn't see that today in terms of their physical output, their running, but they do give it their all day in, day out. For me, that was a massive shock and I can't put my finger on it; we've prepared as normal, the preparation's been good, the lads have been in good spirits after Rochdale. I didn't see it coming.
"When we do have a setback we lose all sorts of discipline, we don't play within our shape, we're running everywhere; that doesn't help, just play the system.
"Then Cam John lets you down with a silly tackle. Again, that's the ill-discipline; when things aren't going our way, we make silly decisions and that's cost us massively.
"I've never been so embarrassed in my life. I've had a few really embarrassing results in my time as manager - we've had some really good ones as well.
"It doesn't help my case, this sort of performance and result. I never saw that coming."