Hartlepool United: should fans be optimistic or anxious ahead of new National League season?

Certainly, there are one or two positive signs and Pools look to have made a decent start to their summer business. The return of Brad Walker, who was announced as the club's first summer signing on Friday, divided opinion among fans; the 29-year-old, who can play in midfield or defence, was a popular figure during his first spell at Victoria Park, making 123 appearances, but has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons. His last appearance for Tranmere was on New Year's Day, meaning the next six weeks of pre-season will be pivotal as he bids to get back up to speed and put his recent fitness issues behind him.

Pools have also secured the signing of centre-half Reiss McNally, who was an integral part of the Kidderminster side that finished in the National League North play-offs last season, as well as energetic full-back Jay Benn, who was a member of the Bradford side that were crowned League Two champions last term. On the face of it, two decent bits of business; both new arrivals are a good age to develop but also possess much-needed experience, look to be powerful athletes, are versatile and arrive with positive reviews from their previous clubs.

Pools are set to begin their pre-season campaign next Tuesday with a trip to neighbours FC Hartlepool. In truth, the warm-up schedule is not the most inspiring; after games against local sides Whitby and Redcar, Pools take on big names Rangers, Leeds and Middlesbrough, although all three are expected to send young teams without many of their star names and first team players. The visit of National League North side South Shields - which will include the return of defender Dan Dodds, who left Pools to join the Mariners last month - on August 2, a week before the new season begins, will provide an interesting indication as to where Grayson's side are truly at.

Pools will need to work hard to add to their side between now and then. As it stands, they have 14 players under contract, including teenagers Louis Stephenson and Campbell Darcy as well as veteran Nicky Featherstone, who will turn 37 in September but should still have something to offer, on and off the pitch. The club are believed to be closing in on a deal for experienced right-back Callum Johnson, while the Hartlepool Mail revealed on Tuesday that Adam Richardson, Jake Hull, Ben Williams and Josh Harrop are all on trial at the club. The likes of Scunthorpe's Maxim Kouogun and Gateshead's Joe Grayson, the new manager's son, have both been linked with a move to Victoria Park.

Grayson senior arrives at Victoria Park with an impressive reputation. Having had success as a player with the likes of Leicester, where he made over 200 appearances and won the League Cup in 1997, Grayson has won four promotions as a manager, leading Blackpool, Leeds, Huddersfield and Preston North End from League One to the Championship.

There are, however, one or two concerns about the fact that his last spell managing in England was in 2021, his last promotion was in 2015, while he has never managed a non-league side. Nonetheless, Grayson revealed in a club interview that spells managing in India and Nepal, where he led Lalitpur City to the Nepalese Super League title in April, made him "a better human being, but a better coach as well" while time watching his son, Joe, at Gateshead has given him the chance to familiarise himself with England's relentless fifth tier.

Even so, he has a lot of work to do and a whole host of challenges ahead of him. Clearly, recruitment is likely to be the new manager's number one priority; alongside head of football Joe Monks, Grayson appears to have made a decent start in that regard and his long list of contacts will no doubt come in handy. Equally important, however, will be doing all he can to keep hold of influential attacking pair Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey. Grayson met with Dieseruvwe and Grey, who are both out of contract, last month amidst growing fears that the pair are set to leave over the coming weeks. Pools already have a lot of work to do when it comes to recruitment; replacing Grey's drive and commitment and Dieseruvwe's goals will make a difficult task almost impossible.

The new boss will also need to decide on a captain following the departure of Luke Waterfall. That will, presumably, be an easy decision; Tom Parkes, who wore the armband in Waterfall's absence for large parts of last season, looks to be the skipper-in-waiting. The pitch, which was the subject of considerable controversy and debate last season, also needs work over the summer. Of course, that is likely beyond Grayson's control and the experienced manager is renowned more for his pragmatism than a slavish commitment to possession-based play, which should help Pools adapt no matter the conditions.

Perhaps Grayson's biggest task will be bringing the feelgood factor back to Victoria Park. Most new managers will likely think that winning football matches is enough to get fans going and all pulling in the same direction. At Pools, the situation is more complicated and there remains a sense of ill-feeling towards owner Raj Singh following a dramatic and controversial few months off the pitch which could still have a few more twists in the tale before the dust finally settles. For his part, Singh remains optimistic about his side's chances of challenging for promotion next season and has invested £315,000 in cash to the club since the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Despite that, if Pools are indeed to achieve success, then they'll likely have to do it the hard way. There is no getting away from the fact that the club lost ground on their National League rivals as off-field issues took precedence in the weeks after the end of last season, while Pools will have to cut their cloth accordingly and cannot hope to compete with the financial muscle of the likes of York, Carlisle and Forest Green Rovers. Pools will need to rely on heart, spirit, determination and togetherness - values synonymous with the team and the town but generally lacking since relegation back to the National League in 2023. Grayson will need to use all his experience and nous as he gears up for one of the toughest tests of his long and distinguished managerial career.

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