Hartlepool United verdict: It's starting to feel fun for Pools under John Askey

Yes this is Hartlepool United, a fresh, improved Hartlepool it seems under John Askey this season as they turned their decent start into a very good one against Southend United.

If you’re looking for some value in your money you could do worse than attend a Hartlepool fixture at the moment. Goals appear to be a given, at both ends, and Askey’s side are displaying a quite stirring brand of attacking football at times, certainly on the break.

Crucially for Hartlepool supporters, however, is that they are beginning to exhibit signs of a team – in more than one sense.

Askey was a little unfortunate not to be able to get them over the line last season when missing out on survival by just three points, albeit there could have been no complaints that the club were relegated from the Football League.

That left a number of uncertainties heading into the new campaign when it came to matters on the pitch. How would they respond? Would there be a hangover? When would they bottom out?

All viable questions, even more so after the opening day loss at Barnet.

Askey did not hold back in the aftermath of that and you felt, then, it could go one of two ways for Hartlepool, even so early in the season.

To call out the mentality of your players is a bold move – particularly after just 90 minutes – having done so quite scathingly towards the end of last season.

It presented itself as both a challenge and a real ‘sink or swim’ kind of moment for his players. Step up, or step out.

Thankfully, they have stepped up.

Three wins have followed and, suddenly, any concerns of a relegation hangover have been sedated and the questions over when, or where, the club’s fall may bottom out appear to have been addressed.

Instead, supporters now have something to cling onto: hope.

Over the last three games they have seen their side rise to the challenge set by their manager in bouncing back from their first setback of the season and in doing so they have seen their side demonstrate there are many ways in which they can win a game of football.

In beating Gateshead, they won for the first time in the league since 2018 when going down to 10 men, that coming in a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient when Devante Rodney was dismissed in second half stoppage time.

If you were to look for a hurdle akin to the one they overcame against Gateshead, with Josh Umerah’s red card in the 54th minute, you have to go all the way back to 2013 where Pools went over an hour with 10 men to claim all three points against Plymouth Argyle. Rarely do they do it when going down to 10, which makes the response from Askey’s side in that win over Gateshead even more impressive.

Pools then went and did something they hadn’t done in 18 months when winning successive games on home soil and they did so in a manner which you couldn’t help but give the nod of approval to as they dominated Maidenhead United.

Two wins in two differing circumstances. It was just what was needed. Now the test would be whether they could replicate it away from home.

After five minutes at Roots Hall the answer to that felt as though it would be ‘no.’

It was sluggish and it was what we saw too often last season.

Once again, however, Hartlepool look to be buying into what Askey is selling them as they clawed their way back into things in Essex. Whereas before, as at Barnet, you would be forgiven for thinking they could go under, here they stood up to be counted.

It helps, of course, when you have players who can make a difference in games.

Askey has been consistent in his belief that Hartlepool have several of those at this level and when you look at the names on paper, you would be inclined to agree.

But it’s about what happens between those white lines and in Anthony Mancini, Hartlepool look to have found themselves a real talent for National League level.

The hype and adulation in pre-season could have been just that. Bluster. His last two performances would strongly suggest otherwise.

The Frenchman received a standing ovation from Southend supporters when he was substituted late in the game, many passing comments, to paraphrase, suggesting the 22-year-old was one of the best players they had seen at Roots Hall in a number of years.

And that’s because it was Mancini who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck for Hartlepool. His close control and ability to turn away from the opposition and drive up the field was immaculate at times and he was instrumental in the pendulum swinging back their way.

But Pools still needed to be able to take their chances and they did so in impressive style with Tom Crawford, Joe Grey and Charlie Seaman each producing real quality in front of goal – Grey’s in particular an excellent team goal.

It was their first away win of the season, the first time they had won three league games on the spin since February 2022 and the first time they came from behind twice in a game to win in the league since 2008.

We may only be four games into the season, but it offers huge encouragement that Askey and his players have been able to, and are, checking off such significant milestones so early in the campaign.

These kinds of wins, this kind of form, these little check marks will only instil further confidence into the squad that they can compete this season.

Speaking ahead of the fixture at Roots Hall, Southend head coach Kevin Maher suggested, with Askey the helm, it would take little time for Pools to acclimatise back in the National League, and he may be right.

“It can take time to adjust when you come down but they’ve done that and settled,” said Maher.

“The manager knows the level as well so I don’t see them having problems other teams have had.

“They’re a good footballing side, they cause teams problems and they’ve got some good players.”

And it’s that ‘cause teams problems’ aspect which is warming for Hartlepool supporters to see and hear.

Are they the finished article? Not at all. There remains work to be done defensively. Hartlepool, you suspect, won’t be able to continue getting away with conceding as often as they do. But those are things which can be worked on as the season progresses.

Going forward, however, Pools have the third highest expected goals (xG) so far this season at 7.95 but are outscoring that with 10 goals in four games.

The goals are being shared around with eight different players already adding their name to the scoresheet which, again, shows signs of promise.

There is a long way to go, of course. However, slowly but surely, there is a spring returning to the step of Hartlepool and, just as importantly, it’s starting to feel quite fun again. Long may that continue.