Craig Hignett is no quick fix at Hartlepool United as Richard Money's new role is defined

The former director of football was given the manager's job after former boss Richard Money agreed to step aside in a meeting of the club's hierarchy on Sunday. The news was announced yesterday to a mixed reaction with fans, especially with the revelation Money would remain at the club to fulfil the duties Hignett has relinquished.

Hignett said: "Let’s hope now they stick with the manager!

"This is for the foreseeable future. I’ve thrown myself into this job as manager and it’s not a short-term thing.

"It’s not good enough for us and we want to give fans something to be excited about. That’s my job from now, starting Saturday, but I’m confident we have the right people at the club to make it a success."

Hignett has shed some light on what role Money will take up - and it won't involve his director of football title.

"I have the experience of Richard to fall back on," he said.

“It’s a big job, it’s the football infrastructure which needs looking into – physio, sports science, medical, recruitment which we have looked at since I’ve been there. The big one is the academy as we lose our funding so we have to restructure and rebuild that.

“I’m in charge of the team, he doesn’t want to be called director of football, but he will oversee things so looking forward, when we get promoted, we will be in a much better place."

In the past Hignett has gone on the record with his want to be a manager again, but also made it clear working in the too job at Pools could also be problematic for him.

After some careful consideration, he knows there is no better place for him to work.

"We had some really honest talking and it was something that Richard had started and was being honest about – where he saw himself and the role. It’s a big job. The chairman, board were of the same opinion and eventually I was. When Matty (Bates) had gone I went around telling people what a good job this was without thinking about myself," he said.

“He (Money) challenged me and asked me. I would like to manage, I’ve said that it wasn’t here and that was because I’m here to look after the chairman’s money as best I can, to protect him.

“But Richard said if I wasn’t going to be here then where would I be?

“You are relying on people who know you somewhere else. This club, from the board and support from there this time around is totally different to last time. From that point I could not go anywhere with the same level of support.

“There’s a lot of support for me from above, the club is a far better one than the one I was manager of. Moving forward we will be better, we have to be. It’s time the club settled down and I know it looks a mad club from outside.

“For me, it feels like we have settled it massively and the chairman has cleared the debts. We have made massive strides forward, but the disappointment is that we haven’t done that on the pitch."