Gary Liddle & Adam Clayton open up on Lee Clark's Hartlepool United exit and message for squad
Gary Liddle & Adam Clayton take charge of Hartlepool United this weekend away at Scunthorpe United.
Joint Hartlepool United caretaker bosses Gary Liddle and Adam Clayton have been opening up about Lee Clark’s Pools exit after he resigned in the immediate aftermath of the defeat to Worthing.
Clark made the shock announcement within minutes of the final whistle of last weekend’s 3-1 home defeat after a disappointing start to the season with six defeats from the opening nine National League games. First team coaching staff members Liddle and Clayton have been placed in temporary charge while the new head coach hunt is ongoing.
Club owner Landon Smith is due in the North East next week, with Pools away at Scunthorpe United on Saturday prior to home games against Harrogate Town on Tuesday and Tamworth the following Saturday. Speaking at the club’s Maiden Castle training base in Durham, Liddle and Clayton faced the media prior to the trip to Scunthorpe in the National League.
Liddle said: “Ultimately, the results haven't been good enough at the start of the season. As is normally the case, the fall guy is usually the manager, unfortunately. It was a bit surprising on everyone's part, probably you guys [media] as well included in that.
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“The dust settled over the weekend and we came back in Monday morning, we briefed the lads and explained the situation and what it would look like going forward and then all eyes turned to Scunny, obviously. It's a big game, but what I will say on behalf of me and Clayts, is that Lee's a really good guy. He did all he could to make Hartlepool United successful, the hours and the work that he put into his work. He left no stone unturned.
“Disappointment that it didn't work out for him and we wish him all the best, obviously. We will front it for however long that may be and we'll see how it goes from there,” Liddle told BBC Tees Sport.
Clayton was asked what the immediate aftermath was like once Clark made it known he had resigned, the former Middlesbrough midfielder said: “It was obviously very out of the blue and shock, but I think the manager is his own man and there were no discussions held. He popped out of the office and did it. Again, telling the group, never nice.
“When a manager leaves, I've been through a fair few in my career, it's never nice. But there's only one way to go in football and speaking to Lee afterwards, he just wants the club to do well, just like me and Lidds. Our focus is nothing more than Saturday. I know a lot of people say that, but it is, especially for this group. I think a lot of expectation was put on them at the start of the season and rightly so. We've got some good players, but it's a different environment when you're trying to win, and you have to win every week. So I think taking that expectation away now, which I think we can as interim bosses, it's just about Saturday.
“[At the moment] it's not about getting promotion - it's about winning Saturday and then build them blocks to hopefully think about that come the end of the season.”
Your next Hartlepool United read: Scunthorpe United boss refutes pressure claim after Lee Clark's Hartlepool United exit