Gary Liddle and Adam Clayton are just at the start of their journeys in the coaching world but have a chance to add further experience when they lead Hartlepool United this weekend. Pools travel to Scunthorpe United looking to turn around a poor start to the season, six defeats from the opening nine National League games leading Lee Clark to resign as head coach last weekend. While the club looks to appoint his successor over the coming weeks, Liddle and Clayton will lead the team. Owner Landon Smith is due in the North East next week and in the meantime Liddle & Clayton have been liaising with Leigh Bromby and Chris Maxwell from Bromby & Partners who oversee football matters at the club. Ahead of the weekend trip to Scunthorpe, the pair have been reflecting on their new roles and life at Pools. Which Hartlepool United games are on DAZN and how to watch Speaking at the club’s Maiden Castle training base, Clayton, assistant first team head coach and former Matlock Town manager, told the Mail: “If we were to win on Saturday, I think it buys them more time to sort the affairs out of what's needed. For us, we are not interested in getting involved in the decision-making process or the process in itself. We're two young coaches who will gain from, whether it's one game of experience at this level or one week of putting a team together and we're really enjoying that. “And if it lasts two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks, and we win five in a row, who knows? But let's just take Saturday and really have a go and try and send the fans back with a smile. That's what we want,” added the former Middlesbrough midfielder. The Mail has launched a new WhatsApp HUFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our HUFC WhatsApp channel. Liddle, Pools first team coach and former manager of Northern Premier League side Whitby Town, added: “I know we're young coaches, but we've both had experience as managers albeit in a league or two below, but it's the same idea. Clayts had a couple of years at Matlock, I had a couple of years at Whitby. So all the things that come with that side, managing players and managing personalities, and managing tactics, we know that anyway. So the club can take as long as they need to. Obviously the result Saturday will probably dictate that a little bit more, but I'm quite comfortable that for the time that we're in charge that the club is in safe hands.” When pressed on whether either would be throwing their names in the hat for the top job, Clayton added: “If we win 10 in a row, then I think we've got a chance! But it's not even a discussion we've had it's been so full-on, the surprise of what happened. I've never really asked Lidds but my goal was to be a manager in the future. That's something that I'm gearing towards, in no rush whatsoever, which was why I wanted to work under Lee and the experience that he brings. I've got much more learning to do. “Football changes very quickly so we'll just leave the club to their own devices and hopefully we can hand the club over or whatever happens, we've a lot of points in the bank. That's all we're concerned about right now.” Get the latest Hartlepool United headlines in your inbox with our free Pools newsletter. Clayton is loving the coaching side at Pools, he added: “Yeah, really good. It's the next best thing and you're out on the training pitch every day. I still join in, to be fair, in training. It's probably worse on a match day, when you know the work that you've put in to try and get the result. If you win, it's an even better feeling, but if you lose, it's an even worse feeling. Love working with Lidds and the lads and let's see if we can put a smile back on the town's face.” Liddle added: “It’s the day-to-day work and trying to improve players I think is the main thing. We're both quite fresh into it really over the last year or two. I won't say we've been shot into the deep end but we've been shot into a football club with real expectancy. I've loved the challenge of that. I've enjoyed it. I stepped up from the academy last season when Feaths [Nicky Featherstone] was manager and I've loved every minute of that and I think I'm quite content in my mind now that it's something I want to do for a long, long time or as long as I possibly can. “If I can help these players and help this football club, most importantly, as we mentioned earlier, it's a football club I hold really close to my heart and have great affinity with both as a football club and with the fan base. I'm really proud to have been a player, really proud to have been a coach and I'm really proud to have stepped up in the interim.” So how does team selection work with two caretaker bosses? Clayton added: “I think we're quite close to the same opinion on things. The fact that we've been in the building, we know where certain people are at, fitness-wise, mentally, wherever it might be. There'll be a lot of discussion and ultimately someone's got to make the decision. “We'll make a decision but I think we're quite close to knowing what we want to do and it's up to the players to train well. There are two days of training left - that can change the team.” Given Pools have lost six of their opening nine games it would be understandable for confidence among the players to be low given the high expectations after a major summer overhaul with a large budget and 14 new signings. How, then, has the season’s results impacted the players so far? Liddle added: “There's a good group of technical players down there and good quality players but I think the issue is where we're at results-wise has probably affected them mentally probably more than we thought. “We've started the process of addressing that this week and that will be fine. Training has been good. We've got some good professional players down there in the dressing room. As with any manager leaving you get players who are disappointed, you get players who are pleased, and that's the nature of the beast, unfortunately. We'll prepare the team right and crack on with this week as though it was a normal week, but obviously stamp our own authority on it,” he told BBC Tees Sport. And now is the time for the leaders within the club to step up too - in all departments. Clayton added: “Yeah, 100 per cent and that's throughout the club. That's Sam, the analyst. That's physio Dan. It's sports science Dan. We all have to look at what went on for the manager to leave. Can we do one per cent more? Can we show the extra video? Whatever it might be, every single person in this building has to take accountability and try and improve from this position because, like we say, we'll talk about the playing staff. It's a really good group of players. “I think the attitude and the endeavour and the work rate, the numbers are off the chart in terms of running and distances and stuff. For me, can we improve on that final action in terms of when you get there, you don't get beat down the line or you win that header and things like that. So it's never been a question of the effort put in. Can we be a bit more clinical in every action at the end of that?” Your next Hartlepool United read: Scunthorpe United boss refutes pressure claim after Lee Clark's Hartlepool United exit
