Exclusive:Hartlepool United 'have been given the tools' to succeed in the National League this season
Hartlepool United host Barrow on the opening day of the National League season this weekend.
The new National League season is now just days away and Hartlepool United will hope they will see the fruits of their labour on the training pitch when they open up their campaign with a home game against Barrow on Saturday.
It has been a summer of change at Victoria Park with new head coach Lee Clark and head of recruitment Chris Beech overseeing a major overhaul of the playing ranks ahead of the new season. That process started just weeks after the end of last season as 13 players departed before an impressive recruitment drive brought the likes of FC Halifax Town striker Will Harris and former Morecambe duo Jack Nolan and Chris Popov to the club.
The final pieces in the jigsaw arrived with Chelsea goalkeeper Max Merrick and former Middlesbrough stopper Nathan Fisher and the squad is now looking prepared for the challenges that lie in wait. First-team coach Gary Liddle admitted there is a ‘different feel’ around the club and he believes they have been given ‘all of the tools’ they need to succeed.
He told The Mail: “A new season and a new staff always brings a bit of excitement and optimism. The new players have done that too and there’s always optimism at the start of every season with Hartlepool because there is that expectation. It hasn’t quite worked out in different years but there is a different feel this year. I think we feel we can really challenge at the right end of the table and it’s up to us to do that now. We have been given the tools to do that, we’ve got the players in and there has been some really hard graft put in on the training pitch. Now it’s about hoping that all comes to fruition on the pitch on Saturday.”
‘Great excitement’
One of the most promising aspects of Pools’ pre-season campaign has been the togetherness that has been forged amongst a largely new-look squad. With so many new players brought into the club since the end of last season, Liddle revealed the Pools coaching staff have used invaluable time on the Maiden Castle training pitches and some team building activities to forge a spirit that he hopes can carry them to success during the new season.
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He said: “Working with each other every day always brings that togetherness - but I think it’s being able to do that without any pre-season tours or anything like that. We’ve spent so much time in and around Maiden Castle, that helps. We’ve done team bonding in other ways, we’ve been going out for meals together. It seems a tight-knit group and the key thing is pretty much everyone is new to Hartlepool. It brings great excitement for them as individuals and now we are just looking forward to what will hopefully be a good season because the fans deserve it.”
Gary Liddle was talking after taking part in the ‘Let’s Kick Diabetes’ charity match at South Shields FC. The fundraising target of £10,000 has now been surpassed but donations can still be made here.
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