'Home truths' - Pete Wild makes bold admission over Hartlepool United challenge
Hartlepool United head coach Pete Wild assessed the challenge he is facing following his side’s FA Cup defeat against Marine.
Pete Wild believes the challenge he is facing to improve the fortunes of Hartlepool United is twice as big as he expected when he agreed to take charge at Victoria Park.
The former Barrow boss is now four games into his Victoria Park reign and last weekend’s 4-2 win at Forest Green Rovers is the sole highlight of that time. The other three fixtures have ended in defeat with a narrow home loss against Tamworth coming just 48 hours after his appointment was confirmed before Pools suffered a 2-1 defeat in a National League Cup tie against Newcastle United Under-21s earlier this week.
However, the unquestionable low point of the early weeks of Wild’s reign and perhaps the season as a whole came on Saturday when National League North club Marine dumped Pools out of the FA Cup. The Pools head coach was understandably angry and frustrated with his players at full-time and he revealed some members of his squad ‘needed some truths’ to realise the challenges facing them over the coming weeks and months.
He said: “What I knew, I already knew and at 5 o’clock I conveyed that openly to the players, more than keeping that to myself. There are a few of them needed some home truths around where they are at and where they think they are at. So it’s another week on the training pitch and we have to try and put things right. We’ve got another home game coming up where we need to win.
“It’s double the challenge I thought it was, it’s double the challenge - but again, there is a real opportunity to fix if, of which I have no doubt I will. But there is a real challenge at this football club to get it where it needs to be to get it to where it needs to be to compete.”
Join the Mail’s WhatsApp HUFC Channel for the latest news, analysis and injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join.
‘You’ve got to try and find a way’
Wild refuted any suggestions he would have to go back to the drawing board in a bid to instigate an upturn in fortunes over the coming weeks - but did hint he may have to utilise a more pragmatic approach to the game as he looks to get this side back to winning ways when they return to National League action in next Saturday’s home game with Hornchurch.
When asked if the cup exit was a low point, Wild said: “No, because I don’t think I’ve got off the ground yet. We are low, we are at a low position and we have to try and move our way through it. As I said to you last week at Forest Green, it’s probably going to be a bumpy, rocky road for the next six to eight weeks until we can get consistency of performance - but it’s the fifth tier of English football for a reason and consistency is not in high supply because it’s the fifth league of English football. You’ve got to try and find a way, a pragmatic way to try and get results on the board.”
Your next Hartlepool United read: Hartlepool United defender Reiss McNally calls for character after shock FA Cup defeat