Lee Clark issues demand from Hartlepool United squad after three straight defeats ahead of Woking test
Hartlepool United host Woking at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon (KO 3pm).
Lee Clark has outlined what he expects from his Hartlepool United players as they bid to turn round a three-game losing streak.
The Pools head coach is demanding his side get back to their 'high-tempo, high-intensity' approach which saw them win the opening two games of the National League campaign. The Pools boss was speaking at his pre-match press conference at Maiden Castle in the aftermath of another defeat for Pools, it is now three defeats on the spin with a 1-0 loss away at Halifax Town.
Pools were backed by an impressive away following of 650 fans but it was another disappointing defeat for Pools and head coach Clark. Pools had started the season well with back-to-back wins over Barrow and Aldershot Town but since then they have been beaten by Sutton United, Eastleigh and now Halifax Town.
Pools will hope to bounce back strongly at Victoria Park on Saturday when Woking visit.
Clark said: "When you lose it's always difficult and having three of those on the spin, you know, is tough. Within those, we didn't deserve to lose the Eastleigh game. We played that one fantastic, especially with half a game with ten men. We could even have won that game, so to lose it in the manner we did. But certainly in the other two, Sutton and Halifax the other night, there's a bit of disappointment, certainly the other night, because when I've watched the game back, the first 20 to 23 minutes, we were the team in the ascendancy, were playing some good football, creating some good chances, shots, attempts at goal, combinations, crosses coming into the box, winning plenty of set plays.
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"We didn't capitalise, and it's the old cliche about scoring when you're on top. We're not being clinical enough, and that's not just aimed at the attackers, that's aimed at everybody in terms of the team. We have to all chip in with goals, but we also have to be more aggressive from our set plays.
"We've got players who deliver good set plays and we have to be more aggressive from those. We've got to get back to being that high-tempo, high-intensity team, front foot, playing without fear and, yeah, that's it, basically, in a nutshell," he told BBC Sport Tees.
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