Exclusive:The 'vital' quality Pete Wild will bring to Hartlepool United
Former Hartlepool United midfielder Don Hutchison has discussed Pete Wild’s appointment at Victoria Park.
Former Hartlepool United midfielder Don Hutchison believes Pete Wild’s National League experience will be ‘vital’ as he looks to oversee an improvement in fortunes at Victoria Park.
The former FC Halifax Town and Barrow boss was named as permanent successor to Lee Clark earlier this month and has experienced mixed fortunes during his first three weeks in charge. After bouncing back from a narrow home defeat against Tamworth by earning what could be a crucial win at Forest Green Rovers, Wild’s side fell to a National League Cup defeat against Newcastle United Under-21s before suffering an FA Cup fourth qualifying round defeat against Marine last Saturday afternoon.
Speaking in his post-match briefing with the local media in the aftermath of the latter of those defeats, Wild admitted he had delivered some ‘home truths’ to his players in the dressing room and revealed the task facing him at The Vic was far greater than he expected. Hutchison believes the experience provided by Wild can help Pools improve - despite conceding he will have to improve the mood around the squad as soon as possible.
Speaking to The Mail via BetBrain, he said: “It will be vital. He needs to draw on previous seasons and situations he has dealt with before. He also has to improve the mood around the squad. That is such an important part of modern football: creating an environment where players feel good and the dressing room is healthy. Look at managers such as Lionel Scaloni with Argentina, Luis de la Fuente with Spain or Fabian Hürzeler at Brighton. Their routes into those jobs have been different, but they create good environments and manage people well. When the atmosphere is positive and you start winning, momentum can take you a long way. That could be crucial for Hartlepool.”
Investment
Hutchison, who kickstarted his career at Victoria Park before going on to play for the likes of Liverpool, Sunderland and West Ham United, admitted he was saddened by the situation at his old club and urged Pools to give Wild time and money to spend as he looks to spark an upturn in fortunes.
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He said: “It is sad, honestly. I thought Lee Clark might be the person to galvanise the club, but it did not work out and he ended up resigning. They stopped the rot at the weekend [at Forest Green Rovers] after an awful run, but the biggest things you need at that level are stability and investment.
“The new manager has to be given time and, if the club can find it, some money to strengthen. You cannot simply rely on finding gems in the youth team to get out of the National League. They need experienced players who know the division, have been through difficult situations and can help move Hartlepool back towards League Two. If they get there, investment remains important. Whatever division you are in, you need the resources to improve.”