Hartlepool United's three most recent permanent signings suggest recruitment is heading in the right direction

While not all of the loan signings made since the start of the campaign have hit the mark, the acquisitions of Nicky Featherstone, Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall suggest the new look recruitment team could be well-placed to steer Pools through a successful close-season.

After long-term injuries to Dan Dodds and Anthony Mancini occurred within 72 hours of one another in August, combined with the fact that a number of last summer's signings have failed to find their feet in the North East, the club have been forced to make a series of loan signings in order to plug gaps in their squad.

Those, admittedly, have met with mixed results, although loan deals are low risk and often don't cost the club anything.

Manager Kevin Phillips, newly-appointed chief scout Ronnie Moore and head of football Joe Monks will be looking to have more success this summer - for each of them, their first at the club - and build a settled squad capable of challenging for promotion.

Looking at the three permanent acquisitions to have arrived at the club since Joe Monks took up his role, the signs are promising.

One of the first things Monks did following his appointment was facilitate the re-signing of Nicky Featherstone, who returned to the club after departing in the summer just a week after the new head of football joined from Stockport.

Featherstone's calm and control had been sorely lacking from the Pools midfield prior to his return and he has been an ever-present since rejoining, featuring 30 times and taking over the captaincy from David Ferguson.

In the new year, Monks moved to sign experienced defenders Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall, with Parkes arriving on January 8 and Waterfall following hot on the heels of new boss Kevin Phillips.

The pair have made a huge difference to Pools' defensive fortunes, leading their new side to three of their five league clean sheets this season.

Like Featherstone, the defensive duo were brought in to strengthen a previously problematic position and have brought more than just their quality as footballers to the side.

Parkes boasts more than 400 career appearances while Waterfall has twice captained sides to promotion from the National League and the two men have had a positive impact on those around them, with David Ferguson impressing since their arrival and goalkeeper Pete Jameson looking much more sure of himself after returning to the team against Southend.

What Monks has done well is to recruit players who benefit the team both on and off the pitch, while also prioritising positions where Pools have looked weakest - a welcome change from the sometimes slapdash approach favoured by previous regimes.

Now, with Kevin Phillips signalling his intent for a summer rebuild and chief scout Ronnie Moore bringing decades of expertise to the table, the three-pronged recruitment team look like being the perfect trio to create a squad capable of pushing for the National League play-offs this season.

With a solid core, notably the aforementioned Featherstone, Parkes and Waterfall, to build around, as well as 20-goal talisman Mani Dieseruvwe and promising youngsters Joe Grey and Louis Stephenson, a number of shrewd summer signings should stand Pools in good stead ahead of next season.

And with the success of the first three players to come through the door during this new era, supporters can look forward to an exciting summer.