Dave Challinor's recruitment blueprint as he targets further additions at Hartlepool United over festive period

The Pools boss is currently scrutinising over the personnel he has at his disposal at the club following substandard performances at Woking and Harrogate Town in particular.

Challinor’s and Pools’ ambitions are to challenge for the play-offs this season and while this is still possible, several important decisions will have to be made over the coming month that could potentially dictate the rest of the campaign.

Hartlepool have already recruited Tyler Hamilton and Mark Shelton on short-term loan deals while also loaning out Myles Anderson, Adam Bale and Niko Muir.

Further outgoings are expected though Challinor has a clear idea of the type of person he’s looking to bring to the club.

“We need to bring in personnel who can deal with expectation, pressure and are used to winning but it’s obvious things can’t continue this way,” he said.

“There have been so many positives but after the last two Saturdays it’s difficult to focus on them because we have to be a winning football team and we’re not that at the moment – it’s my job to make sure we are.

“The fragility we have in the side means teams can always come back and get something even when we’re supposedly cruising in games.

“I’m not a manager who will accept or allow what happened on Saturday [at Harrogate] happen, we’ve lost a game that we should have won comfortably and it’s not frustrating, it’s completely annoying.”