Keith Curle's strict Hartlepool United message following Christmas party decision after Stockport County thrashing

Pools were beaten 5-0 by Stockport at the Suit Direct Stadium on what was Curle’s first game in charge of the club on a permanent basis.

But despite the heavy defeat, and Hartlepool sitting at the bottom of the League Two table, Curle refrained from cancelling the club’s Christmas party, but, with it, issued a clear warning to his players that the decision was not to be mistaken as a sign of weakness.

“That was in my message. The players now, they’ve got their Christmas do,” Curle explained after the defeat to Stockport.

"The old me would have cancelled it, and would have cancelled their day off on a Sunday and they would have been in, but I’ve said to the players I’m not going to cancel their Christmas do, but don’t take it as a sign of weakness and don’t take it as a sign of acceptance."

And Curle is hoping his decision will have allowed players to resolve any issues they had about such a heavy defeat, and the club’s situation, with one another.

“At lot of it comes from the changing room. Nobody is doing it on purpose,” he told The Mail.

"They haven’t gone ‘the game is a little bit boring at 0-0, lets give them a chance and open the game up.’ I genuinely believe the players are trying their hardest.”