New Hartlepool United manager Simon Grayson calls on Pools fans to "stick together"

The former Blackpool, Leeds and Preston boss, who replaced head coach Anthony Limbrick earlier this month following a spell managing in India and Nepal, has a big job on his hands. Pools have lost ground on most of their National League rivals in the wake of a dramatic and controversial few months on and off the pitch and have just 11 players under contract ahead of their return for pre-season on Monday. Perhaps Grayson's biggest challenge will be contending with the sense of ill-feeling among fans, who have grown frustrated with the direction of the club under controversial owner and chairman Raj Singh. If Pools cannot make a bright start to the new campaign, then things could well threaten to spill over.

Yet despite the difficult circumstances Grayson inherits, the new boss is hoping to add a fifth promotion in England to his CV at Victoria Park. Pools will face an uphill battle and will have to compete with the financial pulling power of the likes of York, Carlisle and Forest Green, who are expected to be among the favourites next term. A lot will depend on the next couple of months, with Pools needing to move quickly to assemble a squad capable of competing let alone challenging when the campaign kicks off in August; on the one hand, Grayson will be looking to welcome a whole host of new recruits while on the other, he'll be eager to keep hold of popular attackers Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey, who are both out of contract this summer.

When things are going well, the supporters at Victoria Park can be among the club's greatest assets. Yet Pools are running the very real risk of alienating even more of the fanbase if they cannot, against the odds, achieve success next season. Grayson, speaking to the official club website, has called for supporters to come together as he bids to buck the depressing recent trend of managerial failure.

"Let's work together," he said.

"Yes, I'm not naive enough to know that things haven't been easy and there are some fractures at this football club. But, let's work together - when the team are playing at home, let's have that positive attitude that makes this place a real fortress. This can be a place that the opposition can dread coming to. We've got to produce performances to do that.

"Let's stick together as one happy family and hopefully, come the end of the season, we'll all be celebrating something successful. Whether that's promotion or getting into the play-offs - getting into the play-offs is probably the least we need to do.

"Let's stick together, win together, lose together, draw together - let's enjoy it together."

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