Hartlepool United are 'very serious' about the January window with new manager Graeme Lee assured there are funds available

Lee and Nelson were both unveiled to the media on Thursday alongside non-executive director Adrian Bevington.

And Bevington has suggested Lee will have a competitive budget available to him in the January transfer window should he need it with the club keen not to stand still in League Two.

“We’re not here as a football club, as a board or as a team management, to tread water,” Bevington explained.

“We have a healthy budget at this club, a very healthy budget.

“The owner has already spent a budget comparable to a team who was promoted last year and there’s more money to come into the team in the January window.

“We’ve added to that with the appointment of Lee Turnbull which is another important appointment for the football club.

“We’re very serious about January to see how far we can take the team this season and then beyond that with Graeme and Michael.”

Those words will be music to the ears of Pools supporters and both Lee and Nelson after they analyse their new squad over the coming month.

But Lee believes the current squad, who sit 17th in the League Two table following five defeats in a row, has more than enough quality among it to ensure a successful season without the need for a major overhaul.

“I haven’t come in because there’s been problems with the club or the team have been struggling,” Lee explained.

“Dave Challinor did a fantastic job and up until his departure the team was in a good place, but he’s moved on. So it’s not about how much we can change, it's about getting us back on track and keeping the high standards.

“Its been a difficult few weeks for the players. We’ve been there as players when there’s been a bit of uncertainty and you can just drop off a bit. It’s not about me changing the world.”

But Lee did reveal his new squad will get their opportunity to prove themselves over the course of the next month as we head into the January window, with a number of them doing so in the midweek win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Papa John’s Trophy while Lee will get to grips hands on with the squad in Saturday’s FA Cup tie.

“We’ve had discussions but the squad is good,” said Lee.

“Targets, if we bring them in, have to be better than what we’ve got. They have to improve the squad and they have to be ready to impact the team straight away.

“But the lads have got a month to show us what they’ve got and make it hard for us if we want to improve it.

“We spoke many times to Raj and Adrian. Raj has said there’s backing there for me in January if we need to improve the team and the squad. Money is there. So the ambition is there and the bottom line is, we want to win football games.”

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