Simon Grayson insists Adam Campbell, Sam Folarin and Louis Stephenson remain part of his plans despite Yeovil Town snub
Hartlepool United manager Simon Grayson insists the likes of Adam Campbell, Sam Folarin and Louis Stephenson remain part of his plans despite their omission from the squad in last weekend's National League opener against Yeovil Town.
Pools made the long trip to the South West without a number of senior players. Clearly, the fact that Pools have enough strength in depth to be able to leave players at home can be taken as a positive sign, but for the unfortunate few who found themselves watching on from afar on Saturday that will be scant consolation. The fact that Grayson named three central-midfielders - Brad Walker, Jack Hunter and Nicky Featherstone - as substitutes for the long trip to Huish Park but left both Campbell and Folarin out despite limited options in an attacking sense on his bench was perhaps a sign of how far the forwards have fallen down the pecking order.
Campbell in particular endured a torrid season last term, appearing to lack confidence and finding himself on the fringes of the side at the end of the campaign. Having turned down a new deal with Crawley after helping the West Sussex side win an unlikely promotion to League One in the 2023/24 season, big things were expected from the diminutive attacker on his return to the North East but he found things tough going, scoring just three times in 40 appearances. Folarin, likewise, struggled to make much of an impact after sealing a permanent move from League Two Harrogate in January and was reduced to two starts and 14 substitute appearances, scoring once, while Louis Stephenson, a popular figure who still looks to have plenty of promise, found himself out of favour and shipped out on loan before returning to the fold under Anthony Limbrick, missing a gilt-edged chance to win the game on his first appearance in five-and-a-half months against Maidenhead that left him in tears before receiving a needless red card, the first of his career, in April's draw with Dagenham and Redbridge.
"We took 18 players with us, and I just felt that would be the 18 that would get us the result," Grayson told BBC Radio Tees Sport.
"It's no slight on the lads that were left out of the squad. It's a position that players probably won't enjoy having - and I'm talking in general, all of them - where if I've got everybody available, then it gives me a nice little issue. That's going to be difficult for players to understand, but different games will require different people. This weekend (against Braintree) is a different type of game, and we might need different types of people to be starting or on the bench as well.
"We're in a really good place in terms of the fitness levels and the number of people we have available, and long may that continue. I'm going to need them all, after Saturday we go Tuesday, Saturday, Monday, Saturday. All the lads are up to speed, all the lads who didn't start on Saturday against Yeovil played a game at Middlesbrough's training ground; a lot of them got 90 minutes which is perfect, keeping their fitness levels up and keeping them ready for when they're called upon, either starting or coming off the bench."