Six things for Keith Curle to address at Hartlepool United in the January transfer window

By hook, or by crook, Curle has now managed to make it to the promised land of the January transfer window and has done so in gaining a couple of positive results along the way to ensure Hartlepool are in the mix for survival this season.

And with the January transfer window now set to open, Curle knows how important the next month will be in defining Hartlepool’s season.

But what does Curle need to address in January?

Here, at The Mail, we look at six things for the Hartlepool boss to consider.

Should Hartlepool United extend the deal for ex-Northampton Town midfielder?

One of the first things Curle will need to address is the future of Christopher Missilou.

Missilou was brought in prior to Hartlepool’s 3-1 defeat at Barrow where the 30-year-old made his debut, and scored, with The Mail understanding the midfielder signed a short-term contract at the Suit Direct Stadium, which is set to expire.

Missilou featured in consecutive games for Curle’s side but was then left out of the starting XI in the recent wins over Crawley Town and Rochdale before being brought on as a makeshift defender in the defeat against Mansfield Town.

Missilou is a player Curle knows well from his time at Northampton Town and was brought into the club to provide options in midfield while Pools struggled with a number of injuries.

Curle remained coy on the matter of extending Missilou’s deal when asked by The Mail recently but offered praise to the midfielder.

“He’s still working on his fitness and getting up to speed,” said Curle.

“He came in and scored, I think he’s joint top leading scorer in the midfield department, so it’s not too bad, is it?”

The importance of Hartlepool United signing players early in the transfer window

It will be a conversation had by any number of clubs within the Football League but the significance of being able to bring players in early in the January transfer window is key.

While Curle has done well to organise his team and get them off the foot of the table, the onus remains very much on bringing in reinforcements so as to avoid another barren run without any league wins.

Curle has said his mind won’t change on players just because they put together ‘one or two’ good performances should they have demonstrated enough before that they are unable to consistently improve under his guidance.

And that means new players will need to be brought in who Curle feels can do the job and improve Hartlepool’s position.

Getting those players in early will allow them to, potentially, be in better shape when coming up against a number of their relegation rivals in the coming weeks which would allow Pools to distance themselves from the foot of the table.

Chairman Raj Singh has suggested there are ‘a couple’ of players already lined up.

The attributes Keith Curle needs to address for Hartlepool United in the January transfer window

Speed and power.

The two words former manager Paul Hartley was keen to use throughout the summer when highlighting what he was looking to bring into the squad. 16 players later, however, and you question whether Hartley was successful in doing so.

The fitness of Hartlepool’s squad was certainly brought into question early in the season as they were overrun almost on a weekly basis.

On occasion, however, that fitness, or those speed and power attributes at least, remain an issue.

Although Curle has improved the level of fitness throughout the squad, there remains some way to go for them to be where he wants them which means an introduction of pace in the January window could be vital.

When you look throughout the squad, there is no real lightning quick pace to put teams on the back foot which has, at times, led Pools to being more cautious and reserved in their attacks.

Pace, particularly in the centre of midfield, would also help prevent Pools from being overrun at times by the opposition. While Mohamad Sylla has elements of both speed and power, you feel Pools need a little more.

The key positions Hartlepool United need to strengthen

Curle has admitted he is open to strengthening across the board which is something you won’t find many disagreeing with but when it comes to the order of priority, a centre-back should be top of the list.

With the news of Alex Lacey requiring surgery following a dislocated shoulder, Curle remains desperately short of centre-back options.

The news that Rollin Menayese will not be subject of a recall from parent club Walsall is a welcome boost but with David Ferguson having to occupy the third centre-back slot, Curle is likely to be looking for at least one option in the heart of defence.

Likewise, a left-back should be on the agenda.

Although Ferguson has been filling in at centre-back, he has not enjoyed the best of seasons so far, and with Brody Paterson seemingly out of favour, another option at full-back is a priority with right-back Reghan Tumilty currently filling in there. Right-back may also be worth considering should Jamie Sterry’s injury struggles continue.

The speed and power option in midfield is another which is likely to be on the radar while another striker could also be key.

Josh Umerah has enjoyed a fine start to his Hartlepool career but the only other attacking players to have scored in the league are Wes McDonald, with three, and Jack Hamilton with one. But with McDonald, in particular, another who is struggling to force his way into Curle’s plans, an attacking option may also be a must for Hartlepool.

Another area Curle will perhaps look to strengthen is in goal to at least provide competition for Ben Killip.

As we saw ahead of the FA Cup second round tie with Harrogate Town, should anything happen to Killip there are issues.

Alex Cairns, who came in to replace Killip that day on an emergency loan, would be a viable option to provide competition for Killip.

Hartlepool United must keep hold of ex-Charlton Athletic man

Although there will be outgoings in January, Curle must ensure he keeps hold of any potential asset he does have at the club - one of those being striker Umerah.

Umerah has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season and has been one of the bright sparks of the summer recruitment.

Reaching double figures for a side who have been rooted towards the foot of the table all season is no mean feat and you would imagine he is a player who has been attracting attention.

Hartlepool must issue a ‘hands off’ message to any potential suitors.

Keith Curle’s need to move players on from Hartlepool United

As has been said, there will be outgoings in January and Curle must look to reach an agreement with a number in the squad who are unlikely to feature.

Ellis Taylor and Clarke Oduor have already seen their loan agreements cancelled while Mikael Ndjoli and Paterson appear to have fallen out of favour where a deal elsewhere may be beneficial.

Curle has already held conversations with a number of players and if their exit impacts the potential to bring players in, then they are departures which need to happen sooner rather than later.