Antony Sweeney remains unclear on his future as Hartlepool United's manager search continues ahead of trip to Port Vale

Tomorrow’s trip to Port Vale will mark almost a month since Dave Challinor took charge of his last game for Hartlepool in a 5-0 defeat at Leyton Orient with the club still to find his replacement seven games later.

Sweeney has had to juggle several plates in the aftermath with first team coach Clint Hill also leaving the club recently following Challinor’s departure.

And it may have led to some supporters growing concerned as to whether Sweeney himself could be next in line to leave the Suit Direct Stadium and link up with his former manager once a new man is installed.

“I haven’t had a chance to think about anything in terms of the future,” Sweeney told The Mail.

“We’ve had a massive turnaround and we’ve gone from staff knowing their roles and being able to share out responsibilities, to basically everyone having to muck in.

“I’ve gone from leading the training sessions and being a voice, to leading the training sessions, being a voice, picking the team, dealing with agents, dealing with the press and dealing with all of the players' issues. So I haven't been able to look at it selfishly if you like.

“I was asked to do a job in the short term. I’ve done that job to the best of my ability. Yes we’ve made mistakes, yes, in hindsight, you could do things differently but I’m sure anyone sat here would say exactly the same thing.

“My future will be what it is when everything gets settled down and we’ll know a lot more hopefully in the coming days and coming weeks.”

For Pools, a decision is of necessity sooner rather than later with the club now on a four game losing streak following their midweek defeat at Swindon Town ahead of a trip to Vale Park to take on another side challenging for promotion this season.

And while Sweeney will take the team for tomorrow’s game, the Pools interim revealed he remains in contact with the club’s board as to how soon an appointment is likely to be with the club hopefully close to finalising a deal for their new man in the near future.

“I’ve been given an indication to do the job and buy the club time,” he said.

“In terms of the candidates, we’ve had conversations with the powers that be. I’m not going to mention any names or anything like that, but I've said all along the board have been quite open with me. I’ve known my situation all along and the club has known the situation all along.

“For whatever reason we still haven’t appointed. But as long as we appoint the right man, whatever timescale that is, that’s the timescale that it needs to be. I’m sure they’re quite far down the line with it and we’ll sit tight and do the best we can in the short term.”

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