The state of play with Hartlepool United's manager search including ex-Sunderland boss and ex-Middlesbrough and Rangers midfielder as a new name enters the fray

With under three weeks until players return for testing ahead of pre-season duty, time is running out for Pools to appoint their new manager to allow them time to get used to their new surroundings before being thrust into the thick of the action.

But with a number of player contracts still to be agreed and additions to the squad desperately needed, any incoming manager will have their work cut out the longer the recruitment process continues.

On the flip side, the club remains calm about the situation.

Chief operating officer Stephen Hobin recently declared via social media that ‘all would be revealed soon’ and does not seem like a man troubled by the length of time proceedings have taken and, given Hobin’s positive input on the club over the last year since his appointment, why question his stance now?

Again however, we have been here before with the club disclosing they were ‘hopeful’ of making an announcement soon following reports of Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley’s link with the role with the club also suggesting they had drawn up an ‘exciting shortlist’ of candidates. That was over a week ago and still the manager’s chair remains vacant at the Suit Direct Stadium.

So where are we now and which end of the panic spectrum should Pools be on? Here at The Mail we look at the latest developments in Pools’ hunt for a new manager and what happens next.

What is the current state of play?

As things stand, from the outside it appears that we are no further forward to reaching a conclusion than we were a week or 10 days ago when we were told an announcement was coming.

Several names have littered several column inches in that time with little to show for it in ways of a new manager holding a blue and white scarf aloft.

Pools have reiterated that they have taken a diligent process in appointing the new manager with the club keen to kick on next season and compete in the top half of the League Two table with a return to League One the goal outlined by chairman Raj Singh.

Singh suggested early in proceedings he had a decision to make with the type of manager he wanted to appoint whether it be a tried and tested or an up and coming manager looking to prove their worth.

So far however, there has been a mixture of candidates linked and to have held talks over the role meaning it remains unclear which route Singh and the Pools board have elected to go down.

Who is the favourite and who has been linked?

At the time of writing, Cove Rangers boss Hartley has returned to the top of the bookmakers’ list. That despite recent reports in the Scottish Sun suggesting the former Celtic midfielder had turned down an approach by the club.

Pools, it has been said elsewhere, rebuffed the notion Hartley, who achieved promotion to the Scottish Championship at Balmoral Stadium this season, had turned them down suggesting talks had not advanced beyond initial discussions.

Second on the list is former Middlesbrough and Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson who recently left his role with Scottish side Kelty Hearts after guiding them to the League Two title this season.

Thomson, it has been reported, is keen to further his career in full-time management and had his offer of resignation accepted by the club this week.

Ostensibly, Thomson, 37, has been linked by the Daily Record with a switch to Queens Park Rangers to team up with his former colleague at Ibrox Michael Beale who was appointed the new manager at the Championship club recently.

But The Mail understands that deal to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium is not set in stone yet and that a move to Pools is not necessarily off the table as Thomson weighs up his options.

High on Pools' wishlist was former Sunderland and Hibernian manager Jack Ross.

Ross spent a year at the Suit Direct Stadium as a player back in 2004 and carved out his name in management with St Mirren where he was named Scottish manager of the year in 2018.

It led to Ross, 45, being tasked with changing the fortunes at the Stadium of Light with the Black Cats having been relegated to League One.

Unfortunately for Ross, he came up agonisingly short in the League One play-off final before a disappointing start to his second season in charge led to his Wearside exit.

Ross was coy on his future when asked after featuring in former Sunderland kitman John Cooke’s testimonial recently.

Ross told The Echo: ““I wanted a break after six or seven years of constant management. Quite intense jobs as well.

“I have had opportunities to go back but I have decided that they weren’t quite right.

“I want to get back now as soon as possible but you want to make sure it is the right one.”

On his next job, Ross added: “Scotland, England or overseas. I think it is just making sure that it is the right one and hopefully that will come around soon.”

And that opportunity might have been with Pools with the club understood to have held talks with the Scotsman.

But Ross, who remains based in the North East after his time on Wearside, is believed to have turned down the opportunity to head to the Suit Direct Stadium.

So where are we now and what happens next?

Another former Sunderland boss in Simon Grayson remains among the leading candidates as per the bookmakers.

Grayson was heavily linked with the role early in the recruitment process and is believed to have held talks with the club but things appear to have simmered slightly on the 52-year-old taking the job.

A new name to enter the fray is ex-Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell and The Mail understands there has been interest from Pools in the 41-year-old.

Artell is out of work after being sacked by the Railwaymen in April following their relegation to League Two.

The link with Artell and Pools may be as a result of current Sunderland boss Alex Neil and his relationship with Pools’ COO Hobin.

Hobin and Neil have a strong relationship from their time working together at Preston North End with Neil invited to the Suit Direct Stadium earlier this season as a guest before taking over the role at the Stadium of Light.

And it is Neil who holds ties with Artell with the two being teammates with one another at Mansfield Town.

Artell acquired the services of Neil back in November in an advisory role at the Mornflake Stadium while Neil was out of work having left Deepdale.

Artell spent five years with Crewe guiding them to promotion to League One in 2020 but was unable to help them prevent the drop this year.

But whether it is to be Artell or should Thomson choose Pools over QPR, or whether the club could go back to Ross to try and entice him back into management or maybe even look elsewhere, the message from Pools remains clear as they ask supporters to trust their process.

While it may be slightly premature to panic just yet, we are reaching a significant crossroads period where the club could do themselves a favour by bringing a swift conclusion to their manager search over the coming days before that panic is justified.