The warning signs are there for Hartlepool United: What did we learn from Leyton Orient defeat

Pools have just days remaining in the transfer market to try and find a solution to their early season struggles having fallen to a fourth defeat in six at Leyton Orient as they remain without a win.

Pools scored twice at the Breyer Group Stadium, which might have offered hope of a positive result, but they were beaten four times for the third time in seven games in all competitions as the O’s continued their unbeaten start to the campaign at the top of the table.

And here are some of the key takeaways from a third successive defeat on the road for Pools.

Back four v Back three

The defensive conundrum continued for Paul Hartley in his team selection against Leyton Orient as he weighed up whether to go with a back three or a back four.

In the end it was a back four which won out, with Hartley opting for Alex Lacey and Euan Murray as his two centre-backs and Walsall loanee Rollin Menayese dropping to the bench.

Unfortunately for Hartley, both Murray and Lacey endured difficult afternoons as Pools took their goals against column to 11 when starting in a back four, and can perhaps count themselves fortunate the O’s did not add even more to that.

This was always going to be a difficult fixture for Pools heading to the league leaders, a side who had yet to concede on home soil. It meant, defensively, they would need to be solid.

And that went up in smoke inside five minutes when Orient took the lead from the penalty spot.

But it was the ease with which Orient were able to find themselves in dangerous positions that will alarm Hartley the most.

O’s boss Richie Wellens said afterwards: “We scored four, we could've scored a lot of goals,” and he was right.

Pools have fluctuated between a back three and a back four for the early part of the season but at some stage they will need to settle on a preferred system.

Defensive errors

There is always an acceptance in conceding goals if they arrive from a piece of individual skill or brilliance, or even well worked team goals.

But the rate at which Pools are giving up goals due to individual errors is concerning, with more to add to the tally at Leyton Orient.

Immediately from the off, the O’s tested Murray’s return to the starting XI from injury with a direct ball over the top which he just about managed to turn behind for a corner.

Merely two minutes later and a similar ball found Murray in trouble again before he brought down Charlie Kelman and the referee pointed to the spot.

The debate over whether the foul occurred inside or outside the area is relevant, but the crux of the matter is that it was a ball which should have been dealt with.

That put Pools on the back foot and appeared to impact Murray’s confidence as he continued to struggle from thereon.

But defensive partner Lacey did little to help his team-mate having also struggled to deal with the direct ball.

A misjudged ball allowed Kelman to breeze past him and test Ben Killip before he again found himself in trouble when missing a headed clearance under pressure from Paul Smyth.

Lacey lost flight of the ball and hindered Killip in the process before taking Smyth down - miraculously escaping punishment from referee Declan Bourne.

And the long ball into those half spaces caused problems all afternoon for Murray and Lacey who just could not get to grips with Orient’s attack.

Whether or not the result would have changed had Menayese been alongside them in defence remains unclear, but it does seem as though Pools are more solid with three centre-backs in the early part of the season.

Defence v Attack

Again, though, this brings a dilemma to Hartley and his thinking.

Does he sacrifice an attacking outlet to subsidise a third defender? Or does he try and out score opponents by adding another body in attack as he did here?

The answer may change on a weekly basis it seems, but if Pools are going to play with a back four in order to be supplemented with another attacking option, then they must take their chances if they are to remain open defensively.

Hartley was right in his assessment that this was arguably Pools’ best display offensively.

Having scored twice they also squandered two or three promising openings, with Josh Umerah’s one-against-one situation the pick of the bunch in the second half.

Jake Hastie had a couple of sights at goal in the first half after Pools had drawn level through Wes McDonald which, on another day, could have given Hartley’s side the initiative.

Let’s not forget, Orient had not conceded on home soil this season and Pools, who have struggled in front of goal, scored twice.

That is certainly a positive - with McDonald’s solo strike a particular highlight.

But the ability to marry that level of attacking intent up with being resilient at the back is a must for Pools moving forward.

Missing in midfield

While defensively Pools need to improve, that can also be helped by those in front of them.

Mark Shelton became the fourth player to partner Nicky Featherstone in midfield this season and might have prompted hope of the duo reigniting their form as part of the ‘wolfpack’ trio which, along with Gavan Holohan, helped Pools to their promotion success in the National League.

But while Shelton scurried around and made one or two significant challenges, Featherstone cut a frustrated figure for much of the contest.

The Pools captain could be seen locked in a verbal dispute with Hastie for several minutes before half-time, with emotions high.

And Featherstone appeared to carry that emotion through the game.

“It happens across a game if somebody is not doing their job,” Hartley said on Featherstone and Hastie’s disagreement.

“I don’t have a problem with that, that’s just the nature of football players and the mentality they’ve got. I’ve no issue with that.”

“[We need to] defend as a team,” added Hartley.

“But when you’re at the back end, you need to do your job and do what you’re good at.

“That’s what you’re paid to do and at this moment in time we’re not doing that. We’re conceding too many soft goals.”

Consistency?

With days left of the transfer window, and the likelihood of players still to arrive, it’s fair to say Hartley may still be waiting to decide on his best team currently, with the Pools boss yet to name an unchanged team another indicator of that.

As things stand, there has been little continuity in systems or selections.

Of course, some of that is down to early season injuries and perhaps an attempt to combat opponents’ threats, but with a new team continuing to try and gel with one another could some consistency now be of benefit?