This is what Hartlepool United supporters can expect from a Keith Curle team as Antony Sweeney drops Gillingham selection hint

Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Sweeney’s one game in charge ended with a very creditable draw against Morecambe on Tuesday evening in the Papa John’s Trophy.

Hartlepool United suffer penalty shootout woe after spirited Papa John's Trophy ...

Curle watched on from the stands at the Mazuma Stadium and although he wasn’t on the touchline in Lancashire, Sweeney revealed the new boss still had a big influence on his team selection.

Keith Curle will take charge of his first Hartlepool United game when they face Gillingham on Saturday (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)

Sweeney said: “It was a collaboration. I asked him if he had an idea what his team was going to be on Saturday because I think the selection for this game impacts Saturday.

“He does [have an idea of his team] so I picked the players that would allow as many as possible to be fit and available for Thursday and Friday’s session so he has those players available to work with.

“There will be some that played that will start Saturday, others that won’t. There will be people that didn’t play that will play on Saturday, so that was a major part of it.”

Curle’s first game in charge will be on Saturday when they welcome Gillingham to the Suit Direct Stadium.

Even in the season’s infancy, Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a vitally important contest at the bottom of League Two - but what does a ‘Keith Curle team’ look like?

Sweeney, who played under Curle at Carlisle, has offered an insight into what fans can expect.

“Fans can expect a style of football that will give you the best chance of winning games,” said Sweeney.

“It won’t be a case of wasting passes or splitting the centre-halves to build through the thirds when a forward ball can be more effective.

“I’m not for one minute saying that every time someone gets the ball that it will be banged down the throats of forward players but it will be played in areas that gets the opposition on the back-foot.

“Over the past 18 months we’ve been quite good in possession stats but quite low down in how those stats affect our expected goals or shots on target so he will play a style of football that hopefully sees that increase and we can get more bodies into the box, more goals and hopefully better results.”