What next for Hartlepool United as hunt for new permanent manager drags on?

During that time, Pools have been linked with a whole host of potential appointments, from Phil Parkinson to Peter Hartley, while the club were criticised for an unusual "update" about their ongoing hunt for a new boss last week. The news? There is no news.

While frustration among many supporters about the handling of the latest debacle in the dugout remains close to boiling point, Pools have seen a significant upturn in their form under interim manager Nicky Featherstone.

Although Featherstone, who is the club's third highest appearance-maker of all-time, endured a nightmarish start to his stint in temporary charge as Pools were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round stage by Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity, there have been signs of considerable improvement since then.

While it's true that draws with strugglers Sutton and Morecambe as well as part-time Wealdstone left something to be desired, recent wins against a resurgent Solihull Moors and play-off chasing Halifax as well as Saturday's dominant victory over out of sorts Eastleigh has seen Pools reinvigorate their faltering play-off hopes.

Of course, it wouldn't be Hartlepool United without a sprinkling of chaos and tumult, with Pools causing more needless problems for themselves in the wake of last week's update, while former boss Simon Grayson took a swipe at controversial chairman Raj Singh in an interview with The Non-League Paper.

Grayson, who was sacked by Pools last month after just 15 games at the helm, claimed he "was given assurances" by Singh "that I'd be there for a long time" and went on to criticise the club for their remarkably high turnover of managers in recent years.

Whatever the case, time is something rarely afforded to managers by Singh, who is on the hunt for his 14th permanent appointment since taking charge in 2018.

In fact, of Singh's previous 13 appointments, only promotion-winning boss Dave Challinor lasted more than a year in the role, while all of the previous five incumbents have managed 17 games or fewer, albeit veteran Lennie Lawrence stepped down of his own accord last season. Singh has become notorious for a lack of patience with his managers and many fans find it hard to see that changing in the future.

Whoever takes on the role as the next permanent Pools boss, then, will inherit a club with plenty of potential but will also be under no allusions as to the size of the task awaiting them.

The question on the lips of most Pools fans, of course, is what's taking so long?

One school of thought is that Pools - and Singh in particular - either did not have a plan in place following Grayson's dismissal or that the club have been rebuffed by most if not all of their preferred candidates.

Yet it could also be true that Pools are taking their time and doing their best not to rush into any rash decisions; the counter-argument to that, however, is that the last time it took Singh so long to make a permanent appointment he ended up with Paul Hartley, who won just one of his 11 matches and is generally derided as one of the club's least successful managers ever.

Debates aside, there are plenty of Pools fans who feel that Featherstone, who has already spent more than a decade at Victoria Park, has done more than enough to be given the job on a permanent basis.

After all, a run of six games unbeaten has seen Pools close the gap between themselves and the play-off places to just five points, while both striker Alex Reid, who said he was "rooting for" the 37-year-old to be named Grayson's successor, and Nathan Sheron, who revealed the squad "really believe in" the veteran midfielder, appear to have thrown their support behind Featherstone.

Yet the longer the situation goes on, the less it seems as though Singh is quite so convinced, while last week's club update, which revealed that the hunt for a permanent manager "remains ongoing" despite applications from some "excellent candidates" hardly read like a vote of confidence in Featherstone.

So, if not Featherstone, then who else? The Hartlepool Mail revealed on Monday that Pools had also spoken to both Phil Parkinson and Chris Beech over the managerial vacancy, eliciting more strong reactions from supporters.

It would seem as though Parkinson, who boasts more managerial experience than either Featherstone or Beech, is the first choice among the majority of fans following a hugely successful eight-year spell in charge of Altrincham, leading the Robins from the Northern Premier League to the National League.

What Parkinson doesn't possess, however, is the same sort of knowledge and understanding of the North East's unique footballing culture as either Beech, who made more than 100 appearances for Pools as a player, or Featherstone.

Beech, it has to be said, appears to be the outsider of the three current leading contenders, in part because he looks to be the least popular choice among fans.

Supporters with long memories are struggling to see past the manner of the 51-year-old's departure as a player, when he went on strike to force through a move to Huddersfield, while his managerial record during spells at Carlisle, where he won 28 of his 88 games, or Fylde, where he managed 15 victories from 42 matches, is not the most inspiring.

Whatever their own personal preferences, fans are almost united in calling for some sort of clarity on the managerial situation.

While it's true that results haven't suffered so far, it's hard to imagine the lingering uncertainty overshadowing Victoria Park is likely to help a Pools side who are under pressure to maintain their fine recent form and can ill-afford to lose too much more ground in the race for the play-offs, particularly given that both seventh placed Southend and Scunthorpe, who are sixth and seven points clear, have a game in hand.

Although Singh has not always been renowned for his willingness to listen to nor engage with fans, there is a sense that something, surely, has to give, even if that means Featherstone being given a contract until the end of the season, an option which looks increasingly appealing to many supporters.

There has often been a sense that Pools have been either directionless, rudderless, or even downright hopeless for long stretches at a time, but it is a rare thing for them to have been managerless for quite such a long period. If Pools are serious about challenging for the play-offs, then Singh would surely be well-advised to provide some clarity - some actual clarity, rather than last week's vagaries - sooner rather than later.

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