Why Hartlepool United should put their faith in manager Nicky Featherstone
Just a few weeks ago, when Hartlepool United were condemned to back-to-back home defeats in the space of five days, there were more fans calling for manager Nicky Featherstone's head than there were for him to be given a new contract in the summer.
Now, following a run of three successive victories that's helped move Pools to within striking distance of the National League play-off places, Featherstone is beginning to build a compelling case for new owner Landon Smith to put his faith in him beyond this season.
It's no secret that Featherstone, who replaced former manager Simon Grayson in October, has been, in effect, auditioning to be given backing, support and a longer contract since Smith completed his surprise takeover of the club on New Year's Eve.
Having done enough to convince controversial former owner Raj Singh he deserved a permanent contract - or, at least, a deal until the end of the season - following a successful spell in interim charge, Featherstone now needs to prove to Smith, who is the co-founder of real estate company Tailwind Group, that he is the right man to lead the club in the longer term.
With Pools in the early stages of what many fans hope will be an exciting new era under Smith, whoever ends up with his backing as boss might well have a better chance of success than any of his immediate predecessors, who were made to toil away in difficult and unpredictable circumstances during Singh's tumultuous tenure.
Strikingly, Featherstone currently boasts the best record in terms of win percentage of any permanent Hartlepool United manager in history.
True, there are some caveats to be mindful of, not least the fact that Pools are competing outside the Football League and therefore at a lower level than almost all of the managers who have come before, while Featherstone's 25 games in charge means he has a smaller sample size than many of his predecessors.
Even so, the 37-year-old's impressive record at this stage is difficult to ignore; despite some low points, not least two humiliating cup exits at the hands of Northern Premier League opposition, Featherstone's record of 12 wins, six draws and seven defeats gives him a win percentage of 48.
That's almost double his immediate predecessor Grayson, who won 26.7 per cent of his games, and even edges out legendary figures like Dave Challinor, who led Pools back to the Football League in 2021 and won 45.6 per cent of his matches, Danny Wilson, 43.6 per cent and even the great Cyril Knowles, 47.1 per cent, and Fred Priest, 47.6 per cent.
It goes without saying that Featherstone has a long, long way to go before he can genuinely hope to compare to some of the great managers to have graced the Victoria Park dugout, but based on his record alone it's hard to see why Smith would look elsewhere as he prepares for a potentially monumental summer as well as his first full season as Pools owner.
Yet despite his impressive record - it's also worth noting that, given the small sample size, Featherstone's win percentage could plummet pretty quickly if Pools suffer a handful of defeats in quick succession - there is a sense that the club's third highest appearance-maker of all-time still has some work to do if he's to convince Smith as well as the Pools fanbase.
Among some of the biggest question marks still facing Featherstone are issues with home form, a lack of consistency as well as some frustrations regarding his style of play.
Yet it's perhaps striking that Featherstone is being plagued by the same problems that seem to have doomed almost all of his immediate predecessors, none of whom were given enough time to realistically hope to turn things around.
After all, issues around home form and style of play are longstanding and deep-rooted; if Pools are to overcome them, then the club will simply have to provide a manager, be that Featherstone or someone else, with the structure, stability and, above all else, time to get things right.
Certainly, there are encouraging signs that Featherstone is beginning to make his mark.
The Pools boss has taken charge of 25 games, comfortably outlasting the likes of Grayson, 15, Anthony Limbrick, 17, Lennie Lawrence, 16, Darren Sarll, 15, and Kevin Phillips, 16; indeed, Featherstone is positively long-serving by recent standards.
Having been afforded some time, Featherstone has overseen an upturn in home form - Pools have won four of their seven matches at Victoria Park since Smith completed his takeover of the club - an improvement in the style of play as well as an increase in consistency, with Pools recording three successive victories for the first time since August.
Of course, there is still plenty of work to do and many recent performances have been more battling than breathtaking, but Featherstone appears to be growing into his first job in management all the time and is beginning to win over the fanbase, many of whom have been extremely sceptical at times this season.
Indeed, the hire-and-fire culture that became so prevalent under Singh seems to have seeped into other areas of the club, with sections of supporters apparently baying for blood on social media in the wake of almost every defeat or dip in form.
It's true that Pools have a challenging run of games to end the season, taking on the likes of Scunthorpe United, who are fifth, league leaders Rochdale, fourth-placed Boreham Wood, Forest Green Rovers, who are sixth, and fellow play-off contenders Southend United.
Looking at their fixtures, Pools could well miss out on the top seven and slump back towards mid-table, but Featherstone's side could just as easily keep themselves in play-off contention and end the campaign with some real momentum.
Whatever the case, Featherstone and his staff deserve credit for helping haul Pools back into the play-off picture while beginning to restore hope, belief and positivity back to Victoria Park.
Smith and the new regime will be defined by the decisions they make during their time in charge, and there are perhaps few bigger than what to do with Featherstone at the end of the season. So far, Smith has been widely hailed for his patience and pragmatism; he should not wait too much longer before publicly putting his faith in Featherstone.
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