- 1 year ago
Join Robbie Stelling and Rich Mennear on the latest episode of the Poolie Podcast as they preview a busy weekend of football for Hartlepool United as they face play-off chasers Oldham Athletic and Gateshead on Easter weekend.
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00:30Hello and welcome to the Lakes Bully podcast with myself, Richard Menea and our pools right with the hat full male, Robbie Stelling. How are you doing, Robbie?
00:41Very well, thanks, Rich. Very well. Had a few days down south after the Dagenham game, which is very nice and back up in glorious Hartlepool, ahead of the busy Easter weekend.
00:50Yeah, it's always a pivotal weekend, isn't it, for all EFL and non-league clubs. Sadly, Pools' playoff ambitions of what they were took a dent at Dagenham.
01:01The draw probably ending the season, I suggest, as things are. A win there would have been interesting ahead of the trips to Oldham and the home game of Gateshead, but we'll get into all the thick of that in a little while.
01:13Might as well just start with the Let's Take Over situation, Robbie. Obviously, Pools fans still waiting with increasingly bated breath for a positive resolution to take over talks at the Vic.
01:24Deadline of March 5th, May 5th, sorry, was given, obviously, we were right to say when he stepped down as chairman in terms of him funding the club.
01:33Obviously, we've had a couple of updates since then from the interim board after the first couple of weeks or so to say that the talks were progressing.
01:41All seemed relatively positive, at least, that there's interesting at least one party.
01:46But, yeah, obviously, understandably, things are a little quiet at the minute as confidential talks go on.
01:51What's your latest understanding and how worried should Pools fans be, given the date of May 5th is looming of an era?
01:59Well, I think it's natural that fans are concerned.
02:03Rich, as you say, there's only three weeks, even less than three weeks, until the end of the season,
02:09when, of course, as we know, Raj Singh has vowed to stop funding the club.
02:14That's clearly a hugely significant date.
02:18As you say, there hasn't been a lot of news, certainly not public news.
02:22At times like this, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction.
02:26We've obviously had a couple of updates from the interim board.
02:30Assuming, as you probably would at this stage, that talks are at a relatively advanced stage,
02:35then I suppose it makes sense that we have not heard too much because, as you said,
02:40there are things like non-disclosure agreements, confidentiality is supremely important.
02:44That's previously been a sticking point for Raj Singh in any previous takeover negotiations.
02:50Obviously, there has been, I don't know whether to call it an issue,
02:55but the last update that we had from the interim board said that while proof of funds had been provided,
03:00they hadn't been deposited.
03:02Clearly, those are two significant steps, as I said previously, just because they haven't been deposited,
03:08don't mean that they won't be.
03:10There's obviously a legal process to go through in between the providing of the proof of funds
03:14and the deposition of them.
03:16It's really difficult to know what stage we're necessarily at in that regard.
03:21Rich, obviously, the hope has been that a takeover will be completed before May the 5th.
03:28I understand that the hope was the takeover would be completed before the end of this month.
03:34Inevitably, that's probably going to be something that changes.
03:37It's very difficult to predict exactly how negotiations are going to go.
03:42It certainly is significant, the fact that Raj Singh, through the interim board,
03:48conceded that there had been acceptable offers.
03:50That previously seems to be something that he's been slightly reluctant to do,
03:54even when it seems clear that there's been concrete interest in the past.
03:57He seems to have rubbished it and has obviously sort of lambasted a lot of the previous interested parties as time wasters.
04:07So I suppose by the admission of the fact that there has been acceptable offers,
04:11is an admission that these are people Raj Singh feels he can deal with and negotiate.
04:15Clearly, that is significant.
04:18Obviously, May the 5th is the date that is looming on the horizon.
04:22Now, even if a takeover deal is not completed by then, Hartlepool United are not going to be faced with footballing oblivion on May the 6th.
04:32But obviously, it would be a less than ideal scenario.
04:35There are going to be lots of permutations.
04:38I believe that pools do have some sort of a plan in place in case the worst should happen.
04:46Obviously, administration is a looming threat.
04:51Pools are no strangers to teetering on the brink of potential administration.
04:55And of course, you can look to clubs like Southend, who are in a far worse position than pools,
05:00survived successive winding up orders and now in the hunt for a National League playoff place less than 12 months since entering administration.
05:08But the point really is, Rich, that pools fans don't want a team that simply survives.
05:15They want a team capable of competing and even thriving.
05:20One of the criticisms levelled against Raj Singh, one of the main criticisms was his failure to really take advantage of the fact that pools won promotion in 2021.
05:28And then also a perceived lack of ambition in terms of getting pools back into the football league following their relegation in 2023.
05:36So I think it's important that pools find a way of not just surviving, but competing and challenging and hopefully finding their way back to the football league.
05:46Clearly, a lot needs to happen for that to be even a distinct possibility.
05:54However, I think I can understand that why fans would feel nervous, why there's a real sense of trepidation.
06:02But I certainly think that all hope is not lost.
06:04There's still time left.
06:07The deadline hasn't yet passed.
06:10Pools have obviously been on a good run on the pitch.
06:12I still believe there's plenty that would attract potential investors.
06:15I believe that the interested parties remain interested.
06:18That's got to be obviously a good thing.
06:21But the sooner that things can get sorted, Rich, obviously, the better, not just from the point of view of peace of mind from the fans, from the players and the staff.
06:29But of course, looking ahead to next season, pools will want to get things sorted and be able to begin planning for next season.
06:35Yeah, I was going to touch on this a bit later on, but that kind of bleeds into it quite nicely.
06:40So, whilst Liverpool fans are celebrating Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk's new contracts, pools fans will be eagerly awaiting the likes of Manny D, Joe Gray, Sharon, I think, as well.
06:49Well, the key players from this season who, as you say, are out of contract and chances are their futures probably won't be resolved until there are new ones in place.
06:59Yeah, how much of a concern is that for the fans and what's the kind of mood been like amongst the squad that you've kind of garnered over recent weeks in terms of their own futures?
07:10Just because the season ends in four games, two and a half weeks, so it's a pretty unsettling time, I imagine, for a lot of people.
07:18Well, it's a huge concern, I think, Rich.
07:20I think there's definitely been a sense, particularly in recent weeks, that this is actually a squad capable of challenging.
07:27You might need to add here and there, but I think the hope would be in an ideal world you could keep the core of this squad together.
07:33And then you might be able to have a real crack next season.
07:38Obviously, if there are not new owners in place in the next few weeks, then that is going to be difficult, if not impossible.
07:46Speaking to some of the players, we spoke to Nathan Sharon this morning, that's Thursday morning, ahead of Pools travelling to one of his former sides, Oldham.
07:54From Sharon and from a number of other players, both Disarue and Gray, who you mentioned, I really do get the sense that the desire to stay at Hartlepool United is there.
08:04They've all been regulars in the side.
08:07They all have expressed the fact that they like the area.
08:09They love playing in front of such a passionate and committed fan base.
08:14But on the other side of the coin, I think it's worth remembering that these guys have got livelihoods to take care of.
08:21They've got families to take care of.
08:24Nathan and his wife, Charlotte, of course, just welcomed their second child, Oli.
08:29So if Pools are not in a position to offer these players new contracts, and clearly at the moment, they're not in a position to offer players new contracts,
08:37bearing in mind that Raj Singh has vowed to stop funding the club at the end of the season.
08:41So until a takeover deal is completed, it's effectively impossible for Anthony Limbrick and for the staff to be able to have any sort of idea of what kind of budget they're going to be working with next season.
08:53And you obviously cannot commit funds that you simply do not have.
08:57That means that the likes of Nathan Sharon, Joe Gray, Manny Disarue, Gary Medin are all at risk of leaving this season.
09:05And while that might have been a risk, no matter the ownership situation, clearly that risk is significantly heightened by the fact that Pools are not in a position to make them contract offers,
09:15given the fact that Disarue, Sharon, Gray, Medin have all performed pretty well this season.
09:21It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see clubs, whether that's another National League club or clubs from the Football League, come in and make them an offer.
09:28And then it's going to come down to the fact that for all they might love representing Hartlepool United, the people, the town, the area,
09:36if they cannot guarantee their security, their job security, their financial future,
09:43then if another offer comes along, it's going to be very difficult to begrudge them accepting that.
09:49Whoever does come in, if someone does come in, clearly that's going to have to be their first priority.
09:53I think sitting down and making contract offers in an effort to keep at least some of this squad together.
09:59We know that Jamie Minley and Sam Folarin, who both signed 18 month contracts when they arrived in January,
10:05are already contracted for next season.
10:07We know that Tom Parks and Adam Smith are already contracted for next season.
10:12Those are four players that you can see having significant roles to play next term.
10:16Obviously, Sam Folarin has been in and out of the side, but Jamie Minley has really established himself.
10:20And Parks and Smith, both really experienced players.
10:24I understand that there are other players under contract.
10:26There's certainly a number of players who have expressed to us they want to stay,
10:30even if they haven't either signed or been offered a contract.
10:34We spoke to David Ferguson a few weeks ago at Paul Stalwart.
10:37He said that he would like to stay, but he hasn't at this stage been offered a contract.
10:41Presumably nothing has changed in the intervening weeks, given the current situation.
10:46But how many times have we seen Pools have an overhaul of players, a significant overhaul of players in the summer,
10:53and a lot of them not work out?
10:56You're never going to get all your signings absolutely spot on.
10:59It's a really challenging thing to do, especially at this level, National League level,
11:04when your resources, both in terms of financial and also your capacity to go out and watch other players,
11:09are far more restricted than they are higher up the footballing pyramid.
11:13So that's a big challenge.
11:14I think it's hugely important that Pools try and keep the core of this squad together.
11:19Whether that's going to be feasible or not ultimately depends on what happens off the pitch.
11:24Whilst there's obviously understandably been a huge amount said off the pitch by the board,
11:29by those two statements, Anthony Limbrick obviously has to front up and face the press every game.
11:36I think it's probably fair to say he's been pretty level-headed and sincere about things.
11:42He's taken a fair bit of criticism, Anthony Limbrick, so we'll give him some praise,
11:46especially after the recent run of matches and undefeated run.
11:49You spoke to him this morning, Robbie, and I know you'd asked him about the kind of concerns about supporters,
11:56given the kind of uncertainty around the takeover.
11:59And he said,
11:59we're appreciative of the situation, what it must feel like to be a fan.
12:03It's their club, they've supported it for years.
12:05There are some great people here and I think now is a very difficult time for them.
12:08We've got two and a half weeks of actual work left from our point of view,
12:11and we need to be professional during that time.
12:12I think we've done that so far.
12:14Business is normal for him and there's players,
12:17but he understands that it's a difficult time for a lot of people and he appreciates that,
12:21which I suppose is fair enough.
12:23I don't suppose he could say too much more.
12:25And a huge unsettling time for him as well, I guess,
12:27with only two and a half weeks of the season.
12:29Still to go.
12:30Just on the pitch then, Robbie,
12:31last weekend's draw at Dagenham,
12:34probably, as I say, put paid to any remote hope of sneaking it in the playoffs.
12:38Certainly would have been interesting if they'd beaten them
12:40and then faced Oldham and gated in the space of three or four days.
12:45They've got a huge stay in the playoff battle.
12:46But how do you see things now?
12:48Yeah, I think that's probably it in truth, Rich.
12:51I think they'll still fancy a real crack at both Oldham and Gateshead.
12:56Oldham have been in the midst of a bit of a difficult run.
12:59They haven't won any of their last three matches.
13:02Similar to Pools, there's a massive expectation on them.
13:05A few years ago, I was talking to Nathan Sharon about this this morning.
13:08A few years ago, this would have been a football league fixture.
13:11And with that comes significant pressure and expectation on both sides.
13:16I think there's a real sense amongst Oldham fans
13:19that their side have underperformed significantly in recent seasons.
13:23This season has obviously been better,
13:25but there's still some way from being able to compete
13:27with the three best teams in the league.
13:30And there has been some discontent aimed towards manager Mickey Mellon
13:35aimed towards some of the recent performances as well.
13:37So perhaps this is a good time for Pools to go and play.
13:40Oldham, similar thing to Gateshead.
13:42They obviously had a great start to the season,
13:44lost a number of players in January.
13:47Obviously, lost manager Rob Elliott to Crowley.
13:50Karl Magne, former Pools skipper, I really like.
13:53Karl, I think he's done a good job in difficult circumstances.
13:56But the fact is that they've lost a number of their best players.
14:00So Pools will potentially fancy their chances against them as well.
14:04I mean, Dagenham was one of those, Rich,
14:07where I think any other stage in the season,
14:09you would have said long trip to Victoria Road.
14:12They went down on the day, which I think certainly can't have helped.
14:15That obviously had probably something to do
14:16with the current financial situation.
14:19They had Louis Stevenson sent off after just 25 minutes.
14:22They played well over an hour with 10 men against a side
14:24that needed at least a point really to give themselves
14:26any chance of beating the drop.
14:29I think any other stage in the season, any other day,
14:31you would say that it was a really decent point
14:33and it was certainly a battling and spirited performance.
14:38It was cruel and Pools in the end to be denied late on
14:40by a slightly fortuitous goal as well, Harry Phipps,
14:43that the Dagenham defender sort of skewed an effort
14:45off the outside of his boot.
14:48Pools ultimately were punished for one moment of petulance
14:51from Louis Stevenson.
14:52He's a young man.
14:53He's got to be allowed to make mistakes.
14:55Clearly, this was a significant mistake.
14:57Two yellow cards in the space of five minutes.
14:59Discipline has obviously been an issue for Pools
15:00throughout this season.
15:02They've played, I think, more than five hours of football
15:04with 10 men this season.
15:06That's really telling.
15:07And that's obviously cost them significantly.
15:10But nonetheless, I think it was a performance
15:11to be proud of, a spirited rearguard action.
15:14And it would have been a decent point
15:16had Pools not really needed to win all of their final five games
15:19to give themselves any chance of gate crashing the top seven.
15:23So I think probably it's going to be beyond their reach this season.
15:28Not a lot necessarily left to play for on the pitch.
15:31Although, as you say, they are four big games,
15:34four significant games.
15:35Gates said, obviously, there's a bit of a rivalry.
15:37Oldham are a really big club.
15:38Both of those teams challenging for the playoffs.
15:40Rochdale, we think we're going to have the away day fancy dress
15:43as well, and then hope for a strong end
15:45against Forrest Green, who are obviously going to be going
15:47into the playoffs as well.
15:49So not that much necessarily to play for on the pitch,
15:52although I'm sure Anthony Limbrick and the players
15:53will have a different kind of view on that.
15:56They'll certainly think that there are still significant things
15:59to be gained out of the remainder of this season.
16:01I think inevitably, Rich, really all lies at what goes on
16:05off the pitch, in the boardroom, at the negotiating table
16:07between now and the end of the season.
16:10And just on team news ahead of the doubleheader,
16:12obviously a very quick turnaround in terms of Friday and Monday.
16:15What was the latest team news from Anthony Limbrick's
16:18press conference this morning?
16:19Do you think Pools will make any, if many, changes?
16:22Well, one of the things that we've spoken about previously
16:26has been the fact that Limbrick's been able to name
16:28an unchanged team for three weeks in a row,
16:30having really chopped and changed in the opening weeks
16:33of his tenure.
16:34I think the fact that he's been able to establish a title.
16:37Yeah, sorry, just to jump in.
16:38Do you think that's something he will look back and reflect on
16:41and think he really, I know those injuries,
16:44but he should have made less changes initially.
16:46Do you think that's something he'll reflect on himself?
16:48I think so.
16:49I think he'd probably say, well, look,
16:50he was trying to find the winning formula.
16:52He took over a slightly difficult time in the fact that
16:54Pools needed to start winning games in order to keep in touch
16:58with the playoff places.
17:00So I think he might think that he had to make some changes.
17:03Nathan Sharon was suspended.
17:04They did have a few injuries as well.
17:06Nonetheless, I think he made some strange selection decisions.
17:08He obviously dropped Reyes Cleary for the trip to Fylde,
17:11left Manny Disarue on the bench for three weeks running.
17:14I think probably if he had his time again,
17:16he wouldn't make as many changes,
17:18but I think he'd also double down on the fact
17:20that his hand was forced to an extent
17:22and he was trying to find the perfect formula.
17:26Now he seems to have found that
17:28or certainly got closer to finding that.
17:31A couple of bits of team news.
17:32Anthony Mancini, again, he was fairly non-committal on that.
17:36He admitted that it's frustrating for Pools,
17:38it's frustrating for Mancini himself,
17:40and of course it's really frustrating for fans.
17:44I'm not 100% sure whether we're going to see him
17:46before the end of the season, Rich, I have to be honest.
17:48It's always difficult to tell with Mancini,
17:49obviously so temperamental physically.
17:52The one change he's going to have to make
17:53is that right wing back Louis Stevenson
17:54is obviously going to serve a suspension.
17:57Dan Dodds has been out since he injured his hamstring
18:00against Eastleigh at the beginning of last month.
18:03Stevenson's had a run in the team and done.
18:05Well, Dodds has been back in training for a couple of weeks.
18:08Again, Limerick was slightly non-committal
18:09on whether he was going to be available this weekend.
18:12He tends to like to keep his cards fairly close to his chest
18:14in terms of his selection.
18:16I think if Dodds is fit and fit enough to start,
18:19you would imagine he would be the man
18:20to come in and replace Stevenson.
18:22If not, you'd think it may be someone like Luke Charman
18:25who has played there a little bit in recent weeks,
18:27been out of the side generally of late.
18:30That would obviously mean that Pools
18:31are going to name a really attacking side
18:33with potentially Reyes, Cleary, and Luke Charman
18:36as your wing backs.
18:37I don't think Limerick will want to change the shape
18:38that 3-5-2 has served him well in recent weeks.
18:41Obviously, the other option you would have
18:42is potentially to drop Nathan Sheeran back
18:44to a more conventional right-back position
18:46and go to a flat-back fall.
18:48But I'd be surprised if we saw that.
18:49I think if Dodds is fit, then he'll play.
18:51If not, you might have to think about someone like Luke Charman.
18:54Good stuff.
18:56Just a couple of quick-fire ones in the finish.
18:58Do you think Manny D and Joe Gray will stay?
19:01I think there's a good chance that they will stay
19:06if a takeover can be completed, yes.
19:10Sharon?
19:11The likes of Sharon?
19:12I think so.
19:14Again, yeah, similar thing.
19:16He's got a young family, obviously.
19:18He likes the area.
19:19He's been a regular in the side.
19:20He's established a strong bond with the fans.
19:23Again, it all comes down to the fact that
19:25if a takeover is completed
19:27and Neuron is able to make them acceptable offers,
19:30I don't think it would have to be an offer
19:32for any of these players
19:33that necessarily is going to blow competitors,
19:36blow rivals out of the water.
19:37I just think it has to be a reasonable offer,
19:40perhaps similar to what they've been on this season,
19:42perhaps a little bit more.
19:44And then I think it would certainly give them
19:45all something to think about.
19:47And I wouldn't be surprised
19:48if at least one, two, maybe even three of them stayed.
19:51And that would obviously be hugely significant.
19:53It would be a massive statement of intent
19:55from any new owners.
19:57And just, yeah, just finally,
19:59just in terms of the goalkeeper situation,
20:01how do you think Pools will deal with that?
20:04Do you think they'll make significant changes?
20:07Well, I think Smith has done enough
20:09to be the number one for another season.
20:11I think he'll probably continue
20:13as goalkeeper coach as well.
20:15Smith does have a desire to go into coaching.
20:19He did a little bit of coaching at Morecambe as well,
20:21his previous club.
20:22But it does seem like a lot for him to handle.
20:25I'm not sure that in the eyes of many fans,
20:27it's the ideal scenario.
20:29Obviously, Pools had a goalkeeper coach
20:30in Paul Wollstone until October
20:32when he went off to the UAE
20:33to take up a new opportunity.
20:36Smith's a big character.
20:37He's a big personality.
20:38I don't think he's overwhelmed
20:39by the expectation and the responsibilities
20:44that are on his shoulders.
20:45Certainly, I think Pools will look
20:46to bring in another goalkeeper.
20:48Joel Dixon seems to have sustained
20:50another serious injury.
20:51He's out of contract at the end of the season.
20:53I'd be surprised if we saw him back at the club.
20:56Again, Josh Musfari has done really well.
20:58He's had a fantastically successful season
21:00out on the edge of lifting a league title.
21:04I think he's kept 26 clean sheets.
21:07He trains with Pools in the week
21:08and is really highly thought of only 20.
21:11But I think he certainly seems to be one
21:12for the future.
21:14Nonetheless, I think Pools will look
21:15to strengthen in their goalkeeping department
21:16this summer.
21:17Whether that's a number one
21:19or someone just to provide cover
21:20and competition for Adam Smith
21:22remains to be seen.
21:23I would imagine at this stage
21:24that Smith is the goalkeeper
21:27that Pools have in mind
21:27as being their first choice next season.
21:30Good stuff.
21:31Thank you very much, Robbie.
21:32I think we'll leave it there.
21:33Ahead of a busy weekend.
21:34And we'll hopefully catch up back
21:36in the next week
21:36to reflect on the Easter weekend
21:39fixtures where Oldham on Friday
21:40and the home visit of Gateshead
21:43to the Vic on Monday.
21:45And yeah, hopefully by then
21:46we'll also have a fresh
21:48and positive takeover update.
21:50But for now, Robbie,
21:51thanks very much for your time.
21:52Cheers.
21:52Cheers.
21:52Cheers.
21:52Cheers.
21:52Cheers.
21:52Cheers.
21:52Cheers.
21:54Cheers.
21:54Cheers.
21:56Cheers.
21:56Cheers.
21:56Cheers.
21:58Cheers.
21:58Cheers.
22:00Cheers.
22:00Cheers.
22:00Cheers.
22:00Cheers.
22:01Cheers.
22:01Cheers.
22:01Cheers.
22:01Cheers.
22:01Cheers.
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