The summer is the most crucial season for Hartlepool United, according to manager Darren Sarll.
Sarll, who took over a team that was deficient in several aspects and was appointed a week after the conclusion of a stormy National League season, has experienced something of a baptism of fire.

The emphasis is on the new manager to put together a team that can close the gap between his team and the top seven, which was five spots and eleven points at the end of the previous season, since fans are expecting Pools to at least contend for the play-offs.

Among his initial responsibilities was to enforce rules regarding the retained list. The 41-year-old showed no mercy, letting go of nine players and opening up transfers for both Joel Dixon and Manny Onariase.

Following a lacklustre summer in which fan dissatisfaction escalated due in part to the contentious decision to raise season ticket prices, Sarll appears to have turned the corner.

Adam Campbell, the League One promotion winner, is one of the four new faces that the new management has brought in.

The way Sarll has approached recruiting, concentrating on players who are in the peak of their careers, have ties to the area, have played in the National League, and are known for their durability and dependability, has won over supporters.

While Nathan Sheron has played a regular role in the midfield of National League foe Oldham for the past two seasons, the other three members of the new foursome are local boys, Luke Charman, Jack Hunter, and Adam Campbell.

Thankfully, Sarll has made an effort to pinpoint the areas that are most critical to his distinct, relentless style of football, which emphasises a press everywhere on the pitch. Hunter and Sheron have both arrived to improve a lacklustre midfield, while Charman and Campbell seem to have the skills to spearhead the press.

Like most managers, Sarll understands the value of the so-called off-season and is optimistic that he and chief scout Ronnie Moore, along with head of football Joe Monks, have launched their summer operations off to a great start.

Although Sarll’s recruitment strategy seems to have given supporters hope, Pools still need reinforcements in several key areas, most notably in goal, where the troubled Joel Dixon is still Sarll’s only option.

The new manager is also making every effort to make things right, saying on the club’s official website that he believes the summer will determine how his team plays.

“It’s been excellent,” he remarked.

“This is the most crucial and significant time of the year.

Maintaining equilibrium between meeting players in person and virtually is crucial at all times.

“Joe and I spend a lot of time working with agents and player representatives, as well as interviewing players when we meet them, but it’s a crucial aspect of how this season will unfold.

Winner of the Hartlepool United promotion Ben Clark acknowledges that the contentious choice to not extend a contract to former teammate Kevin Phillips “bit surprised” him.

Winner of the Hartlepool United promotion Ben Clark acknowledges that when Pools decided not to extend a new contract offer to his former Sunderland teammate Kevin Phillips, he was “a little taken aback.”

While Phillips was at the top of his game, Clark was rising through the ranks at the Black Cats, and the two shared a dressing room at the Stadium of Light after the former Pools defender broke into the first team.

After joining Wearside as a trainee in 1999—the same year Phillips got his first international call-up—Clark stayed there for five years.

After scoring thirty goals in one season in the Premier League, Phillips became the first Englishman to win the European Golden Shoe less than a year after Clark’s arrival.

After making 14 first team appearances for Sunderland, Clark departed the club to establish himself as a Hartlepool mainstay and Gateshead icon. He later won promotion with Pools in 2007.

Following their retirement from competitive play, both men entered the coaching ranks. Clark took interim management of Gateshead twice, while Phillips had a successful managerial debut, guiding South Shields to promotion and making an impression with Pools.

It was surprising that the club decided not to extend Phillips’ contract given his relative success at the Suit Direct Stadium—he led Pools out of the drop, won four of his first five games, and reached the alleged 60-point target.

Instead, Pools hired Darren Sarll, a former manager of Stevenage, Yeovil, and Woking. Phillips publicly accused the club of having retracted its offer of a two-year deal.

Like many Pools supporters, Clark acknowledged he was taken aback by the contentious choice, but he maintained his optimism for Sarll’s prospects of success.

He admitted, “I was a little surprised.”

“He (Phillips) was at Sunderland while I was passing through. What a phenomenal player he was.

“I believe he performed admirably at Pools overall.

“The most evident is the loss to Gateshead, although in fairness, he got a response from the players and carried out the club’s wishes.

“I was a little taken aback, but that’s football—nothing surprises me too much.

“It is up to the chairman to decide if he wants to take a different course.

Sarll has a better track record in the National League, plays a unique style of baseball, and is a little more seasoned.

He possesses the necessary skills as well as a great deal of willpower, tenacity, and a desire to succeed.

“Let’s hope Pools can have a successful season and get back to where they belong.”

Luke Charman, an attacker for AFC Fylde and Hartlepool United’s first summer addition, stated that manager Darren Sarll’s “fast, attacking football” was a factor in his decision to join the team.

The Durham native, who rose through the ranks at Newcastle and captained their under-23 team, is 26 years old. He claims that Sarll and assistant manager Carl Dickinson convinced him to choose Pools over staying in the North West.

Charman, who has the speed and strength to press from the front, should assist Sarll in setting the tone for the upcoming season. Sarll, who has guided both Yeovil and Woking to the National League playoffs, has promised a more intense, dynamic style of play.

And Charman, who made an impression against Pools the previous season but was sidelined for the last four months due to injury, said that Sarll’s style of play won him over during their early meetings before to his decision to sign with Pools.

“So far, so good,” he said on the club’s website.

“I feel like we’ve got on well so far.”I’ve now had a few encounters with him and his assistance.
“I believe he wants to play quick, offensive football.

“He wants to win the ball back up high and thrill the crowd.

“A great deal of pressure and energy, and that’s how I want to play too.

“Straight away, from the first minute I thought, this is going to suit me.”