LIFE without Chris Turner could take some getting used to for Chris Westwood.

As Hartlepool United headed for Exeter yesterday without Turner, who today takes his Sheffield Wednesday side to Norwich, the in-form Pool defender admits to feeling a tinge of apprehension as Pool embark on a new future.

Turner knew all about the centre-half from his time at Wolves - Turner as youth team coach and Westwood the young Molineux professional - and made Westwood one of his first signings when he took over at Pool in February 1999.

Now Westwood is a permanent fixture in the Pool starting XI after Turner transformed him into one of the club's most consistent performers.

"I will be eternally grateful to Chris for giving me my chance in professional football,'' admitted Westwood. "At Wolves I was a professional when he was there as youth team coach but I knew him.

"He obviously liked what he saw in me and when I was in between clubs he asked me to come to Hartlepool and I jumped at the chance.

"Since then I haven't looked back. It's been a brilliant time for me and Turner has enjoyed some great times at Hartlepool."

Westwood, leading the way in the Northern Echo Player of the Year ratings, believes Turner's work ethic will prove a big success at Hillsborough.

He added: "He has plenty of ambition and so there's no reason why you can't do well. He has shown in the Third Division what he can do and he will be hoping he can do the same in the First and I hope he does.

"But he will know that by going there things are going to have to change, after all they are near the bottom of the league. Their personnel needs to change quite a bit by the looks of it and he will not be able to do anything because they have a lack of funds for transfers.

"It will be interesting to see what happens. Obviously he is going to have to wield the axe, so to speak, because looking at it from the outside things need to change quite drastically."

Colin West takes temporary command at Exeter today and Westwood admitted he still has to come to terms with Turner's departure.

He said: "When we went into training on Thursday morning, Colin West was there and he told us that nothing had happened yet. We all just got on with our jobs.

"When we finished the morning session we heard it on the news that Chris was going be unveiled at a press conference and then it hit us. It was weird and it will take some getting used to.

"But we are a strong group of players and I'm sure we will not be affected by it. It's weird but we will all still be confident that we can stay at the top."

"For me it still hasn't really sunk in. But I suppose you are a professional and you just have to be professional about it.

"When I was at Wolves we had three managers in five years, so I've been through managerial changes before. It's more apprehension that you feel than anything else.

"You know that when a new man comes in he is more than likely going to want to put his stamp on things. But we are top of the League and hopefully he will not want to change it too much.

"The new man may want to bring in new blood, but we will have Gordon Watson back soon and hopefully that will act as a new signing in itself."

"It will be good to get things sorted as soon as possible, but it doesn't matter if it isn't because as a group of players we just get on with the job.

"It will be the fans and the board who will get frustrated, we will just get on with it. I can only speak for myself but I will try not to be affected by the manager going and hopefully that's how the rest of the squad will react."

* Norwich boss Nigel Worthington is looking forward to renewing old acquaintances when newly-appointed Sheffield Wednesday manager Turner visits Carrow Road today.

Worthington said: ''I played with Chris for a number of years at Sheffield and he's a terrific character and a good lad.

''He's done exceptionally well at Hartlepool during his period there and I wish him all the best. There are going to be players in that squad looking to prove a point and we've got to be ready.''

Turner will have Danny Maddix unavailable for the game as he is serving a one-match ban.

First Division leaders Portsmouth face a tricky trip to Derby with Arjan de Zeeuw back in Harry Redknapp's ranks after recovering from a groin injury.

Pompey have claimed only one point from their last two games and could be set to face former Middlesbrough striker Fabrizio Ravanelli, who is back in contention for County.

Leicester boss Micky Adams could recall Billy McKinlay, Gerry Taggart and Brian Deane after the trio missed the Worthington Cup defeat at Manchester United.

Adams is desperate to restore the feel-good factor to the Walkers Stadium amid a grim financial outlook, starting with today's clash with Walsall, who are without Fitzroy Simpson.

He said: ''We just keep getting kicked in the teeth as a group of players and as a management team. But we've got to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and go again - and we will do because we are not going to let people beat us.''

Third-placed Watford have doubts over Neil Cox (ankle) and Tommy Smith (groin) for their trip to Rotherham, with Martin McIntosh (foot) manager Ronnie Moore's only doubt.

After their Worthington Cup heroics in beating Leeds, Sheffield United are bolstered by the return of on-loan Jon Harley after he was refused permission by Fulham to play in the midweek match.

United host Ipswich, with new boss Joe Royle in a positive mood after seeing off Middlesbrough in midweek.

He said: ''I couldn't be happier with the players. It was a good chance to put people in and find out about them.''

Having dumped Tottenham out of the Worthington Cup, Burnley manager Stan Ternent is confident his side can be a match for Coventry at Turf Moor. He said: ''This is a place with potential."

Read more about Hartlepool here.