COLIN COOPER, on the back of a mauling at Northampton, admits the coaching staff at Hartlepool United is working below strength.

Pools struggled last season following the departure of Craig Hignett to Middlesbrough, as Cooper waited to find a replacement.

After opting for Stephen Pears on the eve of the new season, Pool’s coaching structure has changed. As a former defender himself, Cooper spent a lot of last season doing defensive work, as Hignett took over scoring duties.

However, Pears now doubles up as a goalkeeping coach.

Sam Collins is looking after the reserve side and is taking on responsibilities with the club’s younger players, which is proving the centre-half with a good grounding.

And Cooper, whose side set off yesterday on the haul to Plymouth, said: “Sam is enjoying the coaching. I do all the first team stuff, I love being out there every day, but Sam does things every day with the under-21s and so and he is keen to do that and hone their skills.

“With a reserve game, I give him free rein for what he wants with the team, tactics and set- up, as it is some edication for someone wanting to step over to the other side.

“A couple of managers gave me the opportunity to do it and you appreciate while you are still training and playing.

“He appreciates it and is still trying to get onto his A Licence course in the summer, it’s all part of the education and you have to tick boxes as a football coach to get your qualifications – and one of the boxes to tick is to go on a course and not go on holiday or have any spare time! And I’m still doing that now.

“I played and coached at the same time, so I understand what Sam is going through.

“If he is playing he focuses on playing, full stop. At the end of the session if he wants to focus on the younger players that is fine.

“He will have two mindsets. If he is playing he will prepare as a player, if he’s on the bench or not playing he will help me more with my preparation as an extra body and pair of eyes and ears.’’

He added: “We are probably one coach short on the grass. Bringing Stephen Pears in, as much as I’m chuffed to bits, he focuses on the goalkeepers. On Saturday when we talk about getting the team ready we are one pair of legs short.

“Sam has long been keen to get involved and, as I said before, when I came in he was probably one year too early to focus totally on coaching.

“How often he plays, and he admitted he found the first three games of the season a stretch, so we have conversations and decide on his role by the week.

“Everyone will presume that as an ex-defender I concentrate on defenders. I would like to think  I can coach defenders, but I enjoy the movement and the different kinds of play – things I didn’t enjoy as a defender.

“I can do most, but if I want to split the group in two then Sam can do one thing, Pearsy another. It’s all fine, but we are probably one pair of legs short, but we can cope.

“I will quite happily allow Sam to do bits and pieces, but if he is focusing on playing then me and Steven can cover the other bases comfortably.

“If I’m working on defenders, Stephen can do it as a goalkeeper looking at defenders. If I’m doing forward work then I can do the reverse of what I did as a defender – we can cope.’’

Pools will be without Charlie Wyke today, after the loan striker was knocked out at Northampton. He is back at Middlesbrough and will return to training with Pools next week.