ANOTHER WEEK, another meeting. And this time Craig Hignett hopes it has the desired effect.

After losing 3-2 at Carlisle, the Hartlepool United squad sat through a DVD run down of their frailties, the mistakes which have cost them too many goals this season.

So last weekend against Leyton Orient they shipped three more preventable goals in losing 3-1.

On Monday this week, Pools were holed up in a meeting room at the club’s Maiden Castle training base in Durham to review their problems.

Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Barnet in League Two, as Pools seek a fourth away win of the season, boss Craig Hignett admitted: “We needed to look at what happened and why it happened.

“There were some regular things occurring and we wanted to touch on them.

We have not played as well as we know we can. We have only really played well in patches. What we need to do now is sustain it.’’

Pools have developed bad defensive habits of late. The absence of experienced pair Matthew Bates and Rob Jones has been a contributing factor.

Bates (bone bruising) and Jones (hip) are both back in training, but tomorrow’s game is likely to come too soon for the pair, although Jones has an outside chance of playing.

Hignett said: “They are training. Both have missed a lot of football but they are back.

“Rob has trained with us so he is slightly closer, but we will have to wait and see.’’

So after the Monday conflab is the Pools boss hoping the message has dropped?

“Yeah I am confident it has,’’ he said. “We had the video session last week and then a meeting this week.

“It was very useful for both the players and ourselves. I am confident they will look at things differently now.

“I'm sure they had one way of thinking and playing but having seen what they have seen and listened to us I am confident they can do something about it.’’

He added: “I don't want to be a manager who comes in and shouts every day, week-in, week-out.

“At the end of the day it would be easy to do that in this league.

“I want us to be a learning club, a learning squad. For us to progress we have to do this together.

“We can't be individuals at this football club.

“We have some talented players here who will know this club is a stepping stone for them, but they will not make that step unless they learn.’’

Last weekend’s defeat means it’s seven games without a win at the Northern Gas and Power Stadium this season.

Pools have two defeats and five draws in front of their own fans, with their three wins all coming on the road.

Their next game there is a week on Sunday when Stamford visit in the FA Cup.

“We know we should have won a few games at home,’’ added Hignett. “But the longer it goes on it is a concern.

“Everyone has to be patient.

“We are a young side who are still learning. I think I have to be patient, the staff, the fans.

“They are going the right way but the whole mentality at this football club has to change from the bottom to the top.

“It is slowly. It won't be an overnight thing, but things are getting better.’’

Hignett has spend the last three games watching from the stands after serving an FA touchline suspension following his dismissal at Plymouth Argyle last month.

He will be back in the dug out at the Hive tomorrow and said: “It will be massive being back.

“It has been really frustrating being in the stands because you can't really get your message across.

“Sat in the stand you see different things to the dugout. It is nice in that sense but it will be good to be back.’’