New boss has a long term plan at Pools

The newly-installed and vastly-experienced boss was yesterday unveiled to the media, and will take a watching brief when Pools meet Stevenage tomorrow.

But for the future, the 60-year-old admitted: “The day I leave this club I want people to say he left a fantastic legacy, like at Wolves, Stockport, Southampton, Cardiff.’’ Jones has already made his mark at the club, installing a new backroom team with Kevin Cooper and Alex Armstrong taking on assistant manager positions.

Chief scout Tommy Miller, goalkeeper coach Tony Caig and strength and conditioning coach Craig Hubbard have all left the club.

Jones has not been in frontline management since leaving Sheffield Wednesday three years ago, but is relishing the chance to get stuck into the role.

Chairman Gary Coxall has given Jones free reign to reshape the club in his own mould.  Jones said: “I want to get going and get the buzz of the training room. That’s what I’ve missed, but I’ve been involved in football in different ways.

“What I’ve missed in football is being in the game and being in the dressing room.

“I’ve missed the matchday experience. 

“I’ve been sat in a stand watching others do it. I’ve been in the game a long time and I’ve never come out of it, but I’ve been in a different direction.

“The chairman here sold me a dream, he’s ambitious. I’ve had people phoning me with congratulations and I’ve has people phoning saying I’m mad!

“We all want to do well and I felt this was right for me. Gary is ambitious, young and a bit naïve on certain things, but that’s why he’s employed me as a football manager. 

“He’s employed me to build this club as he sees fit. 

“I want to bring a professionalism to this club. It might be so-called small club, but we can have big ambitions. We can keep a tidy house here and there’s lots I can bring to the club.

“I went to Cardiff and I’ve shown the chairman some things I had at Cardiff when I took over and now it’s about changing this club around and bringing a positive attitude, something different to the club.’’

Pools are in an uneasy position in League Two, sitting in 18th spot.

They need an instant lift, and they go to bottom-placed Newport a week tomorrow. 

Jones said: “I have no magic wand, just come in and enjoy the job and do it to the best of your ability.

“Let’s hit the ground running straight away.  “It’s important to trust people and be loyal. But they are ambitious too.  “Everywhere I’ve been and been successful they’ve had a part in it. Not just down to me. 

“What’s a Dave Jones team? Let me see the team here and get an idea, we are going to go and watch videos and I will be guided by the staff here.  “I can promise it’s a clean sheet for me.

“They can show me what they haven’t been showing and if they don’t they will leave the club.

“Play well to get in the team or play well to get a big move. Everyone will get an opportunity.”

Jones has been watching plenty of games, but admits his knowledge of Pools is limited - something he will be working swiftly on changing.

“The players here I don’t really know them, but I’ve watched them a few times and they want to work hard, do well and impress,’’ he said.

“Sometimes when you are losing confidence takes a knock. There’s no magic formula, but knuckle down.  “There’s players here can do better than at this moment in time. They have to show me.

“There’s players I’ve seen before, I think Billy Paynter cleaned my boots! I tried to sign Nathan Thomas when he was at Sunderland and I was at Sheffield Wednesday and Matthew Bates came in on trial when I was there. 

“We assess them and it’s an opportunity for them to start again. It’s a chance for them to stake their claim.’’

Chairman Coxall has given Jones a platform to add to the squad, while there could also be exits this month.

First, however, he needs to assess the current mob.

“You can’t just go and sign players for the sake of it,’’ he insisted. “You may move people out to move people in, and that’s just what happens in football. 

“There might not be millions to spend, there might be two or three million. You always have to work within boundaries. We have to work it out.

“The main thing is stabilise and grow. Have a plan in place and a DNA of the club.’’