PAUL MURRAY will set about trying to reshape his Hartlepool United squad this week.

After taking control on Thursday, Murray, who won the club’s player of the year award in 2011, had only one training session with his players ahead of his opening game.

And now, with a full week ahead on the training ground, Murray will work with his players, while looking to add to his options.

He has an unbalanced squad to work with – most players are at the start or end of their careers and will take in games in the next few days as he sets out his plans.

“We will improve things and get people in to help,’’ he said. “We have been looking at players to help improve the squad. We have an area in the squad we need to look at – we have a lot of young players, and a lot of older players, but not a lot of players in the middle range – 23, 24, 25. And we are looking at that bracket with a few additions next week.

“I will keep doing what I feel is right for the club and if I get these players in then they will help the team and the lads.’’

Pools found themselves under constant pressure in the opening 45 minutes on Saturday as they struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Murray added: “The first half shocked me. Physically Cambridge were massive, you look through their team and they were all six foot two, six foot three.

“I wanted to get Ryan Brobbel into the game, but he just couldn’t handle the physical side, which I’m fine with. He will come in for other games.

“I think first-half and the lads were shell-shocked. It was physical, we weren’t getting tight enough or in people’s faces, which is a minimum requirement for me.

“Then we started to see the ability come through in the second half and some belief as well.

“We couldn’t keep the ball in the first half. We changed it just after the goal, we were going to just before it came, but the reaction after the break was good.

“We got one goal and could have had another one. We want them to believe themselves too.’’