CYRIL KNOWLES arrived at Hartlepool United with the club bottom of the Football League and said in his finest Yorkshire tones that the club "were a bit like ‘oliday camp”.

Ronnie Moore took charge of yesterday and while stopping short of comparing it to Butlins, his mantra was from same school of thought.

“They need someone to go and have a right pop at them - which I’m going to do and then we can get on and do the right things,’’ he said.

And added: “We are in at 12 o’clock today for training - you shouldn’t be getting Wednesdays off when you are bottom of the league, should you?’’

The players may not like it. Moore likes it that way. They’ve failed miserably this season under three other managers. New boss, new era, new outlook.

“It has been a mad few days but it’s all positive now for Hartlepool United and the fans. It’s a new start,’’ he said.

“There are new owners and a new manager and hopefully some good times for the club because there has been awful lot of bad ones just recently.’’

Moore was there at Burton Albion on Saturday to watch Pools fold to a 4-0 defeat. He wasn’t manager then, there as an interested spectator.

The next time the players turn out, they had better be an improvement for Moore.

“To be honest I was sat there for the first 44 minutes thinking ‘why are they bottom of the league?’,” he said.

“In those 44 minutes there was nothing in the game, bottom of the league against second.

“But one stupid mistake and they scored off the post and then the team conceded straight after the break.

“At 2-0 they should have still be in the game, it shouldn’t be the end of the world.

“But I just felt it was like a pack of cards, there was no leadership.

“There was nobody pointing the finger, I don’t want them having a go in front of the crowd but you have to be men.

“I can’t do anything about what has gone on but I will be doing my hardest to improve things from now on.

“That is the same with the players, they are the ones that can improve things - it is the lads on the park that can put it right.

“I can shout from the sides and organise things but they have to be brave and make the right decisions in the right areas.’’

Moore, after meeting his players at Maiden Castle in Durham yesterday, organised a full-scale practice match to run the role over the squad. It’s same again this morning as he plans for the weekend.

He added: “It’s a day to work, work on the defence because when the team concedes, it looks like it could be three or four. We’ve got to get that right.

“We’ll be working morning and afternoon to get that right with the players that are here, at least until the window opens, and then the rest will come together.

“I’ve seen the DVDs of the games and in the Wycombe match there was nothing in the game but we are conceding too many from set plays.

“It is switch off time for one or two of them. I will try my hardest to get things right and the more you do it the easier it will get.’’

And Moore, faced with a weak and thin squad, is out to improve things in January – with the backing of new owners TMH.

“I have scope to bring players in January,’’ he said. “I haven’t asked that question over money yet but anybody that comes into a football club at this level, they are not going to throw £500,000 at it and say go out and sign three players and pay them this that and the other.

“That won’t happen, it is about refreshing it and the club has owners who want to push it in the right direction.’’

Moore takes over a club at the bottom of the table, with only three wins to their name.

Knowles kept Pools up, then got them promoted the next season. Moore has his sights set on following the same path.

“The new owners want to move the club forward in every way and I just hope this can be a long role for me,’’ he said.

“Survival this year, staying above that dotted line, and then I think there is going to be a lot of good things happening next season.

“If I can help them with survival this season then I’m sure we will be pushing at the right end next season.’’