Moore's been around enough to be his own man

Appointed last week as Hartlepool United manager, Moore has already been letting the players know what he’s all about.

As fiery as he is jovial, Moore has the personality and character Pools need right now. He also has the nous.

His first warning was issued before he had even met the players, telling the media at his introductory press conference he was heading straight to the training ground to “have a pop at them and we will take it from there’’.

The message was clear: forget Colin Cooper and Paul Murray it’s Moore’s way now.

“I’ve come in and I’m myself – I’ll never change, I am who I am and I won’t pretend to be anyone else,’’ said the Scouser. “I’ve told them I’ve no magic wand, but I can train them and prepare them in the knowledge that I can help them.

“Because of who I am and my experience, it doesn’t give us a divine right to win a game. I can get them together and get the spirit right, and I’ve had teams in the past that wasn’t the best, but it had that spirit you need to fight.

“If you can get your team, as a group, together you can be unbeatable, play against beat the best. The trick is to get them believing, it’s difficult because we have a lot of players – and as a group - mentally not strong enough. It’s the hard part – how do you get into a players’ mind to make them better on that front?

“People say it’s a generation thing and there’s not many leaders now at any level. Most teams at this level it’s the experienced players who have played a lot of games, but they are quiet as well.

“In our day we had a scrap in the dressing room at half-time and get on with it.

“The manager didn’t have to say anything because the players came in and sorted it out themselves. Now they need music on before the game because they can’t talk to each other.

“Every club you go to it’s boom, boom, bang, bang – home music, away music. Jelly beans before games. I could never do that before a game! It was steak and chips for me, a bit different!’’

Moore is taking a look at defender Scott Harrison this week. The Sunderland centre-half has already spent three months on loan at Victoria Park this season, but had to return to Wearside when his 93-day loan was up.

But with Moore seeking two new centre-halves in January, he’s already taking a close look at the one-time Darlington trainee.

"I don't know Scotty, I haven't seen an awful lot of him but he has played here before,’’ said Moore.

"He is in for a few days so I can make an assessment. If he comes through that then we can proceed with bringing him in.

"But we are looking for experience too. Scotty has played games for a young kid but he is strong and competitive.’’

Moore, also linked with a move for Kasparrs Gorks has said he has no interest in the experienced Colchester centre-half.

Of Harrison he added: "I think you need to keep kicking him up the backside to get him going and he lives off that kind of thing.

"But he could be one for the future, at this present time it is all ifs, buts and maybes.

"There are one or two experienced centre backs that we have spoken about and hopefully fingers crossed by the time the window opens we can move sharpish.

"There is a game on the third, I am trying to get them all in on Jan 1st if I can, at least then wel'll have a day or twos training before we have a nice easy game at Wycombe.

"It is all go at the moment, fingers crossed the jigsaw falls into place and we will be alright."

Brad Walker is unlikely to be involved in the Boxing Day trip to Mansfield, Tommy Miller could be back for Sunday’s game with Morecambe at Victoria Park and Jack Compton is not training because of a stomach bug. Michael Duckworth may return on Boxing Day.