SAM COLLINS is into his third stint in charge of Hartlepool United; the circumstances could not be different.

While assistant boss Collins has led the team this week in the absence of Ronnie Moore, it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. His other two shifts have been somewhat chastening.

While Moore has been in Spain this week to be with his daughter, who has taken ill on holiday, Collins has been in control. With Charlotte Moore improving in hospital, Moore is hoping to be in the dug out at Bootham Crescent this afternoon.

In the nicest possible way, Moore wasn’t missed for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup win at Fleetwood: to quote former Pools’ striker Gordon Watson ‘this bus drives itself’.

On Collins’ other times in charge last season the bus was careering over the edge of the cliff - first following the departure of Colin Cooper, then weeks later when Paul Murray departed, Collins was thrown into the job.

“It's about being well-organised, not trying to blow my own trumpet but that's something I really like to do,’’ he said. “I try to be organised in everything I do, I just try to get on with things.

“I've been involved in football for a helluva long time and I know the way it works.

“The big thing is to get the players prepared and that obviously gives Ronnie time to get things sorted away from football – the sooner we get him back with us the better.’’

In five games last season, Collins had one win to his name. There’s every chance he will be a manager himself in the future, but for now he’s happy learning his trade from one of football’s most experienced bosses.

“We are both on the same wavelength, we talk all the time,’’ said Collins of Moore. “Over time I’m sure people are well aware we have worked quite well together – we are both singing off the same hymn sheet and if we weren’t then it would be clear.

“We both know what we want and what we want to do with the players and team. We will make sure the lads are ready for the weekend.’’

Of the current squad only a handful have played alongside Collins. New signing Billy Paytner has twice been a team-mate, at Port Vale and Hull, but of the rest only briefly.

It’s now Sam Collins the assistant manager, not Sam Collins the centre-half.

He added: “I’ve been in charge twice before at the club and this is different. It’s about carrying things on. What helps now is we have a lot of lads in the squad who make it a lot easier to come in and work with them.

“They are a fantastic group of people. Most things we do are prepared well in advance, in terms of what we are doing in training, preparation and the like – the only time things change come with injuries and the like, which is what happened last week.

“It’s smooth and results dictate what you are trying to do. We keep them ticking over.

“Last time in charge I was thrown in and before, when Colin and then Paul left, I tried to think of it from a player’s point of view than a manager – what would they want me to say to them? How would they want me to be in training?

“I thought about it from a player’s point of view, now it’s different because I’ve been doing this job for a few months and I see it a bit different.

“Basically it’s about keeping ticking over, being organised in terms of training, travel and what we do.’’

And, while Moore often cited the closeness of the backroom staff as a reason for Pools’ achievements of last season, Collins admitted: “Every member of staff at the club is pulling together, they are a different class. People end up doing two or three different jobs, no questioning. We all muck in. Look at the reaction on the bench when we score a goal – it’s clear we are together.

“It rubs off on the players, the non-football staff at the ground are the same.

“I’m being helped by Ian McGuckin and he’s just typical Gucky! The lads like him and respect him, he helps having an extra body in and around the place as they all respect him.’’

Pools will today be backed by around 2,000 fans at Bootham Crescent. The same following at the end of last season watched Pools lose 1-0.

Pools have not scored at Bootham Crescent since March 2001 – five competitive visits ago.

Collins added: “It was brilliant last season in terms of the fans we had - the only disappointing side was the result.

“They had a lad sent off and we had a lot of possession, but there was probably too much tippy-tappy stuff from us, we never really hurt them.

“This is the challenge for us to have the fans backing us like they are and go there and put on another performance like we have in the last two games.’’