HARTLEPOOL United have collectively lost their way; there’s plenty of individual examples too.

Under Ronnie Moore, Pools have stuttered this season with inconsistency top of the class.

Their performance levels on Tuesday cost Moore his job, sacked after the poor home defeat to Stevenage, a result which left Pools four points ahead of the League Two relegation zone.

Today marks Craig Hignett’s first game as a manager, his debut in charge of Pools at Victoria Park against Yeovil.

He watched the other night’s game from the stand, unaware he would be taking over the following day.

Straight to work on the training ground on Thursday, back again Friday, Hignett started to drip feed information of his own ways and means to his players. His methods will be different to Moore’s.

"I wouldn't be sat here if the other night was good,’’ he mused.

"Football is a results business and if you are not getting results, you are in danger of losing your job - unfortunately, that's what happened.

"I'm just looking forward to the future now. I know I have the players in the club to do all right and given a bit of time with them I can get them moving up the table.’’

There’s a few players at the club from his previous stint as assistant boss under Colin Cooper which ended when he was poached by Middlesbrough in March 2014.

Brad Walker came to the fore under Cooper and Hignett and since then his career has stalled. Moore never took to the midfielder, and he didn’t have much of a future at Pools under the former boss.

Lewis Hawkins, Michael Duckworth remain part of the squad. Luke James has returned to the club from Peterbrough on loan.

Hignett is confident he can get the young talent back on track.

"Luke, Lewis, Brad. I'm looking forward to working with them and giving them a bit of a lift, getting them coached and back up and moving forward again,’’ he admitted.

"Looking not just as this league but higher leagues because there is no doubt they have ability.

"It's up to me to get the best out of them, if I can't then it's my fault.’’

Walker has stagnated under Moore, becoming very much a fringe player.

"There might be reasons for that,’’ reflected Hignett. “He's only 20 he could be going through a growth spurt there could be all kinds of things going wrong for a young player, not just for Brad but any young footballer

"You could say the same about Luke, he's got his move and then he's sort of not gone anywhere, he's not moved forward.

"Sometimes people need to be show what to do, they need to be coached, sometimes they need to have an arm put around them, sometimes they don't.

"It's about knowing what players need.’’

Hignett’s character means he is well versed in communicating with people, knowing how to look after individuals and their ways and means.

"I am good at sitting down and spending time with people and that's what I'll do with the young lads,’’ he admitted. "It's about giving them every chance to realise their potential.

"It's about giving them help, advice, 'this is the path I took this is what worked for me, give it a go'.

"If it doesn't work then try something different.

"It's about working with players and making them feel good about themselves."

James had his best spell and improved as a player under Hignett’s coaching at Pools. Now it’s about redeveloping that understanding and getting the striker back scoring goals.

"Everyone is going to be vital to the cause,’’ added Hignett.

"I watched him play the other night and I thought he was terrific, he looked like the old Luke.

"But everyone is going to be important to me.

"I want players to step up show me what they can do, not be scared to get on the ball and not play with fear.

"I'm not going to have a go at anyone losing the ball, I want them to try things, in the right areas, I've told them that. I want them to express themselves.

Tickets prices and admission for today’s game have been reduced to £12 and £5 concessions.

And Hignett is hoping for a positive reaction and response from the punch-drunk Victoria Park crowd.

“I would like to thank the supporters for their best wishes and support they have given me. It would have been easy for them not to care after I left last time,’’ he admitted.

“I would say come to the Vic, support us, hopefully we will entertain as best we can. This place, when full and rocking is a brilliant place to be. I just want to repay their faith shown in me with good performances and get us away from where we are.’’

He added: “I’ve played here in good times, we had some good times with Coops and while there’s only 5,000 here it sounds like 25,000 when they get behind us and we want it to make it intimidating for other teams to come here, make them scared to play here.

“As a young kid I came here with Crewe and we knew it was a horrible place to come and I would love to get that back. Get behind the lads, make it tough.

“Saturday is a big one, I would love to scare them to death. We’ve worked on how we will play. I know how Yeovil will play, I know what we can do.

“I just don’t know who will play!’’