SAM COLLINS insists there are no excuses for Hartlepool United’s players this afternoon.

Pools take on Stevenage at The Northern Gas and Power Stadium, on the back of a week of change at the club, which ends with new boss Dave Jones taking charge.

Craig Hignett was sacked last weekend after their latest defeat, 1-0 at Crawley. Collins, the club’s under-23s coach was appointed caretaker.

Asked to steer the ship for the third time, the club’s former skipper – who signed for Pools under Danny Wilson in 2007 – took training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Jones was appointed on Wednesday evening, and will officially start work on Monday. He was on the training ground yesterday and his assistant managers Kevin Cooper and Alex Armstrong will be in the dug-out with Collins today. Jones will see today’s game from the director’s box, but there's every chance he will have a strong say.

Jones said: “Sam has the first team in for Saturday, I’ll be there and then for Monday it’s all fresh to start.''

Collins said: “I’ve been at the club a long time and I feel passionate for it. I know how I am as a player and a coach. I spent a long time coaching when I was playing and now I’ve given everything to coaching.

“I know what I want and how I want to go about it. Can I change much in a week? A lot of changes will be made without the ball because that’s one of the things I feel we are really poor at.

“Monday and Tuesday was a lot of work about that. The lads know the game, some of them have played hundreds and hundreds of games, but I can’t change a lot.

“We know how Stevenage will play on Saturday and that will suit how we want to play. I want us to play football, we have players to do that and we haven’t the players to play a route one game. It’s about getting the balance right.

“Knowing this league, everyone has their own way of playing: Me, Craig, Paul Murray, Colin Cooper – we all want it playing a certain way and in a certain style.’’

Pools were embarrassed 6-1 at Stevenage early in the season, the first sign that things may not go to plan for Hignett and his tenure ended with Pools 18th in League Two, a long way from the play-off spot he targeted.

Collins, who has now worked under eight different managers in his time at the club, said: “It goes on and that’s football. But my big thing is I know how I am in terms of organisation and I will make sure that come Saturday and three o’clock there won’t be any excuse about not being ready. No excuses.

“It’s easy for players to blame a managerial change – their job is to go and play, go out there and do it. They are paid by the football club and the supporters come along to watch them do their job and impress.

“They will be ready. We all know what our fans are like. They can accept mistakes, but what they won’t accept is anyone not having a go.

“I know what the crowds are like – I’ve played in front of them – and if you aren’t trying then they will let you know about it.

“They have paid their money, we have to give them something to excite them and make them happy – shots, tackles, scoring opportunities and the basics. Whoever is in charge, that will never ever chance.

“I’ve been pleased with what I have seen in training, there’s no-one moping around. Some players I felt were quiet have been different to how I thought. I’ve been in dressing rooms at this club where players have been wanting to pull each other’s head off after each game, but it shows they want to win.

“If we have 11 winners out there on Saturday we will be alright.’’