RICHARD Money’s tenure as Hartlepool United’s head of football operations isn’t likely to last much longer than his stint as manager.

In charge of the first-team for just 44 days, Money moved to a role away from the first-team with Craig Hignett, the club’s director of football, made Pools third manager of the season.

While Hignett is a long-term appointment, the nature of Money’s contract and current notice period means his position will be reviewed at the end of April, once the season finished.

The club’s chief executive Mark Maguire said: “Richard is one of those we look at until the end of the season. We have agreed to review at the end of the season and then come up with an argument to do it on a longer-term basis.

“We had an honest discussion with him and we will review the significance of the next three to four months and make a judgement then.

“We are a National League side and people will look and ask why we have all these layers of management and we will look and make a decision in the future of what the benefits are.’’

With Hignett out to improve fortunes on the pitch, reshaping things off it is the remit of Money. He has been in senior Academy positions at both Newcastle United and Norwich City and his expertise in that area could be invaluable.

“Richard’s role is to oversee the structure of the club and the next few months for him is about, what the task is, to almost on the football side to write down all the roles we think we need working within the budget of a National League club,’’ added Maguire.

The Northern Echo:

“Then the aspirational roles for getting promoted back and what are the characteristic required and the tasks involved.

“The on the right side of the page we have a list of making sure we have the right people in the right place to make it as efficient as possible. There’s significant value in the next few months of what Richard is going to be doing in looking at the challenges we face.

“We will never have to reinvent the Academy again, never have to look at sports science departments again. It’s a question of how those are managed on a long-term basis between the club and chairman and staff.’’

Money’s last game was the defeat at Harrogate seven days ago. He was in discussion with the club’s hierarchy immediately after the game and 24 hours later suggested the changes in roles.

“Richard made the first suggestion on Sunday morning and there was, shall we call it, a discomfort with the football side of it,’’ said Maguire.

“Craig alluded to the frustration that there is so much good going on with the club but that means nothing if it’s not working on the football side. After a while no matter what we say then fans will stop believing you if it’s not working well on the pitch.

“What can we do better, who is doing what, what needs improving? We can’t accept being mediocre, we can’t carry on like that and thinking ‘we are Hartlepool, we will be alright’.

“Richard has challenged us and made life uneasy, but it makes sense when we sat down and had the conversations. Craig always said he wanted to be a manager again and we know what a great manager we already have in place.’’

Maguire was appointed in the summer when Raj Singh’s takeover was complete and he admits being wary of working under a director of football, before those fears were soon allayed.

He admitted: “One of my concerns in coming in here was about having a director of football, a former manager and former Premier League footballer.

“He has no ego, cares about the place and knows how he wants to play football. It fits in that respect and we accept he will have to win over some fans. One of the most telling things on social media was former players, Trevor Carson and Nathan Thomas going out and saying he should never have been sacked at the club in the first place.’’