HARTLEPOOL UNITED’S pre-season preparations are all but completed today when they take on Sunderland in a behind closed doors friendly.

Pools go to the Academy of Light to take on Jack Ross’ side, with Hignett using his squad to the full over Saturday’s comprehensive win over Macclesfield and today.

Pools brushed aside Sol Campbell’s League Two side aside with goals from Nicky Featherstone, Gime Toure and Michael Raynes.

Of today’s side, Hignett said: “Everyone who wasn’t playing on Saturday will play.

“The plan was to get everyone 90 minutes in one of these two games to make sure all the players are ready.

“We are probably a few players short of being able to do that so some players might have to do 45 minutes.

“Saturday was a proper game, Macclesfield moved the ball around well and caused us some problems.

“But I also thought we looked really dangerous in possession, we looked solid as a team and that work will continue until I’m really happy.’’

Macc turned up without names or numbers on their shirts, with a number of trialists. A long season appears in store after they just fended off relegation last season.

For Pools, the outlook – albeit in a division below – is positive.

“I’m really optimistic,’’ mused the manager. “As a manager I probably should be pessimistic but I never am, I always see the positives in everything.

“Looking at things now, if there are eight better teams than us then it’s going to be a great league to play in.

“When you see the standard between us and Macclesfield, it was nothing.

“Teams who do well in this league will go on and do well in the division above.

“Optimism? I’m trying to keep a lid on it but I’m hopeful that what we’ve seen we can carry on and get better as the season goes on.

Pools lined up with Nicke Kabamba up front, Toure and Niko Muir behind. With a welter of options in both midfield and attack, Hignett is having to be adaptable.

He said: “I want to be flexible, but the way we defend will be the same in every system.

“They will be slight changes, nothing major, against Macclesfield we played two in behind one striker where normally we play two wide and one up front. We changed to a diamond, there will be games where a diamond will cause teams problems, there will be times we need to stretch teams when we’ve got the quicker lads in our side.

“I don’t want to change a system where all changes and people have to go into a different mode, the way I want it is that everyone defends in the same way, the roles stay the same.’’

Hignett hopes to sign left back Romoney Crichlow-Noble on loan from Huddersfield after he again appeared for Pools on Saturday.

Hignett said: “We’ve had a chat with Huddersfield, hopefully we can get something sorted, so we can keep him. I think he’s been excellent since he came in.”