HARTLEPOOL United have once again lived up to their reputation as serial sackers but on this occasion, it was a necessary evil.  

There has been a host of horror shows and dismal displays during Paul Hartley’s short reign but Saturday’s defeat to Sutton United was perhaps the most damning. Not by the margin of result but by the way the players barely put up a fight and almost rolled over to their opponent.  

With little to show from their trip to South London, players looked willing to accept their fate at Gander Green Lane of yet another defeat to compound a miserable season to date. There in lies a huge problem that seriously needed correcting.  

Out of the list of candidates that were assessed and interviewed during their month long search over the summer, Paul Hartley’s appointment stood out as the bold option to the club as he was prized away from Cove Rangers fresh from their promotion to the Scottish Championship. That is what they were hoping to be this season. Bold and brave enough to upset the odds and mount a push up the League Two table and be challenging for the play-offs.

As things stand, they are now looking at a season that is rapidly falling by the wayside. They have been prompted into action after there dismal run of form with the appointment of Keith Curle as interim boss but if they are not careful, this could be a season of torment and struggle for a side who have only just gone through the turmoil of getting out of the National League in recent history. 

Naturally, any managerial appointment is always going to be a gamble especially when Graeme Lee was relieved of his duties for much better form overall. But the untested Hartley, who was yet to manage in the English game, was a gamble that has not paid off. Not everyone knows everything that goes on within the four walls of the manager’s office or on the training ground but it's clear to see how rifts had begun to develop within all four corners of the club.

Add all of those components into the mix and it was clear to see that Hartley was out of his depth.

After last season’s run-in garnered just one win from their remaining 11 games, the message of a fresh outlook and a fresh new batch of ideas to get the team looking up rather than down was the message. But for a side who were suffering from injuries during that run-in, spent the majority of the season away from the threat of relegation and made it to a cup semi-final, the argument could be made that there was little need for a wrecking ball to be taken to the team.  

Nevertheless, Hartley brought 16 new players to the squad almost making it unrecognisable with a host of Scotsman ready to don the blue and white. As it turns out, most of them have been offered an opportunity in the side with none of them really setting the world alight. 

From his team selection since he took over, it’s obvious he has been looking to put his mark on the squad. But the tried at tested players, the likes of Tom Crawford, Mark Shelton, David Ferguson and Jamie Sterry have all been cast aside for some parts of the season. Again, another gamble that has not paid off.  

Performances aside, Hartley has not endeared himself to the fan base and seemingly has had no desire to. He has had as little interaction with the media as possible to deliver his messages and when he has, those messages have been short, sweet and full of meaningless cliches that offer no assurance. Within the local media, his interviews were often spikey and blunt. For a club that has the undying loyalty of the Pools fanbase, that was never going to go down well. In comparison, his predecessors in Graeme Lee and Dave Challinor revelled in the Suit Direct Stadium atmosphere.  

After just over one season back in the football league since that famous day in Bristol, Pools are now looking for their fourth permanent manager which is some statistic even by their standard. However, the short reign of Hartley highlights just how crucial the next appointment needs to be.  

For the club to have any kind of stability or concerted push up the league table, a manager who will be given time is absolutely fundamental. However, coupled with that, it needs to be a reliable pair of hands who knows what it takes to operate in League Two.