Journalist Tom Scargill of the Halifax Courier thinks that Jack Hunter, a recent addition, might be the game-winning player that Hartlepool United sorely missed during the previous campaign.
After spending two years at Halifax, the 26-year-old was signed as boss Darren Sarll’s second summer acquisition earlier this month.
He played 44 games as a regular in Chris Millington’s winning team the previous season, helping the Shaymen finish seventh before falling to Solihull Moors in the play-offs.
Supporters will be hoping that Hunter can fill the void left by Kieran Wallace, the only natural ball-winner in the squad, who struggled with injuries and managed just 21 mostly lacklustre outings. During the majority of the disastrous campaign, Pools were without a defensive-midfielder.
While some fans have expressed frustration over the fact that the Pools have started their summer operations more slowly than their National League competitors, the signing of Hunter has been received positively by the majority of the fan base.
Hunter, like fellow newcomers Luke Charman and Nathan Sheron, fits the description of the kind of player Sarll has stated he is seeking: someone who is of a decent build, in the prime of his career, dependable, and connected to the community.
If everything goes according to plan, Hunter will be able to take up Pools’ natural position at the base of midfield last season. With his background in screening the back four, this should make Sarll’s team much more formidable in the engine room come playoff time.
Scargill, who has observed the adaptable new addition every week for the past two seasons, asserts that Pools will receive a “classic holding-midfielder”.
“He’s your classic holding-midfielder, effective at breaking up play, tracking runners and spotting danger,” he stated.
“When it comes to the ball, he prefers to keep things simple and maintain possession over making intricate passes across the field or breaking through the opposition’s defence.
“He’s very good at providing a platform for others around him to shine, quite often he’ll go unnoticed in games but he does a lot of the uglier stuff that allows him teammates to go forward and attack.”
With five central midfielders now under contract with Pools, Hunter, Sheron, and Mancini appear to be the most likely starts.
Although, of course, there are still doubts about the mercurial Frenchman’s future and fitness, Hunter and Sheron, who are more defensive-minded, are likely to screen the back four, giving Mancini the freedom to operate in a more advanced role where his talents are most likely to hurt opponents.
Nicky Featherstone, who is 36 in September, signed a player-coach contract last month. He will probably be used less frequently but will offer experience and poise when needed while Kieran Wallace, who had a difficult season last year, is still out.
Pools may try to bring in another new player for the engine room, but Sheron and Hunter will probably have to carry out the majority of the hard work in Sarll’s redesigned midfield.
Scargill believes the former Gateshead and Newcastle player may be the ball-winner Pools need.
“He’s played that role for Halifax for the last couple of seasons and has a good amount of National League experience now,” he stated.
“He will need different players around him to produce the more attacking, incisive football but Hunter can be relied upon to offer a consistent level of performance in screening the defence, breaking up play and providing a platform for others to play.”
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