Pools boss taking an upbeat view

HARTLEPOOL manager John Hughes is preaching positivity ahead of tonight’s clash of huge importance at Boundary Park.

Six points adrift of safety with eight games to go and a place below Athletic in the npower League One table following a 1-0 loss at Coventry on Saturday, Pools know that anything less than victory won’t be good enough.

But having even a sliver of a chance of getting away from trouble, Hughes insists, is reason enough to be optimistic.

“We were down and out at Christmas,” Hughes said. “We were a laughing stock back then, but we put pride back into the club. Tonight is a huge game.”

When Hughes first took on the job, Pools were floundering at the bottom of the table with a pitiful eight points from 17 games.

His first match in charge brought home the size of his task: his side lost 5-0 to Coventry.