Hartlepool United must drop celebrations for preparation, says boss Dave Challinor
- Published
Dave Challinor was able to enjoy Sunday's celebrations but by Monday was already back in 'work mode'
Hartlepool United have little time to enjoy their promotion from the National League as preparations for the new League Two season must begin immediately, says boss Dave Challinor.
Pools ended a four-year spell outside the English Football League with Sunday's win over Torquay.
However, with just six weeks to go before the new campaign, assembling a side will be the primary focus.
"It has to sink in unfortunately," Challinor told BBC Radio Tees.
"We are already activating plans, we've got to get turned around quickly, because the stark reality is we're a Football League team with five contracted players and another 20 to find."
Challinor spoke glowingly of the "special" celebrations he and the players shared after promotion final at Ashton Gate, but even then it was a disparate group as not everyone boarded the bus back with individual plans in place.
However, even as those who did clamber aboard the coach to head back to the north east, the 45-year-old was brought right back to immediate concerns by messages from agents offering players and the hurly-burly of football management.
The later finish to the season, added to an inability to put concrete plans in place with uncertainty before a promotion final, means Pools will already be 'behind the eight ball' in terms of recruitment compared to next season's peers.
Among the challenges are with those seeking enhanced deals having achieved success and juggling the budget, against a time frame in which there is little time to delay.
Challinor says he will try to sit down with as many of the existing squad as possible but cannot promise that it will be the same personnel that lines up on Saturday, 7 August for their return to the league.
"Primarily from our perspective, our sole focus has to be getting the squad together," Challinor continued.
"Without sounding too dramatic, if we get a squad together but have no preseason friendlies I can deal with that. "We won't be having any pre-season friendlies if we don't have a squad, so, that's where we are.
"It's different scenarios, because normally players would be having a think about what they want to do and you might talk to them about a contract.
"That won't happen. It'll be a case of, best as you can face-to-face, we're sat down here to negotiate a deal and if we can't, we'll be walking out of the room now, go our separate ways and move on.
"Because time is certainly not on our side in our hands and as much as we want to give people time, they want their futures decided and we need to know where we stand."