A Leeds United expert says Hartlepool United fans can expect "a mixture" of styles of play from new manager Simon Grayson.
BBC Radio Leeds presenter Katherine Hannah is well-placed to run the rule over new Pools boss Simon Grayson, who has been in charge of three West Yorkshire sides. The experienced manager, who took over at Pools last week, led both Leeds and Huddersfield to promotion to the Championship while also spending time at the helm of Bradford.
Style of play has been a hot topic at Pools for some time now, with the club seeming to lurch in one direction and then another; at the end of the 2023/24 season, manager Kevin Phillips vowed to make Pools a more possession-based side, only for the club to replace the Sunderland legend and former England international with Darren Sarll, renowned for a commitment to a more direct, combative brand of football.
Speaking to BBC Radio Tees presenter Rob Law, Hannah hailed Grayson, who has never managed in non-league, as a "canny" operator and has backed him to be adaptable at Victoria Park.
BBC Radio Leeds presenter Katherine Hannah, who has covered Grayson during his time in charge of Leeds, Huddersfield and Bradford, has backed the new Pools boss to be adaptable when it comes to style of play next season. Picture by Lewis Storey/Getty Images.placeholder image
BBC Radio Leeds presenter Katherine Hannah, who has covered Grayson during his time in charge of Leeds, Huddersfield and Bradford, has backed the new Pools boss to be adaptable when it comes to style of play next season. Picture by Lewis Storey/Getty Images.
"That's kind of a difficult question - I think he has different styles for different teams," she said.
"He's got, clearly, a lot of work to do at Hartlepool to actually shape a squad. By all accounts, he's going to have to bring in quite a few players.
"All I would say in terms of style of football is he's canny, I think he will adapt it to the tools at his disposal. He'll think, 'right, who have I got, who can I bring in?'
"It's probably a mixture of both. You're never going to say it's beautiful, silky, free-flowing football. I don't think he would attempt to do that - does that bring success at National League level? I don't know. I suppose it can do, if you're a York City and you've got a lot of money to spend on those kinds of players. At the opposite end of the budgetary scale, it will be more about graft, heart and coming up with a plan and alternative options to deal with the team that you're playing against.
"He's a very canny manager, you don't get that amount of promotions with so many different clubs without being able to suss out - 'right, what have I got at my disposal and who are we taking on?' - and come up with a plan that fits accordingly.
"I wouldn't particularly peg him as being one thing or the other - he's just a good manager, who can adapt and come up with the right solutions depending on who he's got available to him."
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