Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll intends to treat the loan market with caution

The new Pools boss professes to prefer working with smaller squads while all of his first four summer signings are capable of playing in multiple positions.

When it is used to add to an already strong squad, the loan market can be hugely beneficial for all concerned - just think of the impact the likes of Luke Armstrong, Tyler Magloire, Lewis Cass, Richie Bennett and Danny Elliott made in Dave Challinor's promotion-winning side in the 2020/21 campaign.

However, an excess of loans is usually a sign that something is amiss and that summer recruitment has been wide of the mark - consider the struggles of Ciaran Brennan, Zak Johnson and Kwaku Oduroh when they were thrown into a disjointed side last term.

In all, Pools made a staggering 14 loan signings last season - of those, only Pete Jameson, Luke Hendrie and Terrell Agyemang could be considered, realistically, even partial successes.

Sarll will be hoping, then, that this season he can dip into the loan market to provide a sprinkling of quality - or, when needed, injury cover - to his carefully curated group, which includes a handful of versatile new recruits.

Indeed, all four of Sarll's first summer signings can play in multiple roles and have a reputation for reliability - between them, the quartet amassed an impressive 166 appearances last season alone.

Attackers Adam Campbell and Luke Charman can operate centrally and out wide, while central-midfielders Jack Hunter and Nathan Sheron can both slot into defence.

And, with Sarll professing to prefer a smaller squad, the versatility of the new recruits has the potential to prove pivotal.

"First of all, I don't like working with huge squads, I really don't," he told the club website.

"If we can have qualities and attributes in players that lend itself to other locations in a shape, then that's going to be a big positive for us.

"What I don't want to do is to have to keep dragging players in - you can always determine the quality of the season you're having by how you operate in that loan market.

"If we're doing a hundred loans to fill in gaps, then our recruitment over the summer hasn't been strong enough.

"Having those players that are able to move and manipulate a shape, and create different angles in teams, I think is really important.

"Then you get that commitment to playing and the one thing with players is that they're pretty happy, pretty happy-go-lucky, as long as they're playing games.

"What I don't want is a huge squad with players just sat to the side.

"I'd rather a really tight-knit group that is contributing weekly."