Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll's 10 secrets to a successful season:
1. Sign a goalkeeper
Arguably at the top of Sarll's shopping list will be at least one new goalkeeper. The embattled Joel Dixon kept just one clean sheet in 26 games last season and, having been transfer listed at the end of the campaign, might benefit from a fresh start. Shifting the former Barrow and Bolton stopper might prove easier said than done, with the 30-year-old struggling with his kicking, confidence and command of his area since arriving in the North East. If that's the case, then Pools will, presumably, look to keep Dixon as a back-up while recruiting a new number one. Pete Jameson had an indifferent loan spell last term but finished the season strongly, keeping three successive home clean sheets, and is available on a free following his release from Harrogate. Everton's Zan-Luk Leban is another on Sarll's radar, although he is said to be one of a number of goalkeepers Pools are interested in. The Slovenian under-21 international, who had a trial at Barcelona when he was 15, had an impressive campaign on loan at National League North outfit Farsley Celtic last season.Photo: Frank Reid
2. Improve in midfield
As well as being plagued with problems in the goalkeeping department last season, midfield was one of the areas where Pools were weakest. Mercurial Frenchman Anthony Mancini was limited to just 14 games despite a blistering start to his Pools career, while Kieran Wallace likewise struggled with injuries and made just 21, largely underwhelming, appearances. Of the midfield trio that ended last season in the side, both Callum Cooke and Tom Crawford have been released while Nicky Featherstone, who turns 36 in September, has signed a new, "transitional", player-coach contract and it's unclear how much of a part he is set to play on the pitch. Sarll has moved to sign workmanlike pair Jack Hunter and Nathan Sheron, who look set to line up together at the base of midfield, but might well still feel Pools need another body in the engine room. Given Mancini's chequered record with injuries and his somewhat uncertain future, another creative presence would be a welcome addition.Photo: Mark Fletcher
3. Keep hold of Mani Dieseruvwe
Dieseruvwe's 25 goals, including 23 in the league, made him just the fourth Pools player in the last 50 years to score at least 20 league goals in a single season. As well as his ruthlessness in front of goal, he provides a focal point, is a threat in both boxes, wins a lot of fouls, is a nerveless penalty taker and struck up an impressive partnership with Joe Grey. Unsurprisingly, his career-best campaign has led to him becoming the subject of rumour and speculation, although Pools are at pains to point out that there have been no bids for their talismanic frontman at this stage.Photo: Mark Fletcher
4. Get the best out of Anthony Mancini
After lighting up the North East during a trial last summer and then making such an impressive start to his Pools career, injuries derailed the 23-year-old's progress. A hamstring injury sustained at the end of August kept him out until Boxing Day and, despite a spectacular long range winner against Ebbsfleet in January, he struggled to rediscover his sparkling form before a persistent groin problem put a premature end to his campaign. Having apparently recovered back in his native France, supporters will be desperate to see the best of the former Accrington Stanley man on a more regular basis. He might not be a natural fit in a Darren Sarll side, and he'll need to adapt to the new manager's pressing style, but if he can replicate his displays of last August then he will make himself indispensable to Pools.Photo: Frank Reid