Ryan Donaldson has insisted that the Club now has the perfect platform in place to help the players go and attack the top of the National League table during 2019/20.
The 28-year-old is full of praise for the work that has gone on behind the scenes to stabilise the Club’s finances and says it is now time for the squad to do their bit on the pitch.
Two years on from the day he signed for Pools, Donaldson now feels that things have finally fallen in to place and supporters can look forward to a more competitive season on the horizon.
“I think the Club is set up for success, there’s no doubt about that at all,” he told us.
“Perhaps there used to be a bit of a stigma about playing in this league but I don’t think there is nowadays.
“Since the Chairman and Mark Maguire have come in to the Club, it has been geared up for us to do well and perhaps we, as players and a squad, have had to try and catch up with the Club so to speak.
“I think in the last three of four months of last season we got together and looked like a stronger team and put in the kind of performances that can get you out of this league.
“We’re in a great place as a Club and now we have to make sure we go and produce on the pitch.”
Having signed a new deal during the summer, Donaldson has been working hard to remain in peak condition during the off-season ahead of next Thursday’s return to training.
Indeed, the Club have also laid on sessions for the players periodically throughout the summer break to try and give them the edge when the action restarts in August.
“The first two months are absolutely relentless and we have to be ready for that,” Donaldson admitted.
“It’s about getting in to a position in the league table and staying there – we got to it last year but couldn’t keep it up and we were always fighting to try and get back and stay in touch.
“Pre-season will be hard, we know that, but it has to be because we play 13 or 14 games in those first two months so we need to hit the ground running.
“It’s down to us to be in shape and be ready for that opening period of the season and make sure we come out of it inside the top seven – then we can go from there.”