MARCUS Richardson is desperate to repay Chris Turner's faith.

Signed ten days back after his contract expired at Torquay, the big striker made a quick impression as a late substitute in last week's win at Shrewsbury.

And now the front-runner is desperate to impress.

"In a way it was good for me to be on the bench last week because it meant I could sit and watch the lads before getting involved,'' he said.

"Sometimes it can be difficult coming in as a new signing, but it helped for me to watch how we play.

"I've played against Matt Redmile a couple of times now so I knew how to get the better of him last week. I thought he was always going to be an easy target.''

Richardson could have made an instant impression by getting his name on the scoresheet in the closing minutes, but instead of passing to his unmarked teammate, Eifion Williams saw his chance saved.

"I could see why Will never passed to me - as a striker you are always going to go for goal and he had scored one like that earlier as well,'' he said. "His mind was set on goal.''

Williams has already scored against Pool this season, netting the equaliser for Torquay on August 24 - "everyone keeps reminding me of that one" - and added: "Let's hope at the end of the season we won't have to look back at that goal.

"I'm really happy to be here. It's nice to be wanted, anyone will tell you that. I'll be honest and admit that other teams and players in the division look at Hartlepool and see them as one of the bigger clubs in the division.

"They've got a good record in the last few years and you know they are always in the play-off positions. I've left the team in second place to go to the team in top, so I suppose I couldn't have gone much higher!

"But everyone has helped me settle in here. I know James Sharp because we played against each other in Sunday League football in Reading and all the lads are great.

"I've heard a lot about Gordon Watson - he's played in the Premiership, so I'm sure I can learn from him and his experience. Hopefully he can show me a thing or two.''

Meanwhile Bournemouth's former Pool striker Steve Fletcher is likely to be on the bench tomorrow after making his return to action last week.

The 30-year-old, who moved south in 1992, has not completed 90 minutes since May last year.

Last week's substitute outing was a welcome boost and he admitted: "To be involved against Hartlepool would just be an absolute bonus for me with it being my home-town club, but I can't realistically expect to start.''

* Arsenal have invited Brazil's World Cup-winning coach Luis Felipe Scholari to visit their state-of-the-art training headquarters in Hertfordshire where he is likely to take part in a cultural exchange of football ideas with the Gunners' staff.

However reports that Scholari, popularly known as Big Phil, is set to join Arsene Wenger's Premiership champions as a consultant may be premature.

A Highbury spokesperson said: ''This is speculation and we never comment on that."