WHEN Lennie Lawrence first took charge of Middlesbrough back in 1991, he received a phone call from former Newcastle United boss Arthur Cox.

"He rang me to say welcome to the North East," recalls Lawrence more than 30 years on.

"And I remember what he said to me. He said 'they'll give you their last penny, the fans, but you have to make sure the players give them everything'.

"It was right - and it's still right today. This is a unique area."

Lawrence will be 77 before the year is out and it's now a decade and a half since he wrote his autobiography in the belief that his career in the game was coming to an end.

"I've had six clubs since then," he laughs.

Which brings us to today and Lawrence being back in the dugout for another stint as Hartlepool United's caretaker boss.

How long will it last?

"One game, one week, I don't know, what I'm saying [to Raj Singh, Hartlepool chairman] is don't rush it."

He accepts, though, that this is just an interim role. Or does he?

"Who knows," he says with a smile.

"They probably want somebody younger but what I'm trying to do is lay some foundations so we don't have to keep changing every five minutes. What role I will play in that, I don't know, but that's why this one is important."

Singh is looking for his 11th permanent manager since taking charge of Hartlepool in April, 2018. Lawrence knows that upheaval isn't beneficial, hence the importance, in his mind, of club bosses taking their time with this crucial decision to make sure they get the right man.

More than 45 years have passed since Lawrence took his first coaching role in the late 1970s. The game he loves has changed beyond recognition in that time but the importance of one crucial aspect remains the same.

"Man management is still the most important thing," he says ahead of Hartlepool's trip to Maidenhead today.

At Pools there are tactical tweaks and structural changes he will make during his time in charge but his first priority is managing the people and personalities in his dressing room. He wants to raise spirits after a run of just two wins in 12 and the humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of National League North outfit Brackley Town on Tuesday night, a defeat followed by the inevitable sacking of Darren Sarll.

"You have to have empathy and understand the needs of your players," says Lawrence.

"The modern day player is a different animal to 20 years ago but man management is still what matters most.

"If you don't have that or can't do that, you're struggling. You can be the best coach but if the players aren't having you, you've got no chance.

"Owners pull the trigger but players keep you in a job or put you out of a job; not fans or media or owners."

When Lawrence took charge of Boro in 1991 he told of the "passion that you hardly find anywhere else in the country".

RECOMMENDED READING:

In a football sense, he's well travelled enough to know - and 33 years on his view remains unchanged.

That's why he believes the next Hartlepool boss needs to have a deep understanding of the club, the fans and the area.

He said: “Who is bigger than Hartlepool in the National League? York maybe, not certain. Barnet, not in terms of fan base. There aren't many bigger than Hartlepool. It is a big stage in this league. If you are a manager and you do very well, because it is tough here, you will move on like [Dave] Challinor.

"This is a hard place, it's demanding. The fans are demanding. If you're doing well it's bloody great; there's 4,000 and they make a noise like 8,000.

"They want to see decent football, a team giving their all, an identity.

"I remember (Anthony) Sweeney saying to me, 'when you used to come to Hartlepool, what did you think about us as a club?'. And it was a tough place to go, difficult, that was the identity. And that's what needs to happen here.

“The Hartlepool fan comes with hopes and expectations, and as a player, coach, manager you have to carry the burden of those fans. At the moment it looks a bit heavy for some players. You have to remove that burden while satisfying the needs of the players.

“There is no point in me giving the players Churchillean type speeches. We will do our best to get them playing to the best of their ability and hopefully get a result at Maidenhead. The players need a bit of help."

Lawrence is still as comfortable as ever in the dressing room and dugout.

He says: "Young coaches and managers have their own ideas and you have to keep pace with it. If you don't, you're dead in this game.

"The players know me, that should - hopefully - work to our advantage."

However long this caretaker stint lasts for Lawrence, he plans to enjoy it and wants the Pools players smiling again.

Lawrence's priority is doing his best for Hartlepool - whatever role he's in - but he doesn't have any intention of calling it a day anytime soon.

"I am available for Premier League jobs," he laughs, but it's Maidenhead rather than Manchester City that Lawrence is thinking about.