WITH only one game remaining and their future in League One almost secured, Chris Turner is getting ready to reshape the playing squad for next season.

Two seasons of underachievement at Hartlepool United mean the Pools boss is likely to have a busy summer on his hands.

A number of players are out of contract – Joel Porter has confirmed his return to Australia, while Micky Nelson is attracting interest from Hibs, who watched him in action against Leeds on Saturday.

And Turner knows the importance of freshening up the squad, after it remained largely intact last summer.

“Joel will be a big miss next season for us all, but we have plans in the pipeline,’’ he said.

“We may have something in the next few weeks to compensate for it. We need to establish our first-team squad for next season and get some fresh faces in, re-sign those we want to re-sign, and give supporters some hope.

“This is our second season back at this level and the second one in which we have struggled.’’ Pools are three points and five goals better off than fourth-bottom Carlisle going into Saturday’s final game at Bristol Rovers. Northampton, a place and a point below Pools meet MK Dons tonight in their game in hand.

“Going out to celebrate this season like the players did around the pitch on Saturday doesn’t feel right,’’ added Turner. “It’s been a poor season – no doubt about it – and we haven’t achieved what we wanted to achieve.

“We have won the major games we had to – Hereford, Swindon, Yeovil and we didn’t lose at Crewe, but we cannot beat the teams at the top and that’s where we want to be and where we want to take the club back to.

“We want that little bit of added quality.’’ Pools missed the chance to secure safety when they lost to Leeds on Saturday, but missed opportunities has been the story of their season.

“It’s been tough and we hope to get over that finishing line next weekend,’’ said Turner. “That’s all that matters for us and then we move on and build.

“I can say those players have given me everything in 98 per cent of the games we have played. We have not let ourselves down in the vast majority of them.

“When we have let ourselves down, it has been down to individual errors and because of the lack of quality we have got.’’ ■ Porter will be guest on Radio Hartlepool this evening from 7pm-9pm, when he will look back on his time at Victoria Park with Jeff Winter.