CHRIS Turner is relishing the chance to reshape and rebuild the Hartlepool United squad – once their League One status is assured come 5pm this evening.

If Pools avoid defeat in their final game of the season at Bristol Rovers, they will be safe from relegation to League Two.

Even in defeat, they are in a strong position to stay up, as Northampton must get something from Leeds, while Carlisle need to beat Millwall and overturn a six-goal deficit on Pools.

And, once the final round of games is out of the way, it’s time for Turner to sit down and plot Pools’ future.

Appointed boss until the end of the season, the club’s director of sport is likely to be placed in permanent command in the coming weeks. He also has the future of a number of regulars to decide, with the likes of Andy Monkhouse, Micky Nelson, Matty Robson and Gary Liddle, among others, all out of contract.

Joel Porter is returning to Australia and Turner admitted: “Next season kicks in straight away and we are well down the line in getting new faces to the club.

“We have to deal with the players out of contract, but we wont look at that situation until the season ends.

“I’m not talking about my situation here, but when you manage a team you want to manage your players, those you have brought to the club.

“When you come in halfway through its tough. Look at the managers who have come in during the season – at Crewe, Swindon, Yeovil, Cheltenham, here – it’s very difficult to come in and change things instantly and change players, patterns of play, things that those new managers want.

“You like to sit down and have a good pre-season with your players and impose your thoughts and ideas on them, tell them how you want them to play.

“But its very tough halfway through a season when players have been used to a manager and a style they have been used to playing for the last two-and-a-half years.

“It’s very difficult and something that takes time. I’ve tried to keep things mostly the same.’’ Things won’t be the same for next season, with Turner aiming to make an instant mark in the transfer market.

Pools are today up against one player he tried to sign in January. Bristol Rovers’ front man Darryl Duffy spent a short and hugely impressive loan spell at Pools in 2006 and Turner admitted: “I’ve always liked Darryl Duffy, I wanted to bring him back this season and we were very close to doing so, but it fell through at the last minute.’’ While Pools sit at the wrong end of the table, today’s fixutres pit two of their relegation rivals against two play-off contenders.

And Turner feels Leeds or Millwall won’t ease off when they meet Northampton and Carlisle respectively.

“There has to be a massive overturn of results on Saturday for us to go down, but we will think about what we have to do,’’ he said.

“We go out there like we did at Colchester, Crewe, Yeovil and keep things tight. But I can’t see us going there and winning 4-0 and being able to sit back and relax for the last half hour.

“We only need one of several results to go our way and we will be OK. It could be Northampton, Crewe, Stockport at Brighton, but if we get a draw we are safe.

“Leeds won’t want to lose their last home game before the play-offs and Millwall are at Carlisle jostling for position in the play-offs. I don’t think any of the teams will want to face Leeds over two legs.”

Perils of Pools

GOING down to the wire is something Hartlepool have become used to in recent years:

2000: Pools went to Hull needing to win and hoping that Cheltenham and Torquay both slipped up to get a playoff spot. Pools won 3-0, Northampton beat Torquay and Southend beat Cheltenham to secure seventh place. 2002: A trip to Exeter, with Pools taking 1,500 fans to Devon. Eifion Williams and Gordon Watson secured a 2-0 win. Shrewsbury lost at home to Luton and the play-offs beckoned again.

2003: After being 14 points in front of Rushden in March, Pools had to go to Nene Park on the last day one place and two points behind the team in top spot. Pools drew 1-1 and Rushden won the title.

2004: In their first season in League One, Pools went to Swindon on the final day. A draw would ensure both sides made the play-offs at the expense of Port Vale. Pools fell behind, but Adam Boyd met a Hugh Robertson cross to head in.

2005: A trip to Bournemouth, when victory for the home side meant they were in the play-offs at Pools’ expense. After going one down, Jon Daly levelled. Pools fell behind again before Thomas Butler crossed for Antony Sweeney to nod Pools into the top seven.

2006: At home to Port Vale in need of a win to avoid dropping from League One to Two. They only drew, with Rotherham’s win relegating both Pools and MK Dons.

2007: Pools went into the last game – against Bristol Rovers – second in League Two, with Walsall top on goal difference. Pools had to better the leaders result for the title but Rovers needed to win to make sure of a play-off spot – Pools lost and finished second.