On the latest episode of the Poolie Podcast, Robbie Stelling and Rich Mennear discuss Anthony Mancini's future at Hartlepool United.
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00:00Mancini, I think frustrating is the perfect word, isn't it? Because he's such a talented player. I think based on talent alone, he could certainly play in the football league. He is the sort of archetypal bums off seats type player. Whenever he is in action, he gives fans a real lift. Whenever he gets the ball, you have that sense that he's about to make something happen. He is so creative. He is so technically good. He carries the ball really well. He brings other players into play.
00:24He certainly brings the best out of the likes of Manny Disrué and Joe Gray.
00:29But physically, he's so temperamental. And that is obviously incredibly frustrating, not just for Anthony Lindbergh, but of course for Anthony Mancini as well.
00:37And the Pools fans who have really formed a connection with him, despite the relatively limited amount of time that we've seen him.
00:45I mean, 14 games last season. He has got through more games this term.
00:51The different managers have had different sorts of approaches to dealing with him.
00:56Darren Sahl was always quite bullish. He'd never tend to relish the fact when Mancini was brought up in press conferences.
01:03And he used him fairly sparingly. He started him occasionally, but tended to be reluctant to start him twice in a week.
01:09Lenny Lawrence used him very sparingly, tended to favour just 20 minutes from the bench.
01:14I think Anthony Lindbergh has adopted a slightly different approach and has tried to throw him in from the start and see if he's going to sink or swim.
01:22But he's only played three times this year. I mean, it's even more frustrating that he was so impressive against Oldham on New Year's Day.
01:28Then he missed the next two and a half months. He was so impressive against Boston as well.
01:33And he hasn't been seen since. I think at National League level, you're less comfortable in keeping players that you might call luxury players,
01:44players that you cannot guarantee are going to be fit and available and reliable every week.
01:49And reliability is really underrated, especially at this level.
01:53You have thinner squads. You have smaller squads.
01:55You obviously have lesser budgets. That means you can go and sign players throughout the season if you have a couple of injuries here and there.
02:03So you can't afford to be carrying many players.
02:06And there's going to come a time in Anthony Mancini's career when it doesn't matter how good he is.
02:09It doesn't matter how talented he is. If he cannot prove that he can get fit and stay fit, look, some players are more prone to injuries than others.
02:17But if Mancini cannot prove that he is a bit more robust, if he's able to make himself more available more often,
02:25then that's going to put off potentially interested parties.
02:28If it was down to me, I would give him another year if the budget is there.
02:33But obviously, there's going to come a time when Pools are going to have to make a decision.
02:37Look, they're going to have to make a decision on him this summer. That's clear.
02:40I think some people will say his talent means that Pools should stick with him.
02:44He offers something that no other player in the squad does.
02:46And I think there will be other people who will say it's time to part ways.
02:49He hasn't been fit and available for nearly enough time.
02:53I think I would give him another deal, depending on the fact that you're able to maintain some of this squad
02:59and hopefully have a budget that will allow you to add and strengthen a little bit,
03:04make sure you have some strength in depth.
03:06I think he's worth a risk for one more season, but he's going to have to have a big season.
03:10He's going to have to prove that he can do it more often than he has done the play.