HARTLEPOOL United legend Joe Allon has described Nolberto Solano as the “ideal candidate” for the vacant managerial post at Victoria Park.
Allon – who netted 81 goals in two different spells for Pool – is still adored by the Vic faithful and believes that former Newcastle star Solano can bring back the good times to the League One club.
Allon paid tribute to the job done by Mick Wadsworth, who was dismissed on Tuesday, but believes Solano (pictured left) can take Pools on to the next step.
Allon told The Journal: “I think that Pool are crying out for a player/manager and Nobby fits the bill perfectly – he’s the ideal candidate.
“He has so much to offer from a coaching sense but more importantly the fans love him and so do the players. People say that he has no experience but you have to start somewhere. Brian Clough started at Hartlepool and he didn’t do too badly, did he?
“With Nobby he has the experience in abundance of football and he has also shown he understands the town of Hartlepool itself. He could have stayed at Hull or moved on to the more so called fashionable clubs. But he had a vision at Hartlepool.”
Allon could write a book about his time at Hartlepool having joined the club from Swansea during the Bob Moncur era at the Vic, before winning promotion under Cyril Knowles and Alan Murray in 1991 from the old Fourth Division and then winning a big move to Chelsea.
Allon said: “Nobby knows that the days of Hartlepool being a laughing stock are long gone.
“They have a magnificent marina there these days and the ground is in great nick too. The fans could easily go down the A19 to watch Middlebrough or up the A1 to watch Newcastle.
“But they are selling out at games with the season tickets and creating revenue.
“It’s a great platform – and Nobby can see that. Installing Nobby as boss would be a breath of fresh air to the club.”
Former Newcastle, Port Vale, Lincoln, Southend, Brentford and Chelsea striker Allon added: “I think Mick Wadsworth did well but it is a results business.
“The people in charge are of similar stamp to those at Newcastle. They are running the club as a business. If they finished 12th or 13th the fans might be happy as they’ve not spent any money.”
