Hartlepool United manager search: Craig Hignett, Lee Clark, Neil Redfearn, Graham Alexander all in frame

Former Fleetwood manager Graham Alexander

Pools parted company today with Ronnie Moore with the club in 22nd place in League Two and four points above the bottom two.

Ex-Pools assistant manager and former Middlesbrough favourite Craig Hignett is the favourite with the bookmakers, with Lee Clark, Graham Kavanagh, Neil Redfearn, and Russ Wilcox other candidates.

Two ex-Pools midfielders, Mark Cooper and Tommy Miller, are also in the frame.

But Kyle, who worked as the right-hand man to Alan Murray during some of the best times in Hartlepool United’s history, would plump for Alexander.

The Scot took unfashionable Fleetwood Town into League One for the first time in their history when they won the 2014 League Two play-off final at Wembley.

Alexander was sacked at Highbury in September after a poor start to the season which, ironically, included a Capital One Cup defeat to Pools.

“I think Pools need a younger manager to come in and lift them,” said BBC Tees match summariser Kyle.

“Looking at them last night, when that second Stevenage goal went in, you could see the players were hiding, they didn’t want the ball.

“They need someone to come in and give them a boost, someone to put the arm around the shoulder.

“I don’t think Ronnie was doing that. He was criticising.

“There are plenty of managers out there desperate to get back into the game.

“Plenty of names have been bandied about and Craig Hignett has been one of the prominent ones, though he has no Football League management experience.

“There are other men, Neil Redfearn, who was sacked by Rotherham last week, Mark Robins, Mark Cooper.

“But the one I would look at and hope the chairman does is Graham Alexander.

“He played over 800 games for various clubs and then went to Fleetwood and had three seasons there.

“He did well, winning promotion from League Two, then in his first season in League One finishing 10th.

“Someone like that, in his mid40s, I think instead of an older fella like Ronnie.”