Fighting talk! Ronnie Moore only wants players who will scrap for Hartlepool United

Moore, beaten for the first time as Pools boss on Sunday by Morecambe, admits the players he has inherited are not good enough.

He believes too many of the players just accept the situation they are in.

It was only his third game in the dugout and he is wasting no time reshaping the squad, with three players lined up to come in before the weekend trip to Wycombe Wanderers.

Up to five could also be leaving in the coming weeks as Moore looks to bring in bigger characters and better players.

Moore told SportMail: “We have too many that accept where we are.

“It is very difficult to give them the mental attitude to get themselves out of it.

“I looked at them at half-time and there were players sat there who just expect to get beaten. You can’t go to war with five or six with them.”

When asked what he put that down to, Moore was adamant. “I put it down to them not being good enough players,” he said.

“We have a side that is not good enough and I have told them that as well.

“They are not hearing or reading anything that I wouldn’t tell them.

“I am honest. I won’t say they battled hard and gave it this or that because people would think I was crackers.

“I agree with fans when they said they are not fit to wear the

shirt. We are trying our utmost to get people in who are fit to wear the shirt.

“If we are going to go, at least go with a bit of fight, desire, hunger and heart.

“They will pick their wages up this week though, they won’t be too bothered about that.

“That will keep coming but they haven’t earned it.”

Despite Pools being bottom of the Football League, the gap having widened to eight points, there was still more than 4,000 inside The Vic.

A cut-price ticket offer from new owners TMH 2014 has helped boost the crowd and Moore said the players need to start repaying them.

“The crowd are fantastic,” said Moore.

“I said that to the players, they are not against them, they only start moaning and groaning when they do the wrong things.

“The supporters want survival but do the players want it?

“From what I have seen in the dressing room I can only shift five of them and the five that come in will hopefully bring us that desire and commitment needed and at least have a go and try and win games.

“Playing at home the tempo in the first half against Morecambe we were like the away side.

“We have let them settle down and not squeezed them.

“The ball goes out of play and we take forever to take a goal kick when we are 1-0 down.

“All the defenders turn their back on the keeper. Nobody wanted it.”