THERE’S no hiding for Hartlepool United’s underpressure players this evening.

Bottom of the table and without a win since September 1, Pools meet League One leaders at Tranmere at Victoria Park.

While the conjecture debates on over who will be Pools’ next boss – tonight is Micky Barron’s third game in temporary charge, the same total he had last December before a manager was appointed – the strugglers are six points from safety.

Saturday’s thumping at Chesterfield saw the supporters turn on the players for the first time this miserable season.

And Barron has emphasised the need for his players to get the crowd back on side, starting at 7.45pm tonight.

“They need to be brave, keep the ball and want it,’’ he said. “I’m not going to change my philosophy on how we want to play because of Saturday.

“They need to be really brave, maybe that misplaced pass you can normally get away with... it won’t be like that on Wednesday.

“I’ve told them that and it’s what they deserve. They don’t deserve any leeway.

“Anything the crowd want to throw at them, rightly so.

They’ve got the get them back on side, be it making a tackle, taking a kick that needs stitches, something to lift them.

“The other week I told the players after the Crawley game they needed to give Neale [Cooper] something back, the fans have been patient with them. Now is the time the players need the fans back on their side and it can only come with being brave and showing character.

“If the crowd had turned before Saturday I don’t think they could have complained.

It’s horrible to hear it, but you can’t say they are out of order to say the players aren’t fit to wear the shirt after a performance like that.

“The players have to be determined to show everyone they have pride and strength of character to win games.’’ It’s 14 matches since Pools managed a win and confidence is shot.

They head to Yeovil on Friday for the game the following day and could have a new man in command for the journey.

With interviews this week, Barron said: “I just take it game by game, it’s nice to get a good result like at Brentford [2-2], but Chesterfield makes you think. My job is to pick a team, coach a team, prepare for Wednesday night and that’s all I can do.

“I think after Saturday it feels like we need a permanent leader, but after Brentford you don’t think that way.

“If we get a positive one on Wednesday things will be fine again, a lot depends on results.

It’s up to the players to perform and just because I am manager or someone coming in, they shouldn’t make mistakes like they did.

“Tranmere will come here expecting to win, but our pressure comes from within.

“We played Hull when we were bottom of the table and they were top in 2002, we beat them 4-0 and went on a tremendous run. Why can’t a team at the bottom beat a team at the top?’’ He added: “We prepared for Brentford and it was good, we prepared the same way for Chesterfield and look what happened. Maybe I have to change the team talk, the warm-up, just to give something different this time.

“But it’s all about the players, they have to perform and give something back.’’ Barron will make changes this evening and Charlie Wyke has extended his loan from Middlesbrough for a further month. He was on the bench at the weekend after returning from a cut ankle, suffered in his only game in his first month at Pools.