COLIN Cooper emerged from the dressing room on Saturday at 5.25pm. He made it clear he was only talking about Monday’s game and would not discuss the performance at Burton.

He took six questions from the club’s press officer for a video interview for the club website, turning down the opportunity to speak to The Northern Echo, Hartlepool Mail or BBC Tees, before leaving.

Here is his interview in full.

Q: Colin, a terribly disappointing afternoon, what was your assessment?

A: I’m not going to make assessment and what I’m going to say is we have a very important game on Monday – that’s as much as I’m going to say.

I can go through everything, I can go through goals, but the most important thing is anything would have been a bonus and we had a right kick up the backside. We have a very important game on Monday in front of our own fans.

Q: Absolutely, and Marlon Harewood’s chance proved such a critical moment.

A: Well again as I’m saying, I think this has to be erased. If we take any of this into Monday then we have it all on. I’m not dwelling on it. We have a game in two days time, which could turn out to be one of the biggest games we have all been involved in, so we have to be ready. Simple.

Q: Absolutely, all those supporters on Monday, the extra ones who turn up, those who have been coming all season… A: I will take the can for the performances, but the players have a challenge. A two-week challenge to do an unselfish act and do something for Hartlepool United, we all have.

And that’s all we need to say. We have a three-game challenge and the challenge is to get more points than the other teams below us in the league.

That’s the challenge you have got to take on. If you don’t then you regret it for the rest of your life.

Q: And that’s it now, the message is 100 per cent Monday.

A: I don’t think we are not giving 100 per cent, you can say confidence is flat. You have one chance and you hope it goes in. It doesn’t.

We have to make try and sure on Monday we give ourselves a chance to win the game and not to lose it and that’s it.

Q: It’s difficult to train confidence, it’s not something to train into players, it’s what comes with results.

A: As I say what we have to do is our best to erase this from your memory and when we step across the white line on Monday, accept the challenge in front of us.

And see where we are at the back of Monday now, that’s all we can do – no more.

Q: Just a side affect on today’s game and Luke James went off and has turned his ankle on a sprinkler and when your luck is out that is what happens isn’t it?

A: We all accept Luke has been absolutely fantastic for us. Now it’s someone else’s chance to step up to the plate and do a job for the team.