What would we need for next season

Firstly I'd like to thank all the present squad for a superb effort to get us back where we were.
I am not going to suggest who should go next season that is for Gary and Danny.
I do feel we should focus on the following
1 A hopefully tallish striker,good in the air that can score...He would supplement Ryan Prosser who I do hope will be there next year and also our other forwards.
2 A hard central defender(hopefully with experiance of this league...I KNOW this might be a luxury but how often have we had mid-wk games where players couldn't play through work/injuries etc and also with a slightly larger pool of players players would not be forced to play when really not recovered fully from injury.
3Gilo has been brilliant all season but what if he had been injured! therefore another keeper is needed and also to keep him on his toes.
Finally my prayer would be Tariq back with us in mid-field and Nathan fit again I still think we could once again be up in the top five looking for the top spot..
I KNOW THIS ALL DEPENDS ON MONEY/ AVAILABILITY OF PLAYERS BUT I FEEL OTHER THAN THESE TWEAKS THE SQUAD IS VERY STRONG AND A CREDIT TO DANNY AND SHEP....

Intresting thoughts...

I would also like us to sign an out and out striker, someone who is going to be able to be physical and hold the ball up, once again to suppliment Prosser who has been excellent for us (whats to say the gaffer wont get his boots back on, who still offers us experiance up front).

I would also like another out and out winger, someone to play on opposite sides to Traylor, also this player for me should be able to switch from left to right, like Traylor.

I think our defence is strong enough, maybe needs to be a little bit sharper, but thats what the sand dunes and running around cyfarthfa park is going to be for in pre season so get the sick bags out lads lol...

With the midfield for me alot will depend if Nathan will be fit to start the next season, If so I would leave the midfield alone, we have strength. quality and depth there.

If there is financial scope for another keeper then great, however if Gilo was to get injured we could utalise the loan market, I dont think many clubs at this level have the luxury of 2 keepers in the squad (and we are no different).

As always happens in pre-season some players will leave, and I bid whoever does well in their future careers, and some players will arrive, whatever happens I think we will be amongst the favourates to win the league next year, and hopefully the players and management can cope with that pressure, as alot of the teams will now know what to expect of us..

Looking forward to it already, UP THE TOWN

I know of one tall striker who can also play wide.
Yes, I can't see us having two goalkeepers. Unless the second lad plays from time to time,he will be kicking his heels as we don't have a reserve team.
As promotion was not achieved, I don't think there is likely to be a big increase, if any, in the playing budget!

I don't know what the situation is about Tariq and whether he will play again.
Other teams will strengthen their squads so we can't really base the situation on the last season's placings. Our final spot of third was about right over all the season, imo. No side can be perfect as football is never precise. You have to factor in good luck and bad luck. Mistake are always made by every team in every game.
It would be nice to hold on to some of the extra fans who were at Hungerford so that the financial foundation can be strengthened. I wonder what Hungerford's situation is now that they have risen to the Premier...

if we are talking about winning the league next season then our squad will need strengthening.we were just about good enough to finish third but there were other teams close to us if not on a par with us like paulton who beat us twice and yate.sholing were a pretty decent side fortunately we will not meet them next year.we will only keep the crowds if we are at or very near the top of the league that is how fickle supporters are.A big question mark is how many will support cardiff with its financial implications now that they are in the premiership.IF we can get better players than we have within our budget then so be it that will be a decision for shep and danny.we must also look at the fitness of nathen .There were games when we let ourselves down at home like losing to the likes of cinderford and clevedon.A lot of thought needs to go in to the preparation on the playing side if we are to be considered championship winners next season

Garry Shephard and Danny Carter insists Merthyr Town will start next season 'even stronger'
South Wales Echo

Joint bosses Garry Shephard and Danny Carter have pledged Merthyr Town will return stronger than ever next season in their EvoStik Southern League campaign.

The Martyrs missed out on a third successive promotion when they lost 3-2 to Hungerford in the play-off final on Monday. Merthyr finished third in the South and South West Division, missing out on a place in the Premier tier as Hungerford joined champions Poole.

But Shephard and Carter – who have been in-situ for seven years – insist the club will continue to grow. “We’ve seen the bad times and these are the good times,” said Shephard. “Danny and myself have kept the club going over the last seven years and it has paid off. The Supporters’ Trust who run the club are doing a fantastic job and the future looks far brighter. Next season we’ll come back even stronger and better as a squad. Maybe, over the season, we needed another goalscorer, but they are hard to come by. We create chances and don’t punish opposing teams enough.”

Shephard said the Martyrs’ management knew it would take five years to regain Southern League Premier status after being relegated three divisions.

“We would have loved to go up for a third successive season, of course, but three promotions in three seasons would maybe have been too much,” he said. “I mean that in terms of being able to afford the next level. Would it have been a step too far too quickly at this stage? One more season won’t hurt us too much. We all want to be in the Premier now but there would be no point going up and coming straight back down. We’ll be back again next season if Merthyr want us to stay and aiming for top spot.”

A paper that strives for accuracy can't even get the score right....next season we need not just to improve the playing squad but bring back decent journalists who don't hack people's phones ....someone with the integrity of Tim Drummond....we are too big for this league in terms of club support and history and hacks that can type akuratly too......as that great philosopher yazz from the plastic population said ...the only way is up..! Boz

I would personally like to see Lee Hartshorn and Cortez Belle back at Penydarren Park, they would certainly bring some much needed height to the team, whilst I believe we should get Mr Motivator to put a couple of our 'Jan Molby-like' centre backs through a tough fitness regime, I'm sure we'll be well equipped for next season then!

In my view all the present team have done well and there is not one I would single out for criticism. I agree that we probably don't need and can't afford a spare goalkeeper so long as Gilo is fit - he has done remarkably well, but if he should get injured then the loan market could feature. Despite some key injuries towards the end of the season, the defence has been solid, having conceded fewer goals than any club except Poole and with the same goal difference. Yes, I'd say we do need another big striker alongside Pross - who has made the step up from lower Divisions very well, but we need to take more of the chances we make. and cure our tendency to be over-elaborate in and around the box.
In Shep and Danny we have a shrewd, experienced and well-respected management duo, and I personally have every confidence that they can identify and bring in anyone we need, always subject to availability and affordability.
With the fans it's the usual chicken-and-egg situation - the fans won't come in greater numbers till we make significantly greater progress, but we won't make significantly greater progress till the fans come in greater numbers.

Some Cardiff and Swansea games will be played on a Sunday and at various obscure times, just to suit the TV folk so we may actually pull in more fans from other allegiances.
I think there is a limit to any extra fans we can expect while at this level of football and, as has been stated, out gates have been the best in Div 1 anyway.

I agree, and I think the extra 600 or so who came to the Swindon semi may take up more of an interest next season. That was a great advert for Merthyr and for non-league football.

I think another goal scoere with Pross would be handy, we have plenty of midfielders of a good quality and at the back we seem to be ok as well. If we can get a second keeper then great, easier said than done mind.

I believe we have already picked up "NEW FANS" why well through conversations with various people and observations of the many new faces towards the end of the season and of course the huge following to Hungerford.One thing I feel is essential that we kick off next season with a strong start and keep the impetus going....

And there is also a need to boost income, I would suggest, as much more money is needed to run the club than that which comes through the turnstiles. Team travel costs, for example, last season were £10,000.

Royston Rogers wrote: I believe we have already picked up "NEW FANS" why well through conversations with various people and observations of the many new faces towards the end of the season and of course the huge following to Hungerford.One thing I feel is essential that we kick off next season with a strong start and keep the impetus going....

Exactly. We need to hit the top spot early days and stay there hopefully, you will then see an increase in attendances for sure.

Two players worth considering for next season would be lewis sommers who is big and awkward and has scored 15 goals in our division this year and jake harris who was very popular with the Newport fans and has been released also a prolific goal scorer.

scamp wrote:Two players worth considering for next season would be lewis sommers who is big and awkward and has scored 15 goals in our division this year and jake harris who was very popular with the Newport fans and has been released also a prolific goal scorer.

Depends if Jake Harris would want to drop down 3 levels - and whether we could afford the wages he might want.

i thought sommers was bit clumsy against us and not that good but thats my opinion .
as for jake harris was that that newport lad who went down west on loan or something like that ?

Cewnty fans seem to be big fans of (idolise) jake harris. He would be a great signing but the general consensus is that he will return home back to weston super mare.

There is no chance that Harris will come to Merthyr. But he may not return to Weston either I hear. Doubt we could afford him and him travelling from over the Bridge, anyway.
Sommers did not want to join Merthyr last season,I understand.

tim wrote
There is no chance that Harris will come to Merthyr. But he may not return to Weston either I hear. Doubt we could afford him and him travelling from over the Bridge, anyway.
Sommers did not want to join Merthyr last season,I understand..

We cannot suppose so and so will not come until players are approached.There are going to be a lot of surplus players around particularly as Llanelli have gone bust and Newport and Cardiff will be looking for a higher class player than they are used to .We have had players from over the bridge before and since most of our trips involving going in that direction then that should not be a problem.With a hectic fixture list during the season probably training sessions might not be a problem either

Well that as brightened up my Sunday Tim,we dont get many good sommers do we.

As much as a Cup run is great for the wallet, I think the amount of replays really took it out of us in the end. Finding thr balance will be key next season!

As scamp said there may be a few decent players out there who would want to be part of the martyrs revolution....I liked the rustic joke too....I don't think a season rebuilding and consolidating will do us any harm....besides winning all the time isn't good for the team or it's supporters...progress through stability as per the banner....I am just pleased to have a local football club to support ....boz

Jake Harris is unlikely to want to drop down three levels and would, I estimate, command a wage of at least three times what Merthyr could afford. And if the club do pay out bigger wages to some players, it is not necessarily good for morale.The days of the big earners at Merthyr are gone, in my opinion.
There were a couple of players who would have been interested in signing for Merthyr last season but we could not offer what they would have expected.Most of the best Llanelli players left the club before the end of the season...

Tim Drummond wrote:And there is also a need to boost income, I would suggest, as much more money is needed to run the club than that which comes through the turnstiles. Team travel costs, for example, last season were £10,000.

Let supporters travel on team coach when supporters club are unable to run a coach..that would help with team travel costs..

All teams in our league allow fans to travel on team coach....

P45 wrote
Let supporters travel on team coach when supporters club are unable to run a coach..that would help with team travel costs..

All teams in our league allow fans to travel on team coach....

I am surprised this is no longer the case.In years gone by this was always the case.It went a long way in helping with travel costs.