Blog: Liam Watson making the signings for AFC Telford to be a success in Conference Premier
Lower leagues seem to plan their success and AFC Telford boss Liam Watson has already made his additions writes Adam Edwards.
Josh Hancock has signed up for next season, adding to his previous campaigns captures of the two magic Mikes: Phenix and Grogan. Injury plagued Phenix could have been a great asset to the team whilst Grogan landed numerous awards, including player of the season.
The management seems to being frugal with the budget and ignoring big name signings in exchange for less experienced yet high quality players.
Watson is rightfully sticking to his comfort zone: signing players he's had past experience with. In my opinion, this is not the burden that many would have first thought, due to the past success with these the majority of players in the squad.
Any manager who has now won the Conference North three times, previously twice with Southport, has the right to stick to the players he knows will consistently perform at the tier of his expertise. Any fan who has watched AFC Telford over the past 12 months will know the threat of players like Andy Owens and Sean Clancy, with the latter joining on the same day as the gaffer, winning August's Player of the Season during this year's campaign.
Passion and leadership are two words most people will relate to Simon Grand. The way he collapsed in a fit of elation and thrill at the seasons final whistle showed why he deserved the captain's role. His performances weren't too shabby either: winning man of the matches, a spot in the converted team of the year and obviously a Skrill North winners medal to add to his already large collection.
The latest signing for the bucks, Sam Smith, is someone who Liam seems to believe in and has ultimately been talking to since February. He seems to be a decent young player but with a goal to game ratio of 0.18 he doesn't seem to be prolific. That said, Liam seems to have a knack of bringing the best out of players and I guess that only time will tell how good this guy really is. I currently have full trust in anyone Liam is signing.
Loyalty is something missing from the modern game. Two seasons ago we were chopping and changing managers like no tomorrow. However, one player throws this theory into jeopardy. Ryan Young's saves have won games, leagues and a solid place on our hearts. You could bring anyone to the New Bucks Head and it would still seem strange to see someone else wearing Ryan's iconic fluorescent jerseys. He truly is a legend and the essence of what a player should be like in today's game.
