Bernard McNally: AFC Telford recruitment is so crucial
AFC Telford need to sort their squad out this summer, because when teams come to take them on at the New Bucks Head, they raise their games.
Rob Smith will be trying to land big-name targets for next season to make sure they are competitive and don't have a similar season fighting relegation.
It's a blow losing Lee Hughes, you need big names like that, but if he has other things in mind – whether that's going back to manage Worcester or anything – these things happen. Managers have to brush themselves off and say 'right, who can we go to that can lead the line?'
Essential to recruitment is the contacts and networks you have, and finding out which players will be available or not happy throughout the season.
It's a culmination of things. Recruitment drive is absolutely vital, any manager will tell you it might be the most important aspect.
If you've got a good network of people that you can trust to throw names at you, then you can sneak in and get the players before anywhere else.
Rob has a good network of people and the way to go is being ahead of the race.
