HEREFORD manager Josh Gowling has urged players to look at the ‘long-term’ future they could have with the Bulls when deciding their futures.

After reaching the FA Trophy last season defender Jamie Grimes and goalkeeper Brandon Hall are two players who have caught the attention of other clubs.

Gowling says that while Hereford can’t match the finances of some other clubs he wants them to consider the upward trajectory his side is on.

“There are players like (Jamie) Grimes that have had good offers that we can’t match unfortunately,” said Gowling.

“Brandon (Hall) has had a few sniffs as well. They are players that have been pivotal to us last season and we just can’t match the offers that they’ve got.

“If they stay it will be down to them wanting to stay and progress with us rather than finances. We want people here that want to be here and believe in the project that we’re doing and look long term.

“This football club has loads of potential long term and I just think that players should stick around with us, we’re on an upward trajectory and I just think where we could be in a couple of years in exciting.

“We want to keep as many as possible (from last year’s squad), ideally I wanted to keep 15 but we’ll probably keep about 12 possibly.

“It’s important to keep the backbone of our squad, but that comes down to finances. We’ve got to be innovative with that we do.

“If they go (Grimes and Hall) they’re not replaceable but we will replace them. We did it last year, so we will work diligently in the market to ensure that if they do go we find replacements that are adequate and will do a job for us.

“If we keep 12 that’s a really good core of the squad anyway and we can look to add seven or eight to the mix.

“The players we are looking to bring in are better than the players that are leaving.”

New arrivals

Gowling added that he is looking to bring in experienced players after losing the likes of Lenell John-Lewis, Jake Wright and Giles Coke during the course of last season.

“We have got some potential targets at the moment and we’re just trying to get some sorted,” added Gowling.

“We’re getting there. I wanted to retain as much of the squad as possible but we have seen some lads have gone already so we are trying to get the others sorted.

“We built a squad last year on experience with a core of young players that would learn off the older players.

“Right now have got pretty much no older players Jarred (Hodgkiss), Yan (Klukowski) and James (McQuilkin) to a certain extent but the type of older player is important.

“Looking at the final (FA Trophy), that communication, that organisation and someone gripping people in the right area.

“We’ve got Jarred but he’s a right-back, he can talk and organise but it’s not the same as someone in the middle of the park, at the back or in the middle of midfield.

“Those are the areas we are looking to improve to push forward.

Released players

Last week Hereford announced that they were releasing Paul White, Chris Camwell, Samir Nabi, Dylan Jones and Michael Bakare.

“We want to improve the squad, there is deficiencies in the squad that we need to make better,” added Gowling

“We had to look at that and the finances that we have and pluck those holes. Unfortunately there’s going to be lads that not everybody is going to be happy that have gone.

“That’s why some of the lads have gone. We’ve got to look at the squad, we definitely need some experience so that’s what we’re looking at bringing in and unfortunately there’s going to be casualties as a result of that.

“With our budget, experienced players cost more, that’s the reality of it. Younger players you can bring in cheaper, a lot live at home and don’t have a mortgage and stuff.

“The older players have families to support and provide for. It means we have to cut our cloth accordingly and some players haven’t made the cut.”

Kyle Finn

Winger Kyle Finn has also announced that he will be leaving the Bulls next season, which Gowling says is due to work commitments.

“It was a bit of a strange one really,” Gowling added.

“Kyle’s (Finn) work-rate was outstanding last year. When we look at our passing game and what we did.

“Finn was reaching 12 or 13 kilometres every game which is unbelievable. He needed to add that end product to his game, I think he scored one goal last season.

“I felt we could work with him and develop him. The reality is with the budget, we couldn’t give him the increase he wanted.

“He got that from work which meant that he couldn’t commit to training in the mornings and he had to go to evening training, he thought that was best.

“It’s frustrating as if you look at Finn as a whole if you put an end product into his game he’s a very good player and he should go on to another level.

“We want to develop players. I like to think that’s one of our strengths that the players that were here when I was playing have got better.

“We want to keep developing those players more, I want to keep the core of the squad together as I think there’s a good character in the dressing room.

“Unfortunately, he’s made that decision, we wish him all the best and thank you for everything he has done.”