McDonald aiming to prove the doubters wrong

Solihull Moors manager Liam McDonald is eager for his side to prove their doubters wrong, as the new season draws near.

The Moors are the bookmakers favourite to get relegated from the National League, but McDonald believes his squad is in better shape than it was last season and is confident his players can use the negative predictions as motivation to do well in the new campaign.

‘We’ve got a bigger squad and a stronger squad than last season,’ the Moors boss told the Non-League Paper.

‘We’re all excited. Obviously if you go by the bookies we’re favourites for relegation. But that will drive us on.

‘We know what our target is and I’ve got great belief in our players we can achieve our targets. No one wants to be favourites for relegation. But we’ve got some very good players.

‘Luke Benbow was top-scorer with Stourbridge in the Northern Premier League, Jermaine Hylton is a good signing, Dapo (Afolayan) was pulling up trees for us last year, we’ve got an England C player in George Carline, Simeon Maye is fast growing into one of the top players in the league – we’re getting better.

‘Then we’ve added Darren Carter and Paul Green’s experience and we’ve just signed two lads from Birmingham on loan. Connal Trueman was on the bench in the Championship last season and Daniel Cleary is an Ireland U-21 international.’

McDonald singled out Jermaine Hylton as a player to watch for the Moors in the new season, calling his summer signing a ‘massive coup’ for the club.

Hylton previously played under McDonald at Redditch United, and the Moors boss believes that the 24-year-old is now a much better player than he was when he left the Reds for Football League side Swindon Town two-and-a-half years ago.

‘He’s much better than when he left me,’ McDonald said regarding Hylton.

‘He didn’t have to drop down into non-league – he had League One and Two clubs interested. But he knows the way I work, the way I look after my players to help them improve and progress, he felt it was right for him.

‘It’s a massive coup because, in my opinion, he’d walk into all National League teams. He’s scored three in four pre-season starts as well.’

The 32-year-old manager has been pleased with his side’s preparation for the new season. His hope is that the positive business conducted in the transfer market as well as a strong pre-season can stand the Moors in good stead to compete against the National League’s full-time teams.

‘We’ve done well,’ McDonald added.

‘We’ve had a good pre-season and we’re trying to make sure we’re ready to compete with the full-time teams.

‘It’s a hurdle we’ve got to overcome. I’m sure we’ll do that.’

Liam McDonald’s Solihull Moors have one match left in their pre-season campaign, the visit of West Bromwich Albion’s Under-23s on Tuesday night, before the Moors open their National League season with a home game against Chester on Saturday.


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