Hereford United

Last Season at a glance

16th in League Two

Having won the Conference Play Offs the season before, finishing in mid table was quite a respectable season for Hereford. Again, they were never in danger of getting relegated back to whence they came, as their lowest league position all season was 17th, but there was the merest hint of the Play Offs until the last ten games of the season or so.

But there's no denying this was a good season for the Bulls, proving many a prediction wrong who tipped them to be one season wonders.

If you're talking about long serving managers, you can't go much further than Graham Turner. The former Wolves and Aston Villa boss has been in charge at Edgar Street for over twelve years now, and not content with that, he liked them so much he bought the company in a Victor Kiam stylee.

It's been a rough time in charge for Turner, having taken them down to the Conference where they seemed to settle far too easily, but he led them back just over a year ago having knocked on the Football League door for a couple of seasons, doing so playing an attractive style of football.

From time to time with our predictions, we find this section very difficult to fill in. Hereford were a team who possibly over achieved last season, and the changes in the Summer make it look almost impossible for them to maintain the status quo this time round.

So if they are to improve, it can only be because of that experience of playing in the Football League for a full season. It was a step into the unknown for many of their squad last season, but with that season under their belt, they will be equipped to cope better this time round.

The signing of Guinan on a permanent deal will be a big boost for the Bulls, after his impressive loan spell last season. But more on him later.

And that's about it.

It has been without doubt a Summer of departures from Edgar Street, and this will have dramatic effects on their season next year.

Looking at their list of leading goalscorers last season, it doesn't make pleasant viewing for Bulls supporters.

Alan Connell - a player much underrated in our view - 10 goals last season. Now departed and headed off to that there London to sign for Brentford.

Andy Williams - 9 goals. Now headed down the M5 to Bristol to compete with Rickie Lambert at the Memorial Ground.

Rob Purdie - 9 goals. He's left Edgar Street and signed for Darlington. And as well know, goalscoring midfielders are very hard to come by and make such a difference to the the fortunes of a side.

Now Hereford supporters may well have differing opinions on the quality of these players, but we fail to see how taking nearly 30 goals away from a side can have anything other than a negative effect on a side.

Guinan has been around the League Two scene for many a season now, and it will be down to him to ensure that Hereford remain in the Football League next time round. He was drafted in by Graham Turner around Xmas last season, and finished the season with a highly respectable 7 goals from 16 appearances.

There's clearly talent with Guinan but his early seasons were marred by controversy. His Soccerbase page nearly stretches onto a second page such is the number of clubs that he has played for, but it would seem that Hereford is the place where he has been most successful having enjoyed two seasons with the Bulls in the Conference.

He's your old fashioned style centre forward who's not scared of putting himself about.

We might be way off track with this one, as of all the teams, we probably know the least about Hereford as any of them.

Graham Turner clearly has a big job on his hands. We talked about the departing players and striker Steve Guinan. It's this lack of goals which will hurt Hereford next season, and it will be interesting to see if Guinan can live with the pressure.

Out of the remaining Hereford players, Guinan grabbed seven goals during his time with United, but after after that, the next highest got just two goals. And the new recruits don't exactly look goal crazy.

Turner is an astute manager and he more than anyone will know what is required, but we think he's going to find it a lot more difficult second time around. That elation of promotion won't be here this time round to carry them through the first ten games or so, and a bad start could see them entrenched at the bottom.

At least Turner knows he is safe from the sack though.