Llandudno manager Iwan Williams is expecting a busy summer as he looks to improve on this season’s 10th place finish.
Williams quit his post at Caernarfon Town to join Llandudno last November but endured a frustrating campaign in his first season managing in the Welsh Premier League as Llandudno struggled to make their mark.
The side were never genuinely in the race to make the top-six and from there their campaign faded with a relatively steady, if unspectacular, run of results that left them unable to make their mark on the league.
One of Williams’ first moves has been to tie down club captain midfielder Danny Hughes to a contract. The influential central midfielder signs until 2020 and the manager says he plans to continue putting his own stamp on the team during the off-season.
“When I came in, I knew the expectations and the ambitions of the club and it was a case of trying to get over the line as quickly as possible so we can now try and re-build,” said Williams.
“It’s been a testing time but sometimes in life you have to experience the worst in order to get better and we’ve certainly had that experience. It’s a clean slate now though where we can implement our standards fully because you do worry when coming in half way through the season about making too many changes because some players can’t handle change and with us bounded by the transfer window it was important we kept the harmony.
“There are two main reasons why we believe we are losing games. One is stagnation and the other is we cannot deal with adversity. They are two prime reasons why changes have to be made for Llandudno Football Club to move forward. We’ve been giving goals away too cheaply and lack grabbing games by the scruff of the neck. That’s a cultural thing which we will change in the summer.”
Danny Hughes cited his belief in Williams’ ability to rebuild the squad as a major factor in re-signing: “First and foremost it was an easy decision for me to extend my stay here, everyone knows my love for the club, the town, and the fans here, but I will always only sign if I believe in what the club have going for them.
“It’s been a difficult year with the changes and I think people can see changes are needed. I believe that it’s going in a good direction moving forward under Iwan, and I back the club and the management we have here 100%,” he added.
One area the club will definitely be looking to strengthen is up-front. Long-serving Lee Thomas and former Wrexham forward Marc Williams will both exit The Giant Hospitality Stadium.
Thomas leaves Llandudno after 15 years with the club and Iwan Williams hopes the 33-year-old won’t hang up his boots.
“Lee Thomas is a raw breed in this current climate of footballers. He’s a winner throughout and you know what you get from him,” explained Williams.
“When he plays he shows a lot of desire and commitment and he will be sorely missed. I hope Lee doesn’t finish playing fully though as I do believe he still has a lot to give.”
The club are expected to make further announcements shortly.