CARRICK RANGERS: Haveron hopes to have his future ironed out soon

Haveron, who steered the Gers to a trophy treble last year before keeping them in the Premiership this term, says he wants to build a better squad for next year - but has yet to hold talks about next season.

In an honest and open interview with the Carrick Times, the 35-year-old spoke about the need to pin down the players he wants to keep at the club and those he wants to bring in to bolster his options.

Haveron said he doesn’t expect to be ‘asked to go’, and spoke of the need for him and the club’s board to talk about their ambitions and whether they ‘marry’.

“Because of the nature of us not knowing whether we were going to be a Championship team or remain in Premiership, we don’t really know what we have to offer people. What we can afford to offer people depended on what we ... bring in and what our gates will be,” he said.

“I don’t think we can afford to sit around too long. We have to move quickly. We’ve got to secure the players who we want to stay and then we have got to have one eye on those who we want to bring in to strengthen the squad.

“First and foremost, I have to sit down with the club and see what their plans are and see if they marry in with me.

“I need to see if I’m part of that, moving forward. At the end of the day the club have to assess everything over the course of the season and we will have to sit down and do that.

“I don’t think the club will ask me to go. I think my job should be OK but I never really felt my job was under pressure anyway. Maybe other people did, but that’s the nature of where we’re at.

“I told the club at the start of the year when we had our initial meeting that 10th place was our target. That way, we avoid relegation and the play-off.

“You have to throw into the mix also that we got to the semi-finals of the County Antrim Shield and the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup. That was a good return.”

Reflecting on a rollercoaster season, Haveron added: “We got points on the board early doors and then we had a wee sticky patch when we just didn’t get the results we wanted but if you look back over the course of the season, we frittered away points. With a bit more experience and know-how we see those games out and we’re sitting in a comfortable position. We will learn from that.

“Again, it’s what the club sees for its future. I have to sit down with Michael (Hughes), Peter Clarke and Davy Hilditch and the guys who make these decisions to see what they want to do with me.

“I don’t think we can afford to sit on it too long and let it run on any more than a day or two. When we’re not speaking to players, other people are. “Crusaders have already signed four players and other clubs are contacting my players and have done for the last couple of weeks. It’s great credit to them that they stuck to the task at hand.

“Also, I can’t speak highly enough of my assistant-manager and good friend Steven Mills who has been fantastic again this term and of Stephen Luney, our physio, who has left us for the rugby club.”