Mike Grogan missing for AFC Telford talks
Mike Grogan has gone to ground for AFC Telford United – as manager Rob Smith's hopes of a reunion with Elliott Durrell and Jamey Osborne faded.
The Bucks boss has been trying to contact Liverpool-based Grogan for contract talks without success and the player has failed to return his calls.
Smith said: "The situation with him is I arranged to meet with him halfway between us last week and he didn't turn up.
"I've tried to speak to him since and he hasn't answered my calls. But he knows where I am – I won't be making an effort to meet him unless he gets in touch with me."
Grogan ended the season in impressive form as a makeshift centre-back and Smith wants to keep him.
He added: "He did really well and I just wanted to get together to see how we both feel so, hopefully, he'll get in touch."
Telford have signed two centre-halves and have secured the future of right-back Dwayne Samuels, with left-back Darren Campion set to follow after meeting Smith last night.
Now the Bucks boss has targeted improving his midfield and attack, with only Lucas Dawson and Dave Hibbert signed in those positions.
But Smith expects Redditch United schemer Osborne and Tamworth's goalscoring midfielder Durrell, who he had at Hednesford, to go elsewhere.
Smith added: "I don't think he (Osborne) will be coming – I think he'll be going to a higher level.
"I've spoken to him (Durrell) but he's got his fingers in quite a few pies. I've told him if he can't get fixed up and wants to speak to me then fine, I'd be happy to do that.
"But I think he's certainly got offers to play at the level above."
As for eight-goal top scorer McCarthy, Smith said: "My understanding is Southport have taken up an option on him.
"We need to look at strikers because Dave Hibbert is the only one we've got signed.
"We're also speaking to various central midfielders because we've lost Jordan Wynter and Jack Rea hasn't agreed yet, and I'm looking at a couple of wingers."
Meanwhile, any announcement on how Telford will replace outgoing managing director Lee Carter is on hold for a week. A board meeting was held on Tuesday night.
But chairman Ian Dosser said: "We've decided to work on our organisation structure for one more week. We won't be in a position to announce anything until Friday May 27."