McDonald keen to stay at Poppies and would set sights on title challenge next season

After producing a brilliant run of results in the final third of the season, the Poppies finished fourth in the tabe, but then suffered play-off semi-final agony last Wednesday when they were beaten 3-1 at Real Bedford.

McDonald accepted that Bedford were worthy winners and after the game, when asked about his plans for the future, he hinted he wants to give it another crack next season - and that he is aiming high.

"We will dust ourselves down, and I will obviously speak to the football club as managers do, and as players do and we'll see what next season looks like," said McDonald, who took charge of the Poppies in November after Simon Hollyhead's departure.

"If I am here then I want to make sure I am giving the fans a better standard of football for starters, and also competing to win the league, not just for the play-offs.

"We were handicapped this season when we came in as we were miles off the play-offs, and if we had finished third or second and then been at home in the semi-final in front of 2,000 or 3,000 then it might have been different."

A year ago, Richard Lavery led the Poppies to the play-off final, losing at home to AFC Telford United, and he departed the club a matter of days later.

McDonald says he does want to stay as he loves being manager at Latimer Park, but he knows that isn't solely his decision as it will depend on how chairman George Akhtar sees the future.

"I don't know if the chairman wants me," admitted the former Stourbridge boss.

"What I have done, and I haven't been here long, but I feel like this is my club. I am feeling that, I have a love for Kettering.

"I played here in the past, and as a player you don't love a club, you just play for them and then move on, but this club has a place for me.

"That's how I feel, and I will speak to the chairman, but ultimately, we haven't got promoted.

"So ultimately, as a manager, you know that anything can happen, and I don't know what direction the chairman wants to go in.

"We have had a good half a season since I have been in, but I don't know what his plans are."

McDonald also thanked the club's supporters for their backing of him and the team in recent weeks and months.

The Poppies boss has endured some off-field issues, with it being reported recently that he is under investigation by the Football Association with regards to alleged breaches of betting regulations that happened 10 years ago when he was manager at Redditch United.

"I just want to say to the fans that they have been brilliant with me," said McDonald. "I have had a lot going on and they have stuck by me.

"About four months ago the chairman asked me if I was in the right frame of mind for this, and one thing I would say is that I am proud of myself.

"It has been a difficult few months, the lads have been winning, I have been coming in, I have been motivating them, and the training's been good.

"It has been difficult for myself and the staff, but we managed to get to this stage.

"Mental strength is key to a team being at the top, and we have put that on to the players.

"But we know we need to improve for next season, and if I am here then, as I said, I want to make sure we are competing to win it rather than scraping into the play-offs."

Quotes courtesy of Peter Short