Archived News from March 2006
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WILSON STAYS/PREVIEWS/CONTRACT NEWS/BEARDSLEY/AREK
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Stags Winger Wants Talks Over A New Contract
http://www.mansfield103.co.uk First it was Gus Uhlenbeek, now Adam Rundle has declared his desire his stay at Mansfield Town beyond the end of this season. The winger is one of fourteen players out of contract in the summer but he has left manager Peter Shirtliff in no doubt as to where he sees his future - "With the squad being so young I will be sad not to stay, I think it is exciting times here, we have got a good chance of doing great things next year." The 21 year old has made 52 appearences for the Stags scoring 9 goals. ---------- SHIRTLIFF HAS EYE ON NEXT SEASON Evening Post, 10 March 2006 Stags boss Peter Shirtliff (pictured left) today revealed he has already begun negotiating with players over contracts for next season. Although the Mansfield manager insists his number one priority is still Football League survival, he also has one eye on next season. Only six players are under contract for 2006-2007 - Richie Barker, Danny Reet, Stephen Dawson, Jonathan D'Laryea and Adam Birchall and Alex John-Baptiste. Mansfield have been criticised by supporters in the past for delaying too long before offering new deals to talented, out-of-contract players. But Shirtliff is determined that will not happen as this season draws to a close. "I have been thinking about contracts and I have done a bit of work on it with one or two players and I will keep doing it until the end of the season," he said. "I will shortly be telling the players who are out of contract in the summer what my plans are for them. "Whether those who are offered deals agree to stay or not is something which I can't control. "I have got in mind the players I want in the squad for next season, but this season is not over yet, so that is still my main focus. "But I think the players are keen to know because they want some idea of where their futures lie. "Who I bring in depends on who stays. I haven't got a crystal ball, so I don't know who wants to stay and who wants to go." Mansfield's six-game unbeaten run has taken them to the brink of safety. The Stags are now eight points clear of the League Two drop zone with ten games left. But Shirtliff is adamant the Stags cannot afford to relax just yet and he will be doing all he can to ensure that message gets through to his players. He said: "This game has a habit of biting you on the backside. We are not safe yet and we need to make sure we win some more games. I keep reiterating that we have to concentrate on picking up points rather than thinking too far ahead. "We have had a good run and confidence is high, but you always have to be on your guard in football." Rhys Day (hernia) and Adam Birchall (heel) both return to the squad for the visit of Boston tomorrow after successfully coming through a training game against Rushden in midweek. But Chris Beardsley's season is over. The striker broke his leg in the home derby clash with Notts County in August last year and has not played since. Boston could give a full debut to right midfielder Jermaine McSporran, who has joined the club on loan from Doncaster Rovers. Other loan players to feature for the Pilgrims are goalkeeper Michels Kuipers (Brighton) and midfielder Asa Hall (Birmingham). Alan White returns after six weeks out. -------- Wilson to stay CHAD website, 09 March 2006 LAWRENCE Wilson is to remain at Mansfield Town for the rest of the season. The Everton teenager has impressed in his month on loan with the Stags and netted his first goal in the local derby at Notts County last week. With good displays at left back and left midfield the England U19 player has quickly won over the Mansfield faithful. And Wilson is happy to be staying after enjoying his first taste of regular first team football. "I am made up," he said. "They asked me if I wanted to stay to the end of the season and help the team stay in this league. "Hopefully we can finish in the top half of the table. "Playing here is going to make me a better player. "It is a much tougher game at this level. I have realised I need to be a bit more physical down here, though we do play some good football as well. "Playing is this league is making me a lot sharper and tougher. "Apparantly Everton have had somegood reports on me so that can only be good for me." Wilson's best moment so far was his goal at Meadow Lane last week. "The ball came to me and I just thought I can't miss and luckily I scored," he said. "It was a good buzz for me, but I really didn't know what to do when it went in!" Stags boss Peter Shirtliff added: "I am pleased to sign Laurence for another two months. "He has done well for us. I thought he played particularly well at Torquay and also made a good contribution at Notts County." Wilson's contract at Everton expires this summer and, while both manager and player admit they do not know what will happen, doubtless if he keeps playing like he has, Wilson will become a target for a permanent transfer to Field Mill. ------------- No let-up warns Mansfield boss CHAD website, 09 March 2006 ALTHOUGH Mansfield Town look to be clear of relegation - eight points off the bottom two with only 10 to play - Peter Shirtliff has warned against taking the foot off the gas ahead of Saturday's visit of Boston United (3pm). "This game has a nasty habit of biting you on the bum if you let yourself go a bit," said the Stags boss. "We are not safe. We need to win games - it's as simple as that. "This six game unbeaten run has given us some confidence. But it's no guarantee of getting a result in your next game. "We've won two and drawn four on this run and I'd prefer if it were the other way round. "We have done quite well and we are making progress. But we need to get a bit tighter in terms of conceding goals and that's what we are working ont his week. "We are by no means the finished article yet." Boston were one of the pre-season favourites for promotion but have had a disappointing campaign. They have won two, drawn three and lost one of their last six games, underlining their inconsistency. And victory for Mansfield will put them level on points with the Pilgrims by Saturday tea time. Shirtliff has no new injury problems and welcomes Rhys Day and Adam Birchall back into the squad after they came through a reserve work-out in midweek. However, he has decided not to pursue striker Arkadiusz Zarczynski after his appearance in the same game. The Pole had turned up at the ground asking for a trial and Shirtliff said: "To be fair he did OK. "But I have decided he is not what we are looking for in terms of style. "I wish him well and hope he gets fixed up somewhere. Sometimes these things work out, sometimes they don't." ---------------- Shirtliff starts on contract work CHAD website, 09 March 2006 PETER Shirtliff has began discussions with players for next season with 14 of the current squad out of contract this summer. "I have started work on that and I will keep chipping way at it," he said. "I will be telling everyone shortly what my plans are for next season. "But I don't have a crystal ball so I don't know who wants to stay and who will want to move on. "I would like to get things organised for next season as soon as possible and get my squad sorted for pre-season training. "The main focus still has to be on this season as we still have 10 games left and we need to get as many points as we can on the board. "But, while we are doing that, I will be trying to sort out contracts at the same time. "The players want to know what my plans are as it gives them some stability and an idea of the future for them which is important." ----------- WILSON'S FIELD MILL OF DREAMS Evening Post, 09 March 2006 MATT HALFPENNY Laurence Wilson is only too happy to swap reserve team football at Premiership Everton for first team football at League Two Mansfield. The left-back or left midfielder is set to sign a deal this week to keep him at Field Mill for the rest of the season. He says playing in front of a proper crowd was too good an opportunity to turn down. "I initially spoke to the boss about extending the deal until the end of the month but by that point there will only be a couple of games left," said Wilson. "So I am hoping to stay until the end of the season and that's good because I am enjoying playing. "It's a bit different to playing for Everton reserves where you might get a couple of hundred if you are lucky. The crowd really get behind you. And when you come across them walking down the street they say hello and ask you how you are getting on." Wilson - who scored his first goal for the Stags at Notts County - admits he has found it a tough challenge to cope with the demands of League Two. The 19-year-old picked up a bad shin injury against Wrexham, but has bounced back. He said: "It was a big difference stepping down, but once you realise what it is all about, you just knuckle down. It was a shock playing against bigger, physically stronger players and some teams don't try to play football but win games by working hard. The tackle that led to my injury was a bad one, but I soon got back into training." Wilson has made a good impression on Peter Shirtliff and it may be in the Stags manager's mind that he would hope to lure the teenager to Mansfield on a permanent basis. "I don't know about my future," he said. "When I went back to Everton to get treatment for my injury they told me to carry on as I am." Rhys Day (hernia) and Adam Birchall (heel) came through a training game yesterday in which a Stags side lost 2-0 to Rushden. Polish trialist Arkadiusz Zarczynski also played but will not be offered a contract by Mansfield. ------------ mansfieldtown.net: Wilson to sign Laurence Wilson is expected to sign papers today to keep him at Mansfield for the next two months but Stags boss Peter Shirtliff cannot comment whether or not the move will be a more permanent one. "I cannot comment as to whether we will be keeping Laurence here next season as I do not know whether his future has been decided at Everton or not. He is a good player and I think that he did well at Torquay and again at Notts County Last week. We will just have to wait and see what happens" said Shirtliff. ----------- mansfieldtown.net: Beardsley out for Season It is looking as though Chris Beardsley will be out of the action for the remainder of the season following his broken leg against Notts county back in August. Early hopes were that the young striker would be able to play some part towards the final run in but the specialist have determined that he will not be involved this season. "I hoped that Chris would play some part in the season's campaign but when you suffer a nasty break like his that requires pinning and screwing it was always going to be difficult for the lad. I always said it would be difficult to put a time scale on his return but I have to admit I was hopeful that he could contribute this season but unfortunately this is not going to be the case." Said his manager Peter Shirtliff. Beardsley has had the pins removed and has had subsequent consultation with the specialist and the indications are that he is making a healthy recovery and will hopefully be fit enough to join training in the Pre-season build up to next year's campaign. ----------------- mansfieldtown.net: Stags not pursuing Arek The Stags played a practice game on Tuesday behind closed doors for the benefit of the players returning from injury and also to take a look at Polish striker Arek Zarcznski with a view as to offer him a contract or not. Rhys Day returning from his operation managed an hour and could well be in contention for Saturday's game versus Boston United but the news is not so good for the brave Zarcznski who Shirtliff feels, although a good player would not fit into the Mansfield Town setup. "Arek did okay but I decided that he is not we are looking for in terms of style etc. but I wished him all the best and hope that he finds a club somewhere else but unfortunately we will not be pursuing the issue here at Mansfield. "He is a good lad and has courage to tout himself around the way he has. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't so I think he will get sorted somewhere." ------------- Shirtliff preparing for talks with out of contract players With fourteen players contracts expiring in the Summer Stags boss Peter Shirtliff will not dragging his heels in building his squad for the 2006/07 campaign, already speaking to players that he would like to keep at the club next season. "I have already started looking at contracts for the summer I have already spoken to one or two players and I will keep chipping away until the end of the season. "If the players contracts are up in the summer I will speaking to them all shortly to let them know what my plans are for them but whether they agree to stay at the club or not is out of my control. Unlike some managers at this level I do not want to be leaving things to the last minute. I obviously have players in mind that I want in my squad next season but this season is far from over. So my focus really is on finishing this season with as many points as we possibly can. But as I have said during that time I will be speaking to all the players that I want in the long term." Said Shirtliff. -------------- mansfieldtown.net: New found Buzz around the Mill With the Stags finally finding the form that many hoped for at the beginning of the campaign there is a new found 'buzz' around Field Mill, something that isn't lost on boss Peter Shirtliff: "There is a definite buzz in the air at the club at the moment we are currently running at six games unbeaten, drawn four and won two. Obviously I would have preferred it the other way around but we are doing okay and we just have to keep chipping away and progressing. "I think we have been a little harder to beat than the start of the season but having said that I think we could keep things a little tighter in terms of conceding goals and that is what we will be working on the rest of this week ahead of the game against Boston (Field Mill Saturday 11 march 3.00pm). " I think the lads have done quite well, steadily progressing through the season but when I took over form Carlton I wanted to do things my way which is natural and the lads are getting to know me and what I expect from them. It is always difficult for the players to come to terms with change when a manager leaves mid way through the season but they are gradually starting to get to grips with it. I know what it is like form my playing days." |
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