Archived News from August 2006
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RADIO NOTTM TO PROVIDE COMMENTARY OF EVERY GAME
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BBC Radio Nottingham announced on Saturday morning that they would be providing commentary of every Stags game, home and away this season, on 1584 am.
----------- Stags season preview BBC Nottingham's David Jackson Mansfield Town fans have good cause to look forward to the forthcoming season. Peter Shirtliff has his players playing neat, attractive, attacking football. About David... David is BBC Radio Nottingham's Mansfield Town correspondent. This is a big year for Peter Shirtliff. He performed wonders last season, taking a team from the bottom of the League Two table in September to safety, and even flirted with the possibility of a late play-off push. Now, with a summer to build his own squad, he must move on to the next level and help develop the squad into one that can challenge in the top half from the beginning. The squad he has is small compared to last season, but that's the way he wants it, and it could well be in his favour if he decides to add to it later in the year. Strong up front They've looked fantastic at times in pre-season. The 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday was the undoubted high. Richie Barker was predictably strong and hungry for goals, Simon Brown looked lively again and Alex John-Baptiste just seems to get better and better... don't be surprised to see his name linked with higher league clubs more and more this season. I know you can't read much into friendlies, but we can say this... Peter Shirtliff has got his players playing neat, attractive, attacking football, and they have goals in the team. New signings So, what of the new signings? Well, Matt Hamshaw and John Mullins provide a new looking right flank and they could turn out to be the best combination since Lawrence and Hassell - Hamshaw can certainly cross the ball and looks like he'll be a handful at this level. Stags boss Peter Shirtliff In goal, Carl Muggleton looks strong and will provide good competition for Jason White - in fact, White will have his work cut out to get a place at all if pre-season is anything to go by. Season's prediction I'm sure that every football supporter in the land is optimistic at this stage of the summer, but I believe that Mansfield fans have good cause to look forward to Saturday 5 August 2006. The players seem relaxed and genuinely optimistic themselves about the forthcoming campaign. In Shirtliff, they have a manager who will keep his focus and not get carried away, and in the team they have an intriguing blend of youth and experience that could carry them to quite a height in League Two this season. |
Latest | August 2006