Archived News from May 2008
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HOLLAND, BELL REACTION
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audio interviews with Paul Holland and Lee Bell from Radio Nottingham, here
-------------- CHAD.co.uk: "It was a horrible day at the end of a disappointing season," said Holland. "Now things must be sorted out on and off the pitch. I am sure that is what every single Mansfield Town fan wants "I want to know my future - hopefully by Wednesday at the latest. I have spoken to people and was told to get the weekend out of the way. "We have had a chat and I have got to come up with a plan that I think will move this football club forwards. "I have a list of players I want to leave the club and a list of players I want to bring in. I believe a massive change in personnel is the way forward. "Today proved we need an absolutely massive clear-out. "I have already spoken to six or seven players with League experience already who want to come to Mansfield Town. "I have my own ideas. Today showed what we need. "I have spoken individually to our current players and inevitably some have already got clubs interested in them." Holland was forced into five changes through injury and illness today and added: "We had to get by with what we'd got though I was going to put the kids on later whatever happened. "I thought Jake Buxton's sending off was a strange decision. I think it changed the game. With him off and a very young side out there by the end it was tough. "We went behind from a set piece and we struggled with them all day. It doesn't help when your three main headers are out. "Coming to a place like this it was always going to be difficult with Dagenham's fans and players quite rightly in party spirit after managing to stay up. "But our supporters were magnificent. It must have been a horrible day for them. But they have been brilliant all season. You couldn't ask for anything more and those behind the goal today were definitely the true Mansfield Town fans." --------- Evening Post: "If we are going to lose all our players then we are going to be struggling, because it is hard," he said. "I have played in it with Burton and there is not a lot of difference, apart from the top sides in League Two maybe have that little bit more quality. "A lot of other teams who have gone down have struggled to come back up and those who think it will not be a problem are pretty naive. "I just hope we can keep as many as we can and get as many new players in as we can because we need to." Bell also feels Mansfield's issues in the boardroom need to be resolved in the summer after months of uncertainty. Owner Keith Haslam is still in control - a year-and-half after first saying he wanted to sell the club. And he is frustrated that a number of players will leave because the cub have left it so late to renegotiate contracts. Bell said: "The off-the-field situation needs sorting ASAP, otherwise Mansfield Town is in real trouble - and I mean really big trouble. "Keith Haslam is the owner and I don't really know. It's his money and his prerogative to do what he wants. "But we are the only League club, although we are not one anymore, who have not told their players what they plan to do. "Our best players are probably going to go elsewhere because they have been offered something by other clubs. "If Mansfield had offered deals a month ago then some of them might have stayed." Bell revealed he is prepared to remain at Mansfield and fight to help the club in what they hope will be a promotion bid in 2008-2009. But he says he will not wait forever to be offered terms - because he already has others on the table. "I am going away for a week and taking my phone with me," he said. "I would like a phone call during that time. I don't know if that sounds arrogant, but I need to sort out my future and have a mortgage to pay." Bell feels that Mansfield would have stayed up had Paul Holland taken over as manager sooner. He said: " I have got nothing against Billy Dearden, because he gave me a chance. Paul should have the job next season." -------- Evening Post: "It was a horrible day at the end of a disappointing season - nothing went right," said Holland. "I think this match proved why we need an absolutely massive clear-out. I have a list of players I want to leave the club and a list of players I want to bring in. I believe a massive change in personnel is the way forward. "It is going to be a massive summer, but I have spoken to six or seven players with League experience already who want to come to Mansfield Town. "I have spoken individually to our current players and I now their situations. Some have already got clubs interested in them. "Things must be sorted out on and off the pitch. I am sure that is what every single Mansfield Town fan wants." Holland was hoping to discover whether he has a future as Mansfield boss before the trip to East London. But now, after meeting with chief executive Stephen Booth late last week, he is hoping to discover his fate in the next two or three days. He said: "We have had a chat about certain things and I have got to come up with a plan that I think will move this football club forwards. I want to know my future - hopefully by Wednesday at the latest. I have spoken to people and was told to get the weekend out of the way first." Holland praised the supporters - who numbered more than 1,000 - for backing f the club in their most desperate hour. He admitted there were few positives to take out of the match. "We had to get by with what we'd got, though in this game and I was going to put the kids on later whatever happened," said Holland. "I thought Jake Buxton's sending off was a strange decision. I think it changed the game. With him off and a very young side out there it was tough. "We went behind from a set piece and we struggled with them all day. It doesn't help when your three main headers are out. "Coming to a place like this it was always going to be difficult with Dagenham's fans and players quite rightly in party spirit after managing to stay up. "The supporters were magnificent. It must have been a horrible day for them. But they have been brilliant all season. You couldn't ask for anything more and those behind the goal today were definitely the true Mansfield Town fans." ----------------- |
Latest | May 2008