Archived News from November 2014
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PLYMOUTH PREVIEWS / McGUIRE INJURED
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20th November 2014
video: Paul Cox urges fans to back players on Saturday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnQKMTWGQYE -------------- Get behind the team - Cox mansfieldtown.net, 20th November 2014 Boss issues rallying cry to supporters ahead of game with Plymouth Argyle. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/get-behind-the-team-cox-2093422.aspx#9FHvOmoxl5DBdYfW.99 Manager Paul Cox wants supporters to get behind the team from start to finish when we entertain Plymouth Argyle at One Call Stadium on Saturday. The Pilgrims make the trip north unbeaten in seven league games and boast the tightest defence in the Football League, having shipped just nine goals so far this term. It promises to be a tough game and at this morning’s press conference, our boss said: “There were instances on Tuesday night where there was a player who had tears in his eyes after the game [with Concord Rangers] - a young player who has got massive potential and you wonder where it’s all going to end." “We’ve got some good Under 14s, 15s and 16s coming through, but I’m not going to put them in the first team if they keep getting booed. I’d rather leave them out and save the lads the embarrassment. “The majority of fans I know are 100% behind us - I know that. I’m accessible and I speak to everybody as I go out the club and anybody who wants to speak to me can do. I’ll never it turn down when somebody has a problem or they want to pat me on the back.” He continued: “We’ve had three years of success and we want to take the club forward, but realistically, and I’ve said this from pre-season when people were losing their heads and claiming this group of players can reach the promised land, we need the fans behind us from day one. “I foresaw what was going to happen, not with the injuries, but with a fully-fit squad this season was always going to be a challenge - for the players, because of aspects I’ve previously spoke about. “This is a supporters’ football club and I think they just need to get behind the players now. There are some young players who are new to League Two that we’ve had to bring in; players that we’re not paying much money to - and they need 100% support from supporters of this football club.” Our manager will be in the Kevin Bird Suite this evening to take part in a question and answer session with supporters. The event gets underway at 7.30pm. More details can be found here. To watch Paul Cox’s full interview from today’s press meeting, click here. -------------------- Stags manager Cox braces himself for fans’ flak chad.co.uk, 20 November 2014 Mansfield Town boss Paul Cox is bracing himself for more abuse and a possible demonstration from a section of fans wanting him to go ahead of Saturday’s tough home game with high-flying Plymouth Argyle. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/video-stags-manager-cox-braces-himself-for-fans-flak-1-6963116 After a run of nine games without a win, Cox and his players took some nasty abuse from the stands during and after their 1-1 home FA Cup draw with Conference South outfit Concord Rangers on Tuesday night which has provoked talk of what he feels seems to be an annual outburst against his position. Cox says he has shoulders broad enough to handle the criticism but was upset that, after accusations of playing too directly, his side were booed when keeping possession on Tuesday and he was particularly upset by the cruel boos during the game for young defender Liam Marsden, who has come through the club ranks. Cox said: “It wasn’t hoofball on Tuesday, instead we got booed for playing the ball along the back. A comment from Concord’s bench was that they thought we were a bit direct but one of the best footballing sides they have seen this season. “As a performance I couldn’t ask anything more from my players. I have watched the DVD back and we have passed the ball out from the back, played through the thirds and created chances. But we have not put those chances away - simple as that. “Give credit to Concord, they made a game of it and scored what will probably be the goal of the round. “But some of the fans are never going to be happy. I spoke to someone from the Press Association who was at our game in Shrewsbury on Saturday and he pointed out how Shrewsbury passed the ball out from the back and were applauded for it and when we did it on Tuesday we were booed for it. I honestly believe it is a small minority, though. I know the majority are 100 per cent behind us.” On Marsden’s treatment, he added: “We have brought a young lad, a local boy, through. He earns a pittance - it’s embarrassing how much, and he is in our first team. Yet he got booed from start to finish on Tuesday night. I don’t know what people want. “I have some good 14-16-year-olds coming through, but I couldn’t put them in the first team if they are going to get booed. “I won’t tell a lie, one young player with massive potential had tears in his eyes at the end of Tuesday night’s game. You wonder where it is all going to end. “They need to get behind the players. We have some young players who are new to League Two and we are not paying much money to.” Cox continued: “In the three years I have been here we have had absolutely unbelievable success. Everything we have wanted to achieve every year we have achieved the marker. You have to wonder what we have to do as a football club before we begin to be appreciated. It will be interesting to see where this all leads to. “Apart from the stairs in the main stand, you wouldn’t believe we won a championship two years ago and I have to question that.” With his budget slashed by half to what is likely to be one of the lowest couple of budgets in the League, Cox warned in the summer that people should forget talk of reaching the Championship and get behind the side in what would be his toughest season in management to date. But that warning has quickly been forgotten, and he feels some fans don’t even seem to comprehend he has recently had as many as 11 first team players out injured. “There were people who lost their heads at the start of the season and said we were going to the promised land,” he said. “But I said we needed people behind us from the start as, although I didn’t foresee the injuries coming, we always knew this season would be a challenge because of the aspects we spoke about. “You can’t have everything as there is not the money here. The chairman has put a lot of time and resources into the club over the last few years. But we now have to cut our cloth accordingly. “Going forward we need to sort our infrastructure, bring young players through and find good non-League players and U21s we can sculpture. That takes time and it will be horrendous if this fall-out happens every time we go on a bad run of results. People must understand the scenario. We are all working hard here and now we need some help. “I always chat with our supporters after the games, individually to their face, whether they have a problem or want to pat me on the back. “I am answerable and accountable and happy to speak to anyone. What I don’t like is cheap shots at the players and the football club.” Cox has heard the whispers of a protest against him on Saturday, but said: “This happens to me year in, year out, it’s nothing new. “I’ve had banners on fences to people coming behind the dug-out at Matlock as well as being spat at if you go back two years. Sometimes you wonder what goes through people’s minds. This is my fourth year here and we have had nothing but success. “I would hate to see this place when we are not achieving our goals. “My wife always reminds me when I go home that after about 10 games in charge here there were banners wanting me out, yet we gave them the play-offs that first year. “The next year they wanted me out again. But I gave them not only the championship but also the dreams and memories of a great FA Cup run with the game against Liverpool. “That season we drew at home to Slough, who are a lower side than Concord, and probably fluked the replay on penalties at their place. “Last season, in our first season back in the Football League, we were joint 10th. “And I have always honoured my contract when I have been approached by clubs from higher leagues. A minority have very short memories. “I have really broad shoulders, but I just want supporters to get behind the boys.” Plymouth arrive in fifth place on the crest of a wave with five wins and two draws in their last seven games, culminating in three first half goals that saw off Portsmouth last weekend. Last season they staged a 1-0 smash and grab with a 93rd minute winner at One Call Stadium before bagging a 96th minute goal to save a 1-1 draw at home. Stags will welcome back loanee pair Keiron Freeman and Vadaine Oliver, but, although midfielder Jamie McGuire has served his one match ban for his red card last weekend, he damaged medial knee ligaments in the challenge and now faces four to six weeks on the sidelines. ------------------- McGuire set for spell on sidelines mansfieldtown.net, 20th November 2014 Midfielder expected to be out for at least a month due to injury. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/mcguire-set-for-spell-on-sidelines-2093328.aspx#k4XK0IBUQRcwygCI.99 Midfielder Jamie McGuire faces between four to six weeks on the sidelines through injury. The 31-year-old suffered medial knee ligament damage in a challenge on James Collins during last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat away to Shrewsbury Town. McGuire has been a regular at first team level for us this term, making 15 appearances in all competitions. In positive news ahead of this weekend’s clash with Plymouth Argyle, on loan forward Vadaine Oliver is expected to return to action following a short spell out of action. Simon Heslop and Ritchie Sutton are also making good progress on their recent troubles, but Saturday’s match will come too soon for both of them. ----------------- Battered Bell ready to go back into battle for Stags chad.co.uk As Stags midfielder Fergus Bell prepared to strap up his injured shoulder and go into battle once more, he admitted tomorrow’s visitors, Plymouth Argyle, will be a formidable test. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/battered-bell-ready-to-go-back-into-battle-for-stags-1-6963298 The Pilgrims are unbeaten in seven League games while Stags haven’t won in nine games and Bell said: “We saw them on TV on the coach last week and they look a real attacking threat with players all across the pitch. “But I feel we can match them and we don’t concede too many goals. People will probably tip them for promotion with the run they are on, so it will be a good test for us.” Bell is carrying a dislocated collarbone injury that needs an operation next summer, but is not the only one needing to be patched up by club physio Chris Bowman right now as the club’s injury crisis eases. “I am playing with a lot of strapping, but it’s nice to be back out on the pitch and not worry about it,” said Bell. “There are a few of us in this situation. But the ante in training has gone up a notch as there is now real competition for places and the manager has some pretty hard decisions to make. “Just before kick-off Chris gets some of us out there just by taping us back together again. But you just get used to it and I think I am now back to my physical best and I hope people can see that.” Although he had a decent game himself in Tuesday’s 1-1 FA Cup draw with Conference South Concord Rangers, Bell knows there was a lot of unrest in the stands with players and manager booed during and after the game. He said: “Personally, and I think a lot of the other players are similar to me, I didn’t really hear what was going on in the stand. I was just following the ball and concentrating on what was going on in the game. “You could sense a bit of atmosphere at half-time and afterwards. But fans are entitled to their views. We have had great support since I arrived here and I know this is a frustrating time. “We are maybe not getting the rub of the green at the moment and a few things are going against us. “It was a really hard game. If we’d got a couple of early goals, it would have been different, and we did have a lot of chances. “They came and put in a very good performance. But I thought, in patches, we showed real glimpses of quality and on another day could have had four or five goals. “It was a hard-fought draw that could have gone either way towards the end. But I think Tuesday’s replay will be a different game away from home. I think we have the quality and confidence to go there and do well.” Stags led briefly only to be rocked by a 30-yard thunderbolt by Jordan Chiedozie. “What a strike it was,” said Bell. “Probably, with hindsight, there might have been a bit more pressure on the ball. But 35 yards out, you don’t expect anyone to do that, so give the guy his due really. “It’s not as if we were being cut open before that. They’d not had any clear cut chances. “We did create chances but their keeper had a ‘worldy’ “I hope we can take that form into Saturday and get some points on the board.” ------------------- Rhead calls on Stags fans to show patience chad.co.uk Mansfield Town target man Matt Rhead was happy to be back from injury this week and called on supporters to show some patience ahead of tomorrow’s tough home clash with Plymouth. http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/rhead-calls-on-stags-fans-to-show-patience-1-6963297 Stags have not won in their last nine outings, during which Rhead and 10 other first team players have been sidelined by injury, and he said: “The fans are being critical. But we have been successful for the last few years and now that’s what they want all the time, but that’s difficult. “Once you get promotion it’s difficult to win games all the time. But the lads want to win games as much as the fans want us to and they just have to stick with us. “When we have had good runs of results they have come when we have had a settled team. That’s important. “We have to concentrate on Saturday first and foremost and try to get a win that will shoot us up a few places and take off some of the pressure in the league, then we can concentrate on the FA Cup.” Stags face a tricky FA Cup replay at Conference South Concord Rangers on Tuesday night after a Jordan Chiedoze rocket shot from 30 yards earned the Beachboys a 1-1 draw in midweek. “I think we created plenty of opportunities. We just need to start putting them away now and turn the corner and get a good win under our belts,” said Rhead. “Their keeper pulled off a couple of good saves. But we’ve not been getting chances of late so it’s a positive we are now getting them. I hope we can continue that and take a few if they come our way. “I have been in their situation when you are the underdog. You give everything and hope for a bit of luck. Once we’d scored you hope you can push on, but they scored a screamer which I think was applauded by everyone at the ground. “If you let him shoot from there, nine times out of 10 it would have gone wide or over the bar.” Rhead made a return to the side last weekend and admits he is the type of player who needs to be playing regularly to be fully fit. He said: “I started the season, but then got an injury which set me back which was disappointing. Now I hope I can get a few appearance and get my fitness up and start scoring a few goals. “I need to be playing regularly and I hope that can happen.” On the closer marking he is experiencing he added: “I do seem to have a few more round me this season and you have to combat that. Maybe I have to reinvent myself?” ------------------- |
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