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Archived News from November 2014

SSA FANS FORUM WITH PAUL COX & LIAM HEARN
23rd November 2014 19:18


20 Nov 2014

photo by Shaun Knight

from twitter feed: Mansfield Town FC @mansfieldtownfc
Good evening. It's a fans forum with Paul Cox and Liam Hearn in the Kevin Bird Suite tonight. A healthy crowd is here.

The Q&A with Paul Cox and Liam Hearn is underway.

First Question (to Paul Cox): Are there any players who left in the summer that you wished you'd have kept for this season?

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Answer (PC): I had to make some horrible decisions and certain players had to leave due to finances.

Question (to PC): How can you improve the tactics in matches? In the Conference, our system was more effective?

Answer (PC): If any fans want to come and watch training, they are more than welcome. The lad sat next to me (Liam Hearn) could have made...

Continued (PC): ...a massive difference. Injuries have affected us and everything we do in training is geared towards matchdays.

Continued (PC): ... Finally, we played a system which I feel helped to kept us up last year and finish the season like a house on fire.

Question (to Liam Hearn): How is the injury at the moment?

LH: My rehab is progressing well. I'm going to St George's Park next week for further treatment, but I feel like I'm doing well.

Question (to Paul Cox): Do you feel as if it's your job as a manager to entertain the fans?

PC: Of course. In my four seasons here, I think the team have done it on most occasions.

Continued (PC): ... We're working hard on our youth policy too and trying to build an infrastructure for the future.

Continued (PC): Although I think we've got a more talented squad this year, we lack consistency. With our younger players, once they get...

Continued (PC) ... experience I feel it will come. That's where I ask you guys to get behind them and push them on to help their development

Question (to Paul Cox): What are your expectations at this moment?

Answer (PC): To keep the club in League Two. I've always maintained, since the start of this season, that it would be my most challenging...

Answer (PC): ...season as a manager. I'm not here to be liked, but expectations have gone through the roof - partly because of what we've...

Answer (PC): ...achieved over the last few years. Eventually, there needs to be a leveling off period where we need to consolidate.

Striker Liam Hearn asks for fans' patience and for everyone to stick together during this challenging period.

We're now at the half-time interval in tonight's Q&A session.

The second half of our Q&A session is back underway...

Question (to Paul Cox): What can you do now to get supporters behind the side. Surely players must want the ball during a match?

Answer (PC): Good question. As I've previously said, fans are always welcome to come and watch us in training sessions.

Continued (PC): ... Please get behind the players now and encourage them. They are human beings and they need your support.

Continued (PC); It's your (the supporters') football club. Please support the team through the hard times. You can play a major part.

Continued (PC): I understand frustrations regarding the football, but sometimes the glass has to be half full rather than half empty.

Continued (PC): When I arrived at this club, we were a mid-table club in the Conference. Now we're in the Football League.

Continued (PC): We're going to have bad games this season, but you guys can make this club as big as you want. Please get behind us.

Continued (PC): Against Liverpool and Wrexham, you guys gave us incredible support and pulled us through.

Continued (PC): I understand fans' frustrations and why you feel the need to boo, if you've paid money, but it's counter-productive.

Continued (PC): Everyone's goal in here is to see MTFC succeed. You can determine the success of this club, so please get behind the lads.

Liam Hearn is now having his say...

LH: As an away player, team talk's can sometimes be for to keep the opposition quiet and the home fans will get on players' backs.

LH: That's happened before when I once came away, but in the second half, you guys got behind the team and your support was incredible.

LH: Your support can be fantastic. Booing doesn't help. You can really fire the boys on by getting behind them - it lifts all of us.

Question (to Paul Cox): Why has there been home games this season why we've only had a couple of shots on target?

Answer (PC): We've lost a 20-goal a season striker through injury. That has had an impact. We'll continue to work hard in training.

Question (to Paul Cox): Is it a confidence factor why players don't make runs off the ball?

Answer (PC): Confidence is a major factor in most things. With your support, you can help to improve players' confidence levels.

Question (to Paul Cox): With every player fully fit, would you be able to pick a starting xi without any hesitation?

Answer (PC): Yes, I would. We've been hurt by injuries this season - Liam Hearn and Luke Jones have been big losses for us.

PC: When Liam Hearn came on versus Leeds, he changed the game for us - that can be the difference.

PC: Look at AFC Wimbledon. They have Tubbs and Akinfenwa - that can be the difference between mid-table and challenging for the play-offs.

PC: With all players fully fit and back, our squad would look an entirely different unit.

Question (to Paul Cox): Can we have a Christmas party in September, as our form always dips before Christmas?

Answer (PC): I don't know why our form dips at this time of year. It frustrates me, but we'll continue to try and improve.

Question (to Paul Cox): Which team would you aspire to play like?

Answer (PC): I'd like to play like Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, but with our budget that is not going to be the case.

PC: We have a small squad and injuries have affected us this season - as has been seen.

SSA Chairman Dean Foulkes brings a close to proceedings. We hope you've enjoyed the updates tonight.

A full video from tonight's Q&A session will be avaiable on Stags Player, http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net , tomorrow.

 

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