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Archived News from September 2015

MURRAY TARGETS TOP 3
20th September 2015 12:53


Ambitious Stags' boss targets early top three slot
mansfieldtown.net, 14th September 2015

After seeing his side leap into the play-off positions after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Crawley, the next goal of ambitious Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray’s is to break into the top three of League Two.

Goals from Nathan Thomas, Mitchell Rose, Matt Green and Craig Westcarr saw the Stags pick up their first home win of the season and catapult them into the top seven.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/murray-aims-to-break-into-top-three-2688251.aspx#0zuPAlP6krmZ7gwX.99

When asked what his next aim was after breaking into the top seven at this morning’s news conference, Murray said: “Get in the top three.

"We’ve got a focus in the group that we want to keep putting the foot down on the pedal and I’ve said from day one ‘let’s keep that optimism but keep it balanced with the realism.’

“I believe we’re on the right process and I’ll do that process in my time and I’ll make those steps in my time when I believe the group’s ready to keep moving forward. We’re in a good place at the minute but it’s all about keeping the focus about where we’ve come from, where we want to get to and keeping the pace of that journey right.

“It’s a patient process, we changed from playing with a number four to a number 10 and an out-and-out winger on Saturday which was a step in the direction we want to go.”

The focus of Murray’s side is now firmly on this weekend’s game against Luton and the gaffer said they are making the trip to Kenilworth Road with one thing in mind; winning.

“Our feet go back on the floor today, there’s posters up all around the ground today that the only focus is Luton, because [last] Saturday has gone now. We go to a very tough place to play on Saturday and we’re going there to win.

“We all know it’s a tough place to go and they’ve probably not had the start that a club like Luton expects, but they’ve got an exceptional manager down there and exceptional staff. Me and my staff have got a lot of time for them, we’ve had a few chats with them and they’re excellent people who know the game inside out.

“We know we’re going into ‘the lion’s den’ on Saturday but we’re fully focussed and confident in our own ability and we’re not going there to make the numbers up.”

After confirming that there’s no long-lasting damage to Nicky Hunt, who was substituted after receiving a kick on the ankle under a challenge which saw Crawley midfielder Gwion Edwards dismissed, Murray was delighted to say that Matty Blair has returned to full training today, along with goalkeeper Scott Shearer.

“He’s been training with us [in the] last couple of weeks and I said in press last week that he’s as fit as anything. The only one keeping up with him is Greeny (Matt Green) and we’re a fit bunch, so that speaks volumes.

“He [Matty Blair] got the all-clear from the specialist on Friday so he can fully throw himself into action [now], so he’s on ‘the launching pad’ this morning. He’s obviously nervous because it’s been such a long time but what an addition to have coming back in at this stage in the season. It’s like signing a new ‘X-Factor’ player, someone who can make a difference.”


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Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray slams ‘glass half empty’ brigade after big win over Crawley
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Monday 14 September 2015

Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray has been angered by suggestions that his side’s 4-0 win on Saturday was over a ‘poor Crawley side’.

Stags roared to their first home win of the season in style and were in full command at 2-0 before Crawley had Gwion Edwards sent off for a crude challenge on Nicky Hunt on 50 minutes, after which Murray’s men added two more goals and could have had more.

Murray was hoping to see his players get deserved praise for their display, so was left disappointed by some of the ‘glass half empty’ brigade.

http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/mansfield-town-boss-adam-murray-slams-glass-half-empty-brigade-after-big-win-over-crawley-1-7459796?

“It was a good performance, I wouldn’t say it was a great performance, but it was one in which we made a good team look average,” said Murray.

“I’ve obviously listened to a lot of the reports over the weekend and the disappointing thing to come out of it for me is people have said you beat a poor Crawley team. They were poor for one reason, let’s get that right, we made them poor because we were excellent.

“They were not poor in previous weeks when they drew with Portsmouth, they weren’t poor when they drew with Wycombe and they weren’t poor when they went to Cambridge and beat them at their place 3-0.

“So let’s have a little bit of respect for our own team and a little bit of a view on it that our glass is half full. They didn’t turn up poor - we made them poor. So it’s about time we started giving our own a little bit of credit.”

He added: “It winds me up because we’ve got this thing at this place where we have a habit of looking through a half-empty glass.

“Like I say they are not a poor team, Crawley. They were poor on Saturday because we made them, and that was because of our preparation and how hard the boys worked so they deserve the pats on the back for that.

“At times you have to give credit where it’s due. It’s easy to criticise, so when credit is due, let’s give it.”

Some people have also suggested the win came only because it was against 10 men. But Murray said: “It was over by then. We dominated the game from start to finish from two seconds into the game where we won the first tackle.

“The game was ours on Saturday and that was credit to the boys. Tactically, technically, physically and psychologically we were on it on Saturday.

“This team is a work in motion - it’s building blocks we keep putting into place. Because we won 4-0 on Saturday does that world beaters? No it doesn’t. We’ve taken another small step on our process. “When we get to where I need us to be and where I believe we can be, then those kind of performances will be consistent. That won’t come from 14 new players in six or seven games, that will come over time.”

Murray will now begin the task of grounding his players for the tough task ahead at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

“Our feet go back on the floor today. There’s posters all around the ground today saying the only focus now is Luton. Saturday has gone now and we go to a very tough place on Saturday and we want to win.

“I hope they’ve enjoyed their weekend. But they walk into the building this morning and they will be fully aware that I want to win at Luton.”

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Adam Murray challenges Mansfield Town to break into the top three
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas

After meeting manager Adam Murray’s initial challenge to get into the play-off places, Mansfield Town’s new-look side have now been challenged to break into the top three ahead of Saturday’s tough trip to Luton Town.

http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/adam-murray-challenges-mansfield-town-to-break-into-the-top-three-1-7460207?

Stags’ 4-0 home win over Crawley Town on Saturday propelled them into the top seven for the first time this season and Murray had no doubt what he wanted next.

“Get in the top three,” he said. “We’ve got a focus in the group that we want to keep the foot down on the pedal.

“I said from day one let’s keep that optimism, but let’s keep it balanced with realism. Are we in a position where I can turn round to my chairman and fans at the club and say right, now I believe we are going to go on and win the league by 15 points? No we are not.

“We are in a position now where we are progressing. I believe we are on the right process, like I keep boring people with, and I will do that process in my time and make those steps in my time when I feel the group is ready to keep moving forwards.

“We are in a good place at the minute, but it’s all about the focus of where we have come from and where we want to get to and keeping the pace of that journey right.”

He added: “It’s a patient process. We changed from playing with a number four to a number 10 and an out and out winger on Saturday which was a step in the direction we want to go. Now we are making these steps we have still got to keep anchors to the stage we’ve come from. We can’t forget the work we have done.

“At times we are going to take steps backwards because that’s what happens in a development group. But our focus is forward and we are confident we’ve got a real aggression to win and that won’t change.”

Luton, a huge club with many expectations, have only won once this season and sit in 20th spot, beaten 3-2 by a late goal at Notts County last weekend.

So former Luton player Murray knows the Hatters could be like a wounded animal on Saturday.

“It’s a great place to go,” he said. “It’s a place you really have to really take it and appreciate the surroundings

“It’s a huge club, it will be a big crowd and we go there in good form. We will show them respect as they are a very good team, but at the same time we are not going there to make up the numbers.

“We all know what a tough place it is to go. They probably haven’t had the start a club like Luton expects, but they have got an exceptional manager down there and exceptional staff. Me and my staff have got a lot of time for them and we’ve had a few chats with them.

“They are excellent people who know the game inside out, so we know we are going into a lion’s den on Saturday, but are fully focussed and fully confident in our own ability.”

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Mansfield Town moving in the right direction
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas

With the first team in the play-off spots, Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray said he was delighted with the way the whole club was moving forwards right now from the youth team upwards.

“We are in a good place,” he said. “The youth team haven’t lost a game yet. The whole infrastructure is moving forward and the big thing for me is that the focus of the people in the club is one of progress and improvement. We are all on the same page.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/mansfield-town-moving-in-the-right-direction-1-7460238

“We have high quality and qualified people working in every area from the cleaners to the people who cook the food and the groundsman. Everybody is upping their game and to be successful that’s what you have to do.

“We are a really progressive club at the minute. Sometimes you can talk about having that or this in place, but you’ve got to see the fruits and results of that. Actions speak louder than words and at the minute that department as well as the first team area is growing.

“We have someone with the youth team now in John Dempster who has been the professional game all his career and knows the game inside out.

“His staff are top quality coaches, as qualified as you can be, one of them has worked for the FA for years. They are pushing boundaries and the club is going to have to stay up with that.

“The good thing for me is that the people who run the club from day to day, the chairman, the board, they’ve got a real drive to stay with the focus and for the club to move forward and be successful.”

He added: “We’ve got some good kids. They shone last year for certain reasons.

“This year they’ve found it a bit tougher. The standard of the group has gone up and the intensity of the work has gone up, so they’ve had a little bit of a culture shock.

“But they’ve all gone out and done their little bits and they are training very, very well. They will get their time.

“The thing we need to do at this club is give these kids the time and the tools to be good, and then be great, and we will do that.

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‘Naughty’ Nathan Thomas turning into a fine team player at Mansfield Town
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Monday 14 September 2015

Mansfield Town believe they are making great strides into turning ‘naughty kid’ Nathan Thomas into a better team player.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/naughty-nathan-thomas-turning-into-a-fine-team-player-at-mansfield-town-1-7460176

Thomas scored his first goal for the club and was a constant threat in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Crawley Town and boss Adam Murray said: “He is a great lad.

“Nathan’s in a position in his career where he needs to show people how good he is.

“He is like our ‘naughty kid of the family’ as he gets that wound up when he’s not playing and sometimes when he doesn’t perform how he knows I expect him to perform he has a little head wobble.

“But the group keep him in check. Because the group understand what a good player he is, they love him.

“They bring him back into the family and we welcomed him back into the family on Friday because he’s had a couple of ‘shaky head weeks’, but we’ve kept him on track and then he performs like that!

“I didn’t care what he did with the ball on Saturday. My issue with Nathan will never be with the ball as he is a super player.

“I want to know he has got the discipline, the organisation to take away the ‘me’ out the game and make sure it’s about ‘us’, and on Saturday he was exceptional at that.

“He is getting there. He hasn’t got it yet. It’s like the team, it doesn’t just happen overnight. It is a building thing with him and when it does click he will be an exceptional player.

“To be in good teams and be great as an individual, you have to sacrifice yourself and make sure you are looking at the greater good.

“I keep saying to the team that good players become great when they make the team better. It’s not about ‘me’.”

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Mansfield Town ace Matty Blair back after being given the all-clear
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Monday 14 September 2015

Wing ace Matty Blair finally returned to full contact training with Mansfield Town today after over seven months out with a serious knee injury with boss Adam Murray delighted to see his ‘X Factor’ player given the all-clear.

“He is going to get lumps kicked out of him this morning - by me,” smiled Murray.

“It was great news Friday. He got the all-clear from the specialist that he can fully throw himself into action. So he is on the launching pad this morning.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/mansfield-town-ace-matty-blair-back-after-being-given-the-all-clear-1-7460127

“He’s been training with us for the past couple of weeks. I said last week he is looking as fit as anything and the only one keeping up with him is Greeny, and we’ve got a fit group so that speaks volumes for Matty.

“He is obviously going to be a bit nervous as it’s been a long time and the quicker we can get him back in - what an addition to be able to able to bring in at this stage of the season.”

Murray added: “I said to the wife last night, it’s like signing a new X-Factor player, someone who can make a difference.

“Coops (coach Richard Cooper) did some work with him Saturday morning on the training pitch before the game and Coops came in and said he was a little bit scared as Matty had got quicker. If so then we are in for one hell of a player.”

Blair is due to play in a behind-closed-doors game next week.

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Mansfield Town skipper Nicky Hunt uninjured after red card challenge
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Monday 14 September 2015

Mansfield Town skipper Nicky Hunt has suffered no lasting effects from the challenge on him that saw Crawley Town’s Gwion Edwards sent off in the 50th minute of Saturday’s fine 4-0 win.

http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/mansfield-town-skipper-nicky-hunt-uninjured-after-red-card-challenge-1-7460095?

Edwards was sent off for a nasty stamp on the ankle of the Stags’ right back, who was able to continue but came off 10 minutes from time.

“It was one of them that probably looked a little bit worse than it was,” said boss Adam Murray.

“It was a red card and Yatesy (Crawley boss Mark Yates) admitted that after the game. But Nicky is fine - it was a kick which is always good.

“We came out the game with no bookings to the people we’ve got to be careful with so that was good.

“Scott Shearer and Matty Blair are back in training today too so we are fully fit. To have a full squad to choose from now is superb.”

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