Archived News from November 2015
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MURRAY AND DUNN PREVIEW OLDHAM CUP REPLAY
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Murray is fine tuning Stags
mansfieldtown.net, 16th November 2015 Manager Adam Murray says his team will go 'back to basics', ahead of tomorrow night's Emirates FA Cup round one replay at Oldham Athletic. Stags remain in sixth position in the Sky Bet League Two table despite Saturday's loss at Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon - a game in which Mansfield merited more And the Stags' boss today insists his side aren’t doing much wrong in their quest to get more points on the board in Sky Bet League Two. At this morning’s news conference, he said: “We played well [at Northampton], we just can’t score at the minute, that’s the bottom line of it all. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/murray-wants-stags-to-go-back-to-basics-2803370.aspx#BjhYFM6q1pxMwaC1.99 "We were in yesterday, we had a meeting, you want to get angry and say we’re playing badly, but we’re not. It’s tough because we’re not doing too much wrong. “The way we are at the minute, I’m probably to blame because we are playing well and our performances are high. I’ve probably got carried away with how good we are as a football team. I’ve enjoyed the way we’re playing, even though we haven’t been scoring goals I’ve enjoyed watching us. “Anyone who was at the game knows it was a decent performance. It’s up to me now, the staff and the players to get a balance so we’re not ultra-defensive, but at the same time we’re not ultra-expansive so after 17 games this is our new challenge. “We’ve got to re-tweak a couple of things, go back to basics. Certain people in certain areas have to be better but that will come. We’re having teething problems after 17 games which we probably expected after five, so it’s nothing that we’re worried about, nothing we’re shocked about. “I’m really upbeat, I’ve looked at it over the weekend and I know what needs tweaking, if I didn’t I’d be worried. We’re in a really good place, it’s just frustrating because I know how good we are and how good we can be. “You look at Portsmouth who haven’t scored at home in four [games]. Teams have these spells. We’ve got lucky in terms of the good work we put in early doors has allowed us this little shaky period and we’re still in the top seven, we need to get back on track at home.” Looking forward to Tuesday’s trip to Greater Manchester for the Emirates FA Cup replay against Oldham Athletic (7.45pm), he added: “We’re going into an Emirates FA Cup game tomorrow that we’re going to enjoy. "It’s not part of our initial priority this season, which is to be successful and progress in the league from where we were last season, but it’s a game we want to win. Going to their place, it’s going to put the ball back in their court." You can view the full version of Adam Murray's news conference on Stags Player. ---------------- Mansfield Town must start being solid again and less gung-ho says boss Adam Murray chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Monday 16 November 2015 Adam Murray has told his Mansfield Town side they need to start being solid again and less gung-ho ahead of tomorrow night’s tough FA Cup replay at League One Oldham Athletic. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat Northampton Town saw the Stags go a fourth game without scoring and now boss Murray has said he intends to make tweaks to ensure his side go back to being hard to beat, while still being an attacking threat. He said: “Early season we were ultra-solid and never looked like we were going to lose. Read more: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/mansfield-town-must-start-being-solid-again-and-less-gung-ho-says-boss-adam-murray-1-7573226#ixzz3rh7plGS9 “At the same time we never looked like we were going to go and beat someone three or four nil. We switched that around and created a lot of chances and scored four on a couple of occasions, but now we’ve gone a little bit too much the other way and we are super-expansive. “We have had plaudits at both ends of the spectrum but it’s up to me now, the staff and players to get that balance so we are not ultra-defensive but at the same time we are not ultra-expansive. That is the new challenge. “But I am not going to go and make loads of stupid changes. We’ve just got to change the focus a little bit and maybe not go so gung-ho. You look at the amount of early goals we have conceded. That’s not through bad play. That’s because we have set out to win from minute one. “We play with 10 in the box at times. But we have just got to have a re-focus, go back to basics, go back to that disciplined, organised outfit and we will be okay.” He added: “After looking at the last couple of games and the way we are at the minute I think I am probably to blame in the sense that we are playing well and our performances are high. “I probably got carried away a bit with how good we are as a football team and I’ve taken the focus off being solid. “At the start of the season we took a bit of a rap off our supporters that we were not forward thinking enough. So we said we were going to take the chains off against Crawley, which we did. But what has happened is we have got caught up in it a little bit and at the minute we are too expansive. “I spoke to Chris Wilder after Saturday’s game and he said what a good team you are, very expansive and you play some good football don’t you? I am standing there thinking I don’t want to be expansive. I like the plaudits and the comments we got when people said we were organised, disciplined and hard to beat. “I won’t lie, I have enjoyed the way we’ve been playing, even though we haven’t been scoring goals. I have enjoyed watching us.” Stags drew 0-0 at home to Oldham in the first game, the Latics going on to win 2-1 at Chesterfield in League One on Saturday. “We are going into an FA Cup game we are going to enjoy tomorrow,” said Murray. “It’s not part of our initial priority this season. That is to be successful and progress from where we were last season. “But it’s a game we want to win and maybe gives us an opportunity to look at a couple of things. But, even though it’s early in the season, we’ve got the biggest week ahead after that - not life or death, but if we want to stay in the top seven we’ve got to pick points up. “We need to get back on track. Take away tomorrow, tomorrow is a one-off game. It’s away from the priority. But then we go into a week with three games and we have got to put points on the board. “Now that’s a different pressure for this group - they’ve not had that yet. So I am really upbeat. I know what needs tweaking. If I didn’t know then I’d be worried.” On Saturday Oldham had to come from behind against Chesterfield and Murray said: “I watched the Chesterfield v Oldham game and I think across the country on Saturday the weather played a massive part. “We were probably fortunate we had one of the best pitches in the League which held up quite well. “But watching the Oldham game, the two goals Chesterfield conceded were keeper errors from the surface. One’s gone under him and one’s bounced off him and they’ve put it in. But they showed real fight second half and probably deserved the three points in the end. “We know what a good team Oldham are and we know going to their place has put the ball back in their court. But we are playing well. If we can get one to go in off someone’s so-and-so’s, then I think it will relieve a lot of tension within the group as we are gagging to score a goal. “We know there are goals in the team as we have scored goals and we are not far off scoring as many as the top teams in this league’s top three. “So it’s not a major crisis. We are just having a rough spell at the minute which every team will go through. It’s how we respond. “We have to take heed we have had a little bit of luck in staying in the mix when not picking up points. But that can’t carry on and we have a massive week ahead. “It is frustrating after watching Saturday’s game again and we were in for a meeting yesterday, you want to get angry and say that we are playing bad. But we are not. We just can’t score at the minute. That’s the bottom line of it all.” Murray continued: “We went to Northampton and probably didn’t show them as much respect as we should have done. “We respected them in terms of knowing they were a very good team who have been together two years and know what it take to win the big games. “But we probably went there with an attitude that we just wanted to win and went there to win. We probably should have gone there with a bit more of let’s not get beaten. “It is a strange mindset to have, but I have done a lot of digging over the weekend and you look at teams like Plymouth, they play with two centre halves in midfield and their set up is ‘we are not going to lose’ and they are top of the league. “So we need to re-tweak a couple of things and go back to basics. But I can’t have a go at the boys or be too harsh on them as we are playing well. “Anybody who was at the game on Saturday will tell you it was a decent performance. Certain people in certain areas have got to be better. We know that and that will come. “Every team in the land will go through this period where they go through a sticky patch. We are having teething problems at the minute after 17 games which we probably expected after five. So it’s nothing we are worried about or shocked about. “It was always going to happen at some point. Look at Portsmouth - they have not scored at home in four. Teams have these spells and we are having it. At the minute we’ve probably got a little bit lucky in that the good work we put in early doors has allowed us this little shaky period and we are still in the top seven.” ------------------- Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray delighted to see England v France match go ahead after atrocities chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Monday 16 November 2015 Adam Murray said he was delighted to see tomorrow night’s England v France international friendly go ahead, despite the atrocities in Paris on Friday night. Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/mansfield-town-boss-adam-murray-delighted-to-see-england-v-france-match-go-ahead-after-atrocities-1-7573252#ixzz3rh8V1F00 The French are still coming to terms with Friday’s events in which 129 people were killed and a further 99 left in a critical condition following a series of terror attacks across the city that shocked the world. “It’s incredible what the world is coming to when you look at the state of play at the minute,” said Murray. “Everyone in the world has got to be on their guard. “Watching the news last night, every little noise in France and people are running for cover which shouldn’t be the case. “But I am a strong believer in these times that you stand up and be counted. “I know the French have retaliated and fair play to them. There is no way as the human race we can sit back and let these things go on and not fight back. “For the game to go ahead tomorrow is a really strong stance.” ------------------ Dunn Predicts Tough Clash But Confident Ahead Of Cup Replay Mon 16 Nov 2015 oldhamathletic.co.uk Manager David Dunn expects a tough game but is confident his side can make it into the second round of the Emirates FA Cup. After Saturday’s victory over Chesterfield, the manager wants to keep the momentum going but is expecting a difficult game against the League Two side. He said: “They are all difficult games, we say it every week. It was good to get a clean sheet down there but we didn’t play anywhere near the level that we can so that will have to change tomorrow, which it will. Read more at http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/article/dunn-predicts-tough-clash-but-confident-ahead-of-cup-replay-2804140.aspx#1vImbtSQEAkhMPwv.99 "We say every single day to the players that we need to be consistent. We need to show this, not only in every game, but every training session that we do. "I’m a big believer in you train how you play and if you get into good habits all week then it stands you in good stead for the Saturday. That’s what I’ve been banging the drum about. “It will be a tough game, no doubt about it, but we will be a lot better than what we were down there, that’s for sure." Mike Jones will miss tomorrow’s game whilst Joel Coleman will remain between the sticks as David Cornell continues his recovery from a finger injury. One player who has been back in training is striker Jake Cassidy who has been missing for three months with a broken leg. “Cassidy trained the back end of last week and looked fine so we will build him up now for more contact,” Dunn commented. "He has been a big miss for us. Nobody puts the effort in and runs about as much as he does and he’s a massive handful.” The winner of tomorrow’s clash will face Sheffield United in the second round of the competition and the 35-year-old hopes supporters get behind the side as they bid for a place in the next round. “Off the back of a good away win, we need to win these home games. There is no better time to do it than Tuesday night,” he said. “Hopefully everyone gets behind us and fans create a good atmosphere for the players to go out and perform the best they can." Watch the full interview on Latics PlayerHD. ---------------- |
Latest | November 2015