Archived News from January 2016
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MURRAY PREVIEWS ACCRINGTON GAME
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Adam Murray midweek press conference previewing Accrington Game (18 minute video on StagsPlayer) http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net/latest-news/71c761f9-0629-4f4a-9f6a-20ba88ecc59a -------------- Stags can move into even higher gears - boss mansfieldtown.net, 29th December 2015 Stags’ manager Adam Murray has declared that there’s more to come from his players as they chase a Sky Bet League Two play-off position. Mansfield’s 1-1 draw with York City at One Call Stadium was their 23rd game of the 2015-16 campaign, with half of the season now complete as the New Year approaches. And Murray believes that his side are close to handing out a thrashing to one of their Sky Bet League Two opponents, while he was also keen to point out that he will stick to his principles to progress the club forward this season. “[Our] performances aren’t bad, the lads are giving everything they’ve got at the minute. We feel as a team, like we did a few months ago, that someone’s close to being on the end of a drubbing. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/boss-says-stags-still-havent-hit-top-gear-2874672.aspx#4QSeAgXzsjtlRv4q.99 “We’ve still got more in this tank. The good thing for me is we haven’t been at 100 percent yet for 23 games, so we know that percentage is in there. I’m going to stick to my game plan and stick to my beliefs because it’s got us to the position we are [in] and I’m not going to go away from that.” Looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, Murray wants his team's standards to improve even further. “At the minute, if we [do] what we did [in the first half of the season] then we’d end up on 70 points. That would be touch-and-go whether we made the play-offs. We’ve got to get the extra ten percent out of this group to get us on 75, 76, 77 points. “I believe we can do that, I think the fans think we can as well and that’s why they get so frustrated when we don’t win, which is good. We’re in a good place, we need that final spark - when we get that, that takes us to the next level. No team in this league has beaten us, we’ve beaten ourselves.” Mansfield’s next opponents in Sky Bet League Two will be eighth placed Accrington Stanley at One Call Stadium on Saturday - the game is a ‘kids for a quid’ fixture, and Murray believes his men will come up against one of the promotion contenders. “I consider them to be one of the best football teams in this league. [They] play some great stuff. John (Coleman, Stanley manager) will know down there that at the minute they haven’t really had any injuries or suspensions. “They’ve kept their front six together since they played us, [for] the majority of the time - they’re very organised, disciplined without the ball and they’re up there [in the table] on merit. We’re in for a real tough challenge on Saturday.” With Nicky Hunt and Mal Benning both set to return to full training in the next month, Murray has praised Blair Adams who has deputised for the latter at left-back, whilst also announcing his ambitions for the club over the next couple of years. “Hopefully over the next month, if everything goes to plan, we’re going to have two full-backs back which have been a loss for us. Blair’s (Adams) been out of this world, one of our best players. To have both of them (Adams and Benning), if we can sort something out with Blair, would be excellent. “I want to keep him (Adams) - he’s always been a League One player; I think he’s somebody that allows us to get success in the longer term. The project for me, in my head, is that I want to be promoted within the next two years.” You can watch Murray's news conference, in full, on Stags Player. ------------------ Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray thanks supporters for York backing chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Tuesday 29 December 2015 Adam Murray had nothing but praise for Mansfield Town’s supporters for their noisy backing in Monday’s 1-1 draw with York City. Over 3,300 home fans turned out and kept shouting to the end. “I’d like to say a big thank you to the fans at the York game - that was the best they’ve been all season,” smiled Stags boss Murray Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/mansfield-town-boss-adam-murray-thanks-supporters-for-york-backing-1-7647390#ixzz3vjV9vtL4 “There were a few ‘ums and arrs’ at the end because of the disappointment we didn’t win after all the possession and chances we’d had. We were disappointed too so I will accept that. “But from the beginning of the game they did what I’ve asked for and they backed their team and supported their team, even when we went 1-0 down the noise rose. “We had singing, we had the drum non-stop. It was brilliant. “We came in at half-time and for the first time in a long time, the players went ‘come on, let’s do it for these fans’ because they’d got behind them. “They will have seen the difference it made in the second half as the lads played with that energy and the ball was getting sucked into this end. “Unfortunately for us it didn’t go in.” ------------------------------------ Satisfying first year in management for Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray chad.co.uk, by John Lomas As 2016 looms large, Mansfield Town boss Murray said he had learned a great deal during his first full year in management and also believed his side can find that bit extra in their tank to make this season’s play-offs. “It’s been a long year, but I’ve learned a great deal, especially last season,” he said. “This season I’ve learned to stick to my beliefs. What we have done so far got us into the play-off places, so we don’t need to tweak much or change things much. We do need to cause more trouble at home. Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/satisfying-first-year-in-management-for-mansfield-town-boss-adam-murray-1-7649146#ixzz3vt7iidM3 “Last season, what people don’t understand was my career was on the line - my livelihood. “So this season from the start of it I made sure I wouldn’t put us in a situation where we were 17th or 18th, winning one 4-0 then losing three. I wouldn’t do that. “Now what I’ve got to do is cut the reins a little and wipe away that scar a little bit and make sure that, especially at home, we are a little more positive. “We are one of the most organised and efficient teams in the league. We only look like conceding from our own mistakes. But we’ve got to be better at the other end. That comes from me and the work on the training ground. “But let’s chase the play-offs. As I look at it last season wasn’t mine. This season is mine. “People will always judge me from the outside world and I judge myself on how I progress the football club. In 12 months I have progressed it at a rapid pace and for the next 12 months I will continue to do the same. “If we keep on that growth we will be a very successful football club. The thing is we all want it now. Unfortunately in football, as in life, it doesn’t work that way.” Murray added: “It’s fine lines at the moment. Performances aren’t bad, the lads are giving everything and we feel as a team that someone is close to being on the end of a drubbing. “I think for the 23 games, and I think the lads would agree with me, we’ve only been at 75-80 per cent. We’ve still got more in the tank which is good for us. “For the next 23 games if we do what we did over the first 23, we’d end up on 70 points. I think over the last five years it’s been 68, 72, 69, 71 and 71 that have got in the play-offs for that final place. “At the minute, the trait would say we’d end up on 70 points. That would be touch and go whether we got in the play-offs. We need that extra five to 10 per cent out of this group that gets us onto 75,76,77 points and over the line. I believe we can do that.” ----------------- Mansfield Town weigh up January transfer moves chad.co.uk, by John Lomas Adam Murray may try to sign a forward player with ‘X-factor’ talent in the January transfer window. He will also push to try to sign loanee left back Blair Adams on a permanent basis from Notts County. “I will have a chat with the chairman and the board and see what they think,” said Murray. “We might need a little bit of help. I keep saying we have a very functional squad here. Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/mansfield-town-weigh-up-january-transfer-moves-1-7649153#ixzz3vvIH4qLW “We might just need that little bit of X-factor in the final third. “I look at the centre forwards I’ve got and they are very good players and I look at the wingers I’ve got and they are very good players. But sometimes even they need a little bit of a helping hand.” Adams has been a superb replacement at left back for the injured Mal Benning and Murray said: “I want to keep him. “He has always been a League One player so if we do something long-term I think he is someone who allows us to get success in the long term. “Whether we get success this year or next year, the project for me in my head is I want to be promoted in the next two years. That’s always been the case. This year was always a case of can we get up there and push it? But we had to put some stability and structure into the football club. “If we get success this year, it’s a bonus. If we get promoted this year Blair Adams is a League One player. If it takes a bit longer Blair Adams will get us there. “I would like to keep him but you know in all of these dealings, it’s not that easy. “We have spoken to him briefly and I’m hoping this week we’ll have more conversation, but it’s not about me and Notts County, it’s about the football club, Notts County, Blair Adams and his representatives. I imagine they will have other options, he’s been great. “If it’s as easy as saying ‘right Blair you’re in’ we’ll do, but it’s not that easy. We will work as hard as we can as I like him.” Murray said Saturday’s visit of Accrington may be too soon for injured right back Nicky Hunt, but he hoped to have Hunt and Benning back in action in January. “It will be touch and go. He will probably come back into training with us this week but I have to make sure he’s got enough in him to not come off after half an hour,” he said. “Definitely over this next month if everything goes to plan we are going to have two full backs returning who have been a loss to us. At the start of the season they were two massive players for us. “But Blair has been out of this world. He has for me been one of our best players - he took that mantle on. To sort something out with Blair would be excellent. “Hunty will probably be sooner than Mal, but Mal’s progress is lightning quick and we are having to hold him back. He’d play today if we let him. “We can’t risk him as it was a serious injury. We will do what’s right for Mansfield Town.” --------------- Mansfield Town’s high hopes for Carlton starlet Jason Law chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Wednesday 30 December 2015 Mansfield Town have high hopes for 16-year-old forward Jason Law, who has just signed for the club from Evo-stik NPL Division One South Carlton Town. After scoring four goals in three games for Carlton’s first team this season, the former Burton Albion and Derby County academy player this week agreed personal terms with the Stags and put pen to paper. Mansfield have sent several players to Carlton on loan this year and boss Adam Murray said: “We’ve obviously got a decent relationship with Carlton and they are people that we trust as they do things the right way. “They look after our boys when we send them there for valuable experience and Jason has kind of slipped through the net. “He is only 16 but he’s been playing men’s football for a long time which has given him a little bit of an edge. Read more: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/mansfield-town-s-high-hopes-for-carlton-starlet-jason-law-1-7647417#ixzz3vnLtl2Tb “He is someone we heard about. There were a few people watching him so we took a gamble. “With a lot of non-League teams like Ilkeston, their players have moved on to professional clubs and we seem to have missed the boat on a lot of them and we weren’t going to do that with this one.” Murray admitted: “It is a gamble, but he’s a very good player. He’s a baby but not someone I’ve brought in to go and play with the youth team. “At the moment we are giving him six weeks with DT to get him up to pace and physically develop him in areas he needs. “But he is an executioner. He is an attacking player who opens doors and he scores goals, so he is someone I will look to get into the set-up this season. “Part of the structure I am building here, when this club gets to where it needs to be for me in my eyes, whether I am here or not, is that it will have a big percentage of home-grown players in it - and they are brewing at the minute. “We want success now but ultimately I have to look after the future of the football club, not for my sake, but for the people that pay the bills here. They need a football club that is sustainable and they can be proud of.” ------------------ |
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