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Archived News from January 2017

3 SIGNINGS PLUS 2 OR 3 MORE / DONCASTER PREVIEWS
3rd January 2017 22:14


Boss to unveil trio of new signings before Blackpool contest
mansfieldtown.net, 29th December 2016

Stags’ boss Steve Evans says supporters will be able to celebrate the New Year with a trio of new signings.

We welcome league leaders Doncaster Rovers in the One Call Derby on New Year’s Eve this Saturday (12.15pm), followed by a trip to Blackpool on Monday 02 January. Before the journey to face the Seasiders, Stags’ fans will learn the identity of the gaffer’s first three signings.

The Stags’ chief, speaking to the local media at this afternoon’s news conference, confirmed that three players have signed contracts at One Call Stadium and are already training with their new team-mates.

“What I can tell you is three lads have joined us. Three lads have put pen to paper,” the boss said.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/boss-to-unveil-trio-of-new-signings-on-saturday-3490246.aspx#2ePgGWJDIFC7DyOY.99

“They obviously can’t play for us until the authorities allow the transfer window to open up on 01 January but thanks to their clubs and the representatives, and the lads themselves, they’ve wanted to be here and are training. They’re in the building, which is great.

“We’re making sure we get everything diligently done as early as we can in January because night follows day but it doesn’t mean that we’ll have everyone available for Blackpool, but we’d like to have as many of them as possible.”

With three new faces already added to his playing squad, the former Leeds United boss says he could bring in ‘two or three’ further additions over the next month as we look to re-ignite our hopes of a top seven finish.

“We can never put a definite number on it. We’re working on different options; we’re working on opportunities all the way from the Premier League to non-league, it is across the levels.

“I only want to judge it on: do I think they’ll play a big part in the remainder of the season? And, if appropriate, next season, either in League Two or League One. I would say if I was giving our supporters a number, maybe two or three more.”

The manager refused to be drawn on specific details about the individual players, but says the new signings will either improve the side themselves, or get the best out of the existing crop of players.

“I have to believe that they will make us better. There’s two ways that can happen; they come in and their performances [show] why you’ve signed them or they come in to the building, which they are now, and others in their positions perform to a level that makes you unable to bring them in [to the team]. That’s a perfect situation to be in."

Supporters will be able to view Steve Evans’ news conference, in full, on Stags PlayerHD.

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New Stags trio at the club, more new faces on the way
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 29 December 2016

Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans today revealed he has completed the signings of three new players for 2017 and they are already in the building and training at the club. Evans also said he may bring in two or three more in the January window, which opens next week.

But he also admitted the best case scenario would be that the arrival of the new faces lifted his current squad to turn in much improved performances that made it unable for his new signings to get into the team.

Evans is expecting to reveal the names of the trio already signed as soon as Stags have completed the tough task of facing League Two leaders Doncaster Rovers at home on Saturday (12.15pm).

“I don’t really want to talk about new signings as we have a massive game here on New Year’s Eve,” he said.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/new-stags-trio-at-the-club-more-new-faces-on-the-way-1-8310088

“What I can say is three lads have joined us. They have put pen to paper. “I looked at them this morning, one could play, one could really play and one was even better than that! “We are not going to talk any more about them than that.

“They obviously can’t play for us until the authorities allow the transfer window to open up on 1st January.

“But thanks to their clubs and their representatives, and the lads themselves who wanted to be here, they are training and in the building, which is great.”

He added: “The chairman has sanctioned those deals and they are done.

“But I don’t want to give those lads any more focus than to give them a bit of work over the next week on the fitness side and make sure we get everything diligently done as early as we can it January.

“Night follows day, but it doesn’t mean we will have everyone available for Blackpool (on Monday). But we’d like to have as many of them as possible.”

Evans refused to name any of the three signed so far, saying: “You know how football works.

“There is a grapevine. People talk, names will be out there, some will be true, some will be inaccurate, but we don’t want to talk about specifics as we have a real responsibility to be professional to those other clubs as well.

“But the lads are here and we are pleased we have got them.

“Subject to the Football League and Football Association ratification, I don’t think there will be any worries about unveiling them on New Year’s Eve.

“Let’s hope we are talking about them on the back of a really good performance and result against the league leaders.

“That’s the important part we want to focus on and then, later in the evening, we will give our supporters some news as we enter 2017.”

Evans said the trio would not be the last of the new faces in January, though how many more are needed is still unclear.

“You can never put a definite number on it,” he said.

“We are working on different options, different opportunities all the way from the Premier League to non-League.

“If I had to give supporters a number I might say two or three more.

“I have to believe they (the new players) are going to make us better - and there are two ways that could happen.

“They may come in, we put them in their team and they show why we have signed them with their performances.

“Or they may come into the building, as they have, and others in their positions perform to a level that make it unable to bring them in - that is a perfect situation.

“I have been there at previous clubs where I have made signings, thinking they would improve us, but the performances of the guys you’ve already got goes up so dramatically that they keep them out.”

He added: “It’s probably fair to say too many players at Mansfield Town, certainly I would think this season, but I can say in the last five weeks, have probably come in on a Saturday, put their shirt on and know they are going to be named in the team.

“I want it to get to the stage I have been fortunate to have before where one or two - like the Frecklingtons, the Morgans, the Arnasons at Rotherham, used to say ‘don’t get ready, because you may not be playing’.

“That goes a long way when you are winning every week and you know, or most people could guess a side.

“But where we are now we shouldn’t have anyone coming in saying they’ve got a shirt.”

Evans will reveal which current players are in his long-term plans next week and said: “I think the first thing you must do when you walk into a football club is give everyone an opportunity.

“My remit is the football operation. I don’t run the business side. That is run by other people.

“You have to give everyone an opportunity and there is an expression in football - they get the rope. They either swing on the rope or they hang themselves. It’s a bad expression but it’s a true expression.

“What it really means it we have had ample opportunity now to assess everyone, where they currently are, where they could go, where they might be.

“My recommendations, as everyone knows, have been made to the board, chairman and chief executive.

“I have spent a lot of time on the phone with them and they are so positive - they are great. They are trying to help this football club and me as a manager in every way they can.”

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Mansfield Town to decide on future of loan trio
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 29 December 2016

Mansfield Town loan trio Alex Iacovitti, Kyle Howkins and Oscar Gobern will find out if new boss Steve Evans wants to keep them at the club this weekend.

Evans has promised changes with three new players already signed and under wraps and he said today he would be bringing in loan players of his own.

He said he would let the current three know their futures face to face before announcing them publicly, but hinted not all would be staying.

“There will be some loan players coming in,” said Evans.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-to-decide-on-future-of-loan-trio-1-8310466

“Decisions have been made, but in fairness to the boys they will have those conversations when we come out of Blackpool.

“They have to be told first - there will be a mixture in there. But we have to let them know the news first.”

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Friends cross swords as leaders come to town
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 29 December 2016

Saturday’s visit of League Two leaders Doncaster Rovers will see two good friends cross swords in opposing dug-outs as new Stags boss Steve Evans tries to put one over on Darren Ferguson and his in-form side.

Stags, without a goal in three games or a win in four League outings, will certainly have their work cut out against a Rovers team that have won six and drawn one of their last eight matches.

“They are a quality side with a good manager,” said Evans.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/friends-cross-swords-as-leaders-come-to-town-1-8310207

“He is a friend of mine.

“They have had a fantastic start. A lot of people were calling for Darren to go in the summer when they were relegated from League One. “But I was at some of the games. I remember watching them against Blackpool at home and I could not believe they didn’t win the game. It was incredible. “I think they only needed a point or two from the last nine games to be safe - it’s a statistic that is frightening. “But I think whatever Darren had done, it was written in the stars they were going to go down. “Sometimes as a manager, or a set of players or supporters, that happens to you. “He went about his business in the summer, regrouped, took the criticism, and I am pleased for him that he built what looks a top class League Two side. So we need to be ready and deal with that.” Evans continued: “He is an expert in Leagues Two and One as a rule. He gets promotion. “He is someone akin to myself. He is one of those managers. If you want promotion you phone Fergie. If you want promotion you phone Evans. “Darren has signed top players. He knows what he is doing. He is a wily, young fox and son of a wily, old fox.” Any notion of friendship will disappear for 90 minutes on Saturday and Evans said: “We will both want to win, that’s for sure. “Looking at the league table, he will be coming here looking at Mansfield as a banker three points. You have that confident strut about you when you are top of the table and beating all before you. “It has to be said the performances have been most emphatic, the way they won at Notts County last week, the way they went 3-0 up down at Stevenage the other week, they have got good players. “I have always believed as a manager that what wins you games is good players. “I was talking to Chris Wilder a few weeks ago when we played a closed-doors game and he said the reason he is doing really well this season is because he has been able to sign some good players. “For what it’s worth I think they will be champions of the league above.” Left back Mal Benning comes back into the squad after suspension, but the Stags have no new knocks from the 1-0 home defeat by Morecambe on Monday. Evans said: “I don’t think we did enough to get injured on Boxing Day did we?” “I can’t fault the commitment and there were one or two players I felt for on Saturday. “Some players were making intelligent runs , but the ball was never coming, or coming sharp enough or quick enough. “So maybe with three new faces in the building, and maybe one more tomorrow ahead of the weekend, although we can’t involve them, I think it focuses people to perform. “If a manager is under pressure it should motivate you even more if you look up in the stand and the vultures there, the other managers needing a job, are sat behind you. “I have never had that as I have never needed a job, but you think that by looking up there it would drive you even more to winning.” He added: “The one thing we have got is we keep it on a level here. “I think the players thought prior to me coming in here, if you didn’t win it was all about running up and down hills and stuff like that. “But it was never going to be about that. You have to keep it on a level keel - keep the highs nice and level and the lows really level. “The management team can go home, of course, and be as depressed as we need to be or as high as we need to be, but I have always maintained that players win games.” On Monday’s defeat, Evans added: “I have been trying to look out the curtains for two days since! It was never a good one. “Did we dominate the ball? Yes. Did we work incredibly hard as individuals and as a team? Yes. Did we do enough with the ball? The answer is clearly no. “We had lots of possession around the box but never did anything constructive enough with it to score a goal. We have to be much better. “We are working on that and hope we get the benefits of it on New Year’s Eve.” Almost a local derby, a great atmosphere is guaranteed with Doncaster having already sold out of their 1,600 ticket allocation.

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Shearer working hard to impress new boss
mansfieldtown.net, 29th December 2016

Stags’ goalkeeper Scott Shearer says the squad have embraced the change in manager as they work hard to impress new boss Steve Evans.

Shearer bagged four promotions during his time under the manager at Crawley Town and Rotherham United and is pleased to be working with his former manager once more.

The Glaswegian shot-stopper says the Stags' squad are enjoying training and are all working hard to impress the manager.

“The lads have taken to them (the coaching staff) so well and embraced the changes. They have come in and talked about the different styles. It’s a work in progress at the moment - they’re changing things over," Shearer said.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/shearer-working-hard-to-impress-new-boss-3490783.aspx#KPjkj6WEAzwSzyyw.99

“The lads really enjoy training every single day now, and it’s good to be out there because there’s lot of football and hard work. But when it’s enjoyable, you can’t complain.”

Shearer believes the decision to appoint the former Crawley Town boss as the club’s manager was a shrewd move as they look to launch a promotion challenge in the second half of the season.

“Obviously I was delighted [when Steve Evans was appointed as the new manager], not just for me but for the club, because I have enjoyed working under the gaffer for the three-and-a-half years I was with him.

“He (Steve Evans) has helped me personally as a player. For the club, especially with the record that he has got, the chairman has made a choice that he wants to get us up the leagues, and who else could you really call upon?

“He puts a lot of trust in his players, and honesty is the main thing with the gaffer. If you really work hard for him and give him everything, he knows that.

“The biggest thing of working under the gaffer is that you can’t rest on a good performance and then think ‘we’ll take it a bit easier this week’ - no chance! That is the way it works, and that’s why I had so much success under him previously.”

Shifting focus onto the Stags’ performances so far this term, the 35-year-old goalkeeper pin-pointed several key improvements the side can make to aid their quest for a top-seven finish.

“With League Two, everyone can see that it’s anyone’s league. Anyone can beat anyone. It’s so annoying, because you go into every game feeling that you can actually gain something from each game.

“When we’ve been coming away from these games with nothing, yet dominating so much of these games, it’s hard at times to keep going. But that’s what we are paid to do, and that’s what we have got to do.”

The ex-Wycombe Wanderers stopper says the Stags need to be better in both boxes in order to be successful during the second half of the season.

“[We’ve] not scored enough goals and we’ve conceded far too many, in my opinion. So it’s just something as a whole team that we need to do better - it is not just the strikers to score goals - it is midfielders and defenders scoring from set-plays.

“You set targets at the start of the season and to be part of a promotion-winning side, I have always thought you need 20-plus clean sheets as a goalkeeper.”

Supporters can view Scott Shearer’s news conference, in full, on Stags PlayerHD.

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Scott Shearer: ‘Steve Evans has been one of my biggest influences’
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS

Mansfield Town goalkeeper Scott Shearer was thrilled to see his old boss Steve Evans appointed as the new Stags manager last month after enjoying four promotions with him.

Shearer believes his fellow Scot has been one of the biggest influences on his career following four promotions together at Crawley and Rotherham.

Shearer said: “Obviously I was delighted, not just for me but for the club. “I enjoyed working under the gaffer for the three and half years I was with him.

“I had enormous success with him as we know and personally he helped me come on as a player.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/scott-shearer-steve-evans-has-been-one-of-my-biggest-influences-1-8310785

“I was delighted for the club, especially as, with the record he’s got, the chairman had made a choice he wants to get out the leagues and who else could you really call upon?”

Shearer admitted Evans had been one of the biggest influences on his successful career, but there had been bust-ups between them on the roads to success.

Shearer said: “He is definitely one of them (biggest influences) “We are from the same sort of background growing up etc and he tells you the way it is. If you don’t like it, you have to accept it.

“And he holds no grudges. Me and him have had a few fall-outs and then 10 minutes later we will be chatting and fine and that’s just the way it is.

“He understands that there is loads of passion within players, but he also has the same amount of passion and sometimes that can collide. As long as you both accept that you move on.”

With nine promotions to his name, Evans seems to have that touch of stardust in the lower divisions.

But Shearer said: “It’s not magic or anything.

“It’s nothing but hard work there off the pitch, and it’s up to the players to take that out onto the pitch in games and produce.

“He puts a lot of trust in his players and honesty is the main thing. If you really work hard for him and give everything, he knows that.

“Sometimes it is not going to be good enough. But there have been a few games since he came in and he understand the lads are really trying.

“It’s not been good enough, but he has accepted that. “The biggest thing working under the gaffer is you don’t get the chance to rest.

“If you have a good performance you can’t then think we will take it a bit easier this week - no chance, it will step up and that’s the way he works and why I’ve had so much success under him previously.”

Working under Evans has been a massive change for the squad after two years under Adam Murray.

“I think the lads have taken to it so well, they have embraced the changes,” said Shearer. “They have come in and it’s totally different styles as we know. It is a work in progress at the moment, changing things over.

“But the lads really enjoy training every single day now. It’s good to be out there as there is lots of football.

“It’s also lots of hard work, but when it’s enjoyable you can’t complain.”

With the January window about to open, all the Stags players know new faces are on the way - and Shearer said they should be using that as a positive.

“I said in my programme notes, as a professional, that’s exactly what you’ve got to be,” he said.

“If someone comes in in your position, you have got to look at it as a positive as it’s going to push you on to be a better player.

“If you can’t do that then you are not fit enough for this industry and that is it.

“The club wants to achieve success and get promotion and go up the leagues. If you want to be a part of that then you need to stick with it.” On the season so far, he said: “As a squad I think we have been inconsistent.

“Myself personally I have not had enough clean sheets, “You set targets at the start of the season and to be part of a promotion-wining side I have always thought you need 20 clean sheets plus as a goalkeeper.

“I am nowhere near that. It’s something we can all work on and we need to work on every aspect of our game at the moment.

“It’s really frustrating, but that’s where we are and we have to accept it.

“I know the manager is bringing in players and that is going to help us.”

He added: “I think everyone can see it’s anyone’s league. Carlisle have obviously been very good this year. They have a style of football they play and stick to that. I was very impressed when we played them up there.

“But anyone can beat anyone and it’s so annoying. You go into every game thinking you can gain something from it, and when we’ve come away from these games with nothing, yet have dominated it so much, it’s hard at times to keep going.

“But that’s we what you get paid to do and that’s what we’ve got to do.

“We have just lacked a bit of ruthlessness in both boxes really. We have not scored enough goals and conceded far too many in my opinion.

“We need to do better as a team. It’s not just strikers who score goals, it’s midfielders popping up and defenders at set plays.

“I think we’ve given away too many penalties again as well. It’s stuff we can work on which is a positive we can take out of it.”

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Darren Ferguson calls on Doncaster Rovers to win physical battle against Mansfield Town
chad.co.uk, by SPORTS REPORTER, Friday 30 December 2016

Darren Ferguson is expecting Mansfield Town to give table-topping Doncaster Rovers a stiff test.

Rovers have won six of their last seven league games, but Ferguson is not taking things for granted against Stags.

Ferguson is also urging his side to knuckle down and win the physical battle ahead

“It’ll be similar to the Notts County game in that it’ll be a tough battle. We’ll make sure we deal with that like we did on Boxing Day,” he said.

“We’ll have to deal with the physical side of things and make sure we cope with that like we did on Boxing Day. If it’s a battle we’ll have to roll our sleeves up and get on with it.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/darren-ferguson-calls-on-doncaster-rovers-to-win-physical-battle-against-mansfield-town-1-8310852

“We have to be better on the ball than we were against Notts County, certainly in the first half and try to get control of the game better.

“The pitch is decent. It’s an early kick off, we’ll take a decent support. It’s a game I’m really looking forward to.

“I feel they will come at us and try to put balls in the box, be physical. I think his teams are like that and we’ll have to deal with it.

“We’ll be concentrating on what we do. I thought we dealt with that side of things really well on Boxing Day and if we have to deal with that again, as you do at any given time in a game in any league, then fine. “Where I feel we need to improve is the first pass and getting control of the game. “We know at the business end of the pitch when we’re attacking we’ve got quality in the team.”

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