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Archived News from May 2017

RAYNOR 12th MAY: DENY BISHOP RUMOUR,THOMAS,LOANS
15th May 2017 20:42


Stags play down Bishop speculation
mansfield103.co.uk, 12th May 2017

Mansfield Town assistant boss Paul Raynor has played down media speculation linking the Stags to Scunthorpe United midfielder Neal Bishop.

He was asked by Mansfield 103.2 at this morning press conference about the rumours that they were interested in signing the experienced 35-year-old whose previous clubs include Blackpool and Notts County.

Raynor said: "That's not one I've heard of. No, we've not made contact with Scunthorpe about Neal Bishop or his agent.

"He's a good player and he's had a decent season for Scunthorpe but he's not one that's on the radar at the moment."

Read more at http://www.mansfield103.co.uk/blogs/stags-play-down-bishop-speculation/

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Mansfield Town deny making a move for Scunthorpe’s Neal Bishop
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS

Paul Raynor has denied rumours that Mansfield Town have made a move for Scunthorpe United’s midfielder Neal Bishop.

The usual summer rumour mill is starting to rev up and Stags’ assistant boss Paul Raynor said: “That’s not one I’ve heard of.

“As you can imagine our phone is red hot at the moment. “We have not made contact with Scunthorpe about Neal Bishop or his agent at the moment.

“He is a very good player and he’s had a decent season for Scunthorpe. But he’s not one that’s on the radar at the moment.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-deny-making-a-move-for-scunthorpe-s-neal-bishop-1-8542287

“I don’t read the forums. We get told ‘he’s coming. You hear names.

“I can assure everyone we are working very hard on a number of targets.”

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Mansfield interested in Bishop
May 11, 2017
Iron-Bru.co.uk understand that League Two side Mansfield Town are monitoring the situation of out of contract Scunthorpe midfielder Neal Bishop.

Bishop, 35, looks set to leave Glanford Park this summer after three years at the club.

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later story: BISHOP SIGNS NEW DEAL
scunthorpe-united.co.uk, 15th May 2017
The Iron can confirm Neal Bishop has signed a new one-year contract with the club.
Read more at http://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/bishop-signs-new-deal-3716733.aspx#zOkJIyIQDy7KUUhM.99

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Evans’ magic will entice the cream of available players says Stags assistant boss
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

Mansfield Town assistant manager Paul Raynor believes Steve Evans will ‘work his magic’ in pipping rival clubs to the best players available for next season.

Raynor said the Stags manager has a knack of getting his man once he’s got him as far as a face to face conversation.

“We have to entice the better players that all the clubs in and around us will want to attract, so it’s about the gaffer working his magic and enticing them here,” said Raynor.

“He is very good at that. One to one, he’s got that charisma and can sell them the dream of what we are trying to do here and the project we’re trying to start here.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/evans-magic-will-entice-the-cream-of-available-players-says-stags-assistant-boss-1-8542142

“If he gets them in front of him, generally he works his magic.”

Raynor said they were still in the market for 10-11 new faces.

“We are not ones for having massive squads,” he explained.

“We like 20-21-22 with a couple of youngsters as well. So we are looking for 10, maybe 11 more.

“So it’s a really busy summer but also an enjoyable one as well.

“We’d like to get out main targets in as soon as possible. We tend to get it all done early.

“We don’t like taking in a lot of untried youngsters. We like experience and people that have done it in the league above or have won things in League Two and have that pedigree.

“We’re not saying they are all going to be of that ilk, but we do like to recruit from above. We need that extra bit of quality - our league position shows that.”

Already keeper Conrad Logan and defender Zander Diamond have signed on the dotted line and Raynor admitted: “It’s been a very busy week.

“As soon as we came out of Crawley it was full steam ahead, making some tough decisions and speaking to agents, speaking to players, having meetings, starting to put things into place.

“It never really stops. It’s a crucial period of the season in terms of improvement.”

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Tough decision to release goal ace Green
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

Paul Raynor admitted it had been a tough decision to release Mansfield Town legend Matt Green this week.

Green went, despite being top scorer, and the Stags’ assistant manager said: “Of course it was a difficult decision.

“He’s our top goalscorer this season and he has been a fantastic servant for the football club.

“I am sure Matt will get a move and go on to do well at his new club. These decisions are tough ones and for the benefit of the football club moving forward.”

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/tough-decision-to-release-goal-ace-green-1-8542155

Stags released 11 players this week and Raynor said some decisions were less of a shock than others.

“The ones where the guys have not really featured are the easy ones,” he said.

“If they are not playing week in week out, they know the chances of them staying are pretty unlikely.

“Even if we offered them something they’d probably want to go to pastures new and play football every week. These guys are professional footballers. They should, and do, want to play every week and we can’t always offer them that opportunity.

“Some of them were resigned to the outcomes of the meetings.”

He added: “It’s tough when you get to know these guys as people, not just players. We don’t see them as commodities.

“We get on well with the whole squad and they have given us absolutely everything, but you have to make tough decisions. It is a professional environment.”

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Jack Thomas urged to fulfil promise after returning to Mansfield Town
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

Mansfield Town youngster Jack Thomas has been told to fulfil his potential after returning from a loan spell at National League Barrow.

The 20-year-old made an immediate impact when he initially came into the first team aged 17 only to see that initial rich promise ebb away. But he was on the club’s retained list this week and assistant manager Paul Raynor said: “Jack still had another year on his contract anyway, so he was in the door

“We sent him out on loan at Barrow to get some games in because we felt he wasn’t going to play week in week out.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/jack-thomas-urged-to-fulfil-promise-after-returning-to-mansfield-town-1-8542275

“But he showed us enough in the games and in training to see there is something there.

“We’ve had a long chat with Jack in terms of how he needs to come back. That focus has really got to be there.

“He need to be an active part of our first team squad before the transfer window closes.

“We see potential but we now need to see that come to fruition in the early part of the season and in pre-season.”

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Conrad Logan expected to become a Mansfield Town cult hero
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

New Mansfield Town goalkeeper Conrad Logan is expected to become a real cult hero with the fans.

The Scot has his own fan club, some of who have tattoos of him, and Stags assistant manager Paul Raynor said: “He’s a good lad.

“We’ve know him a long time since he came to us at Boston on loan from Leicester as a young boy. He did exceptionally well with us, went back to Leicester and straight into their first team.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/conrad-logan-expected-to-become-a-mansfield-town-cult-hero-1-8542284

“He has been around a bit since then. He is a good, experienced goalkeeper and a fantastic character - a real fans’ favourite wherever he goes.

“He is a winner. I watched a couple of his games towards the end of the season for Rochdale. He is a passionate guy who gets his defence organised.”

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Will Stags pounce for Posh pair?
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

Peterborough United pair Hayden White and Shaq Coulthirst have both been made available by the club, but it’s unclear if either will be heading back to Mansfield Town.

The Stags took the pair on loan in the January window with boss Steve Evans negotiating deals for them if he wanted to keep them on permanent deals for next season.

However, Posh director of football Barry Fry said: “Mansfield manager Steve Evans fancies White, but his chairman doesn’t want to pay for him.

“We have another League Two chasing Shaquile.”

White is entering the final year of his contract at London Road but has been transfer-listed while Coulthirst has been told to find another club.

Stags assistant manager Paul Raynor said on Friday that the club were holding fire on whether to pursue any of the loan players while they checked the market and who else had been made available.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/will-stags-pounce-for-posh-pair-1-8543582

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Mansfield Town to return to pre-season training on 29th June
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

Mansfield Town’s players will report back for pre-season training on June 29th and are expected to be in almost peak physical condition.

“Things have moved on from when I played where, for me, pre-season was all about getting a stone off in weight and going on holiday three times,” smiled assistant manager Paul Raynor.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-to-return-to-pre-season-training-on-29th-june-1-8542289

“It’s totally different now. These guys are properly professional athletes. They’ve got a fitness programme to work to.

“They have to log into a site every day to make sure they’ve done their work.

“They all got their heart rate monitors so we can know exactly what they are doing and when they are doing it on any given day.

“The intention is they all come back ready to go in pre-season on 29th June in near enough peak condition.”

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Mansfield Town excited by pre-season friendlies
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, (from Paul Raynor press conference 12th May 2017)

Mansfield Town are excited by their programme of pre-season friendlies which is expected to be announced this week.

“It’s looking a fantastic one and I am sure they will announced very soon,” said assistant boss Paul Raynor.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-excited-by-pre-season-friendlies-1-8542293

“I am aware of the games we’re trying to put in place and we’re just looking to dot the ‘i’s’ and cross the ‘t’s’ on one or two.

“But I think we’re pretty much there now and I can assure everyone we’ve got some fantastic games at the One Call Stadium for the fans giving us a chance to pit our wits against some really big clubs. We’re looking forward to it.”

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Latest | May 2017