Archived News from August 2017
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STAGS PREP. RECORD BID FOR STRIKER/HOPPER DEAL OFF
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Stags preparing club-record bid for striker
mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 10 August 2017 Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans has revealed that the Stags are preparing a club-record bid for a striker. The boss has made no secret of his wish to add to his strike-force and, speaking to the local media at One Call Stadium this morning, he revealed that a potential opportunity has arisen. The gaffer spoke to the player's manager earlier today and is waiting to hear whether the frontman is interested in pursuing the move to north Nottinghamshire. "In one situation, we are talking a club record so it's very difficult to get things over the line, especially when the frustrations lie that other clubs still have to do their business," the Stags' chief said. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2017/august/stags-preparing-club-record-bid-for-striker/ "In the last few days, we've become aware that a player - a type of player that we like - might be available. "I've had a long chat with their manager on the phone this morning. It won't be a question of whether we can get there on the fee, I know we can get there on the fee. The manager is going to have a chat with that player today and say 'would you like to have a football chat [with Mansfield]?'. "I'll get that call this afternoon. It won't be in time for the weekend, I wouldn't think, but if I get that call this afternoon then I've got a perfect situation. "I'm with the chairman (John Radford) and the chief exec (Carolyn Radford) tomorrow afternoon/tomorrow evening and that's to talk about players, ins and outs, and that will be a three or four-hour meeting in which we'll get into everything about it. I would love to go into that meeting presenting this opportunity to them," the boss continued. "He's a striker. He's scored goals and he's been a real handful against my teams in the past. He has to want to come. "This kid that I'm on about now, this lad will have options but his manager will come back and tell me if he wants to have a chat. Then, typically me, I'll get in the car and go and have a coffee with him." Last week, the former Leeds United boss confirmed reports that the club were interested in Scunthorpe United striker Tom Hopper, but a deal for the former Leicester City youngster is no longer likely to happen. The gaffer said: "He's a young man that when he speaks to his family, he wants to play at higher levels and we respect that. "I had a little bit of dialogue with Tom and it was very professional, very honest and very genuine. [Speaking to] the people at Scunthorpe, the chairman and the chief executive, I left that to Carolyn Radford and she was on the phone to me within a couple of hours to say they'd reached an agreement. "That was the easy part, but the other part is that your players have to want to come and play for you. They have to want to be part of what you're doing and they have to want to play at the level and embrace it and be better than it." Looking ahead to Saturday's Sky Bet League Two match at home to Forest Green Rovers, Stags will only be without winger Alex MacDonald, who is now approaching full fitness after his minor knee surgery last month. "He's on his way, but he won't be on his way on Saturday, he'll be working behind-the-scenes. "He's very, very close now. We've missed Alex; he gives you great quality. "I can't give him big enough compliments for the condition he's come back in and he has to stay in that condition to get back in this team. "When he sees the competition of the likes of [Will] Atkinson and [Alfie] Potter and [CJ] Hamilton and [Paul] Anderson, they're very fit boys. He has to be as fit as them and I've always said, you have to be very fit to play, not get fit by playing." Supporters can login to iFollow Stags to view the manager's news conference. --------------- BREAKING NEWS: Stags make club record bid for a striker chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 10 August 2017 Mansfield Town have made a club record bid for a striker and boss Steve Evans hopes the player will agree to speak to him today. Evans, who has all but given up on Scunthorpe forward Tom Hopper, has quickly turned his attentions to a player from a higher division that he knows well and didn’t expect to become available. “In the last few days we became aware that a player - a type of player we like - might be available,” he said. “So I had a long chat with their manager on the phone this morning. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/breaking-news-stags-make-club-record-bid-for-a-striker-1-8696347 “It won’t be a question if we can get there on the fee - I know we can get there on the fee and it would be a club record. “So his manager is going to have a chat with that player today and say would you like to have a football chat? “I don’t get involved with personal terms - that’s up to the chairman and the chief executive. “But it’s would he like to have a chat with Mansfield Town about the possibility of going there? “I wouldn’t think it will be in time for the weekend. “But if I get that call this afternoon I’d have a perfect situation as I am with the chairman and chief executive tomorrow to talk about players and I’d love to go to that meeting presenting this opportunity to them.” Evans added: “He is a striker who has scored goals and been a real handful against my teams in the past - I’ve always told my centre backs to batter him from start to finish. “But he has to want to come, like the boy at Scunthorpe. “It’s not about coming to Mansfield Town, some of these lads don’t want to go and play in League Two. “Sometimes players forget what they get paid for. I see these young players sitting about football clubs in League One and the Championship, not playing every week, and they are happy for themselves and their families to go round saying they are a footballer. You have to want to play. “This lad will have options, but if his manager says he wants to have a chat with me I’ll get in the car and go and have a coffee with him.” Stags tried to prise Tom Hopper away from Scunthorpe last week but, after a fee had been agreed, the player mulled over the move and has now said he is still hoping to stay at a higher level. “He is a young man who has spoke to his family and wants to play at higher levels and we respect that,” said Evans. “I had a bit of dialogue with Tom. It was very honest, very professional, very genuine. “The chief executive spoke to the people at Scunthorpe and had an agreement within a couple of hours - that was the easy part. “But players have to want to come and play for you. They have to want to come to the level, embrace it and be better than it. “But we’d never say never until we strengthen. He is a young man that we like. “But he has on been on their bench the last couple of games and I can only assume there may have been a change in their thought process.” Evans is still hoping to bring in a striker and attacking midfielder before the window closes and said: “We are trying so hard. “It’s very difficult to get these things over the line, especially when other clubs have to do their business “You don’t always immediately get what you want. But we have a good squad here so we can be patient. “We want to sign a player that will add to it, not because people feel the pressure from supporters. “As much as every supporter of Mansfield Town wants to see one or two quality additions to the squad, I want to see it more than them. But I have to do it in the right way. “There are no wins here for me signing people and trying to convince supporters we have signed better than what we’ve got. They will know the minute we announce the names if they are better or adding something.” He added: “It’s not the Radford family that hasn’t made a signing in the last week - it’s me. “We had agreed something with a club, but I’ve just not been comfortable with the terms that I needed to bring in the player so I’ve not done it. “We have to be very focused on who we want and if they will add something to what we’ve got. “It is easier for the chairman and chief executive to say to me let’s do it. “But they charge me with running the football department and the dressing room and making sure within that dressing room we have, not always parity, but we have a real togetherness and no standalone characters.” On the current situation on signing a midfielder, he said: “We are talking to a couple of clubs now. “They are very high up on our list and the season is now up and running, so I think the managers will be settling down as to who their squad is going to be and who needs to get out and play.” Evans said he will be happy when the window closes at the end of the month, adding: “I will be glad from my own point of view as not only do we sign people but people also try to sign some of ours.” ------------------ Stags won’t underestimate League new boys says boss Evans chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 10 August 2017 Stags manager Steve Evans has nothing but the highest regard for the manager, chairman and staff at newly-promoted Forest Green Rovers as the Gloucestershire club head for the One Call Stadium for their first ever away Football League game on Saturday. But, although they are the smallest town to ever get into the League, Evans stressed they had shown they can compete financially over the summer and should not be underestimated. “We have a club coming who are on the crest of a wave,” said Evans. “They have good players. They were at the top end of the bidding for the boy Kaiyne Woolery, who went to Swindon for £350,000 I believe. It shows you the type of opposition they will be. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-won-t-underestimate-league-new-boys-says-boss-evans-1-8696666 “But it’s a great occasion and we want a really noisy, vibrant Mansfield Town support.” He added: “When I went there with Crawley I could tell he was a chairman who had gone in there to make a real impact. “I can remember Mark Cooper left a job in the Football League to go and take over at Forest Green. “Apart from the ‘ching, ching Cooper’ I texted him on the day - as it must have been worthwhile - in all seriousness he went there to deliver a project over three or four years and, by God, he’s delivered. “The win at Wembley was emphatic when they got promoted. They have signed some top players in the summer and I think they will do very well in the league.” Evans has been impressed by what he has seen on footage of Forest Green’s first two games this week. “They were 2-0 up against Barnet and could have been five up but lost a couple of sloppy goals - we’ve all been there as a manager,” he said. “Then they took MK Dons to extra-time in midweek. I watched are-run of that yesterday and they should have won the game. “We look forward to seeing Mark, his chairman and everyone associated with Forest Green here on Saturday for their first away game in the Football League. “It will be an opportunity for the Mansfield Town supporters to get ready for the season ahead - we need 5,000 plus here on Saturday to start what might an unforgettable season. “I think it’s going to happen. We are all so excited to be be coming home to play a League fixture with a good crowd and a good atmosphere on hopefully a dry day.” On Rovers becoming the world’s first vegan football club, Evans added: “I think I’d have to jump in the car and nip round the corner for a pie and chips if I was there. “The chairman has strong beliefs. He wants to make sure that as a minimum they buy into it and give it an open mind. I have met him two or three times and he is a good man who has put, dare I say it, millions into his football clubs. “So if he decided it is to be a vegan football club he can do that every day of the week. “He owns the club, he makes the decisions.” Does Forest Green’s achievements surpass those made by Evans when he won promotion into the League with Crawley Town? “Let’s not get carried away,” smiled the Stags boss. “At Crawley we won the league by a landslide, got to the fifth round of the FA Cup and lost 1-0 at Old Trafford, we lost three times in 14 months. “But congratulations to Forest Green.” ----------------- Lee Collins should expect a warm welcome back to Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Former Mansfield Town skipper Lee Collins can expect a warm welcome back when he returns with Forest Green Rovers tomorrow according to boss Steve Evans. Collins was released at the end of last season and became the Football League new boys’ first summer signing. Evans said: “He will get a big hug from me as it was my toughest decision of all of them in the summer. “He was fantastic for me in some games last season and it was just about we were going to play and how we were going to try to move people around. “There was a big decision about was it Lee Collins or Paul Digby as I wanted to bring Paul Digby in. “One is no better than the other and Paul Digby has not played a fraction of the League games Lee Collins has. “He is a good player and he will get a warm reception, as he should, and I will lead it.” Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/lee-collins-should-expect-a-warm-welcome-back-to-mansfield-town-1-8697151 ----------------- Winger wants positive home start mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 10 August 2017 Mansfield Town winger Paul Anderson says Stags are ready to 'hit the ground running' ahead of Saturday's first home game of the Sky Bet League Two season against Forest Green Rovers. The Stags began their campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Crewe Alexandra last weekend, twice coming from behind to claim a point on the road. And following an excellent second half display both against the Alex and at home to League One Rochdale on Tuesday night, Anderson is confident that the Stags have the quality to acquire a positive result at One Call Stadium on Saturday. "Every game in the league is going to be a tough game - it's going to be a long season and we need to get that first win as soon as possible," said Anderson. "Hopefully it'll be this weekend, I'm sure the manager will have in his thoughts what he's looking to do. "We're not going to be worried about Forest Green; we're going to be focussing completely on ourselves and hopefully the three points will be ours and the fans will really see what we're trying to do. "I think the fans who have been to the games will see that we've got something very good here and we're creating a lot of opportunities and once one or two go for us, we'll hit the ground running." Like the Stags, Forest Green opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw - against Barnet - and also exited the Carabao Cup following a 1-0 defeat to League One opposition in the form of MK Dons. And with the EFL newcomers also aiming to pick up their first victory, the former Nottingham Forest winger Anderson is eager to kick-start the Stags' season with a victory in front of a large One Call Stadium crowd. "It comes from everyone; staff, players and fans - we all want it as much as each other. We want to show the fans exactly what we can do and give them something to cheer about. "The chairman (John Radford) and the chief executive(Carolyn Radford) have done wonders to give us this opportunity of having such a good squad and pushing for, hopefully, to be near the top of the league. The sooner we can give everyone something to cheer about - especially ourselves - the better. "I don't know too much about them [Forest Green] with their history, but you hear about it in the press - what they're doing with the club and the environmental side of things like with the veggie burgers. "It's a great story and it's always nice to see teams that manage to get themselves into Football League and they've done brilliantly to get where they are, but we need to make sure that we don't let them continue [on Saturday]. "Hopefully we'll get a good amount of support here [at One Call Stadium] and we can give them something to cheer about. We're all looking forward to playing in front of our home fans and making it a bit of a stomping ground." Stags' fans can login to iFollow Stags to view Paul Anderson's news conference at One Call Stadium. --------------------- Anderson hoping for third time lucky as Stags seek first win chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 10 August 2017 Mansfield Town midfielder Paul Anderson is hoping for third time lucky this weekend as the new-look Stags seek their first win of the new season. Despite excellent performances in the thrilling 2-2 opening draw at Crewe last weekend and a narrow 1-0 home defeat by League One Rochdale in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, the players can feel the pressure mounting to chalk up their first victory ahead of the visit of Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. “We need to get that first win as soon as possible, hopefully this weekend,” said Anderson. “It comes from everyone - staff, players, fans, we all want it as much as each other. “We want to show the fans exactly what we can do and give them something to cheer about. “The chairman and chief executive have done wonders to give us the opportunity of having such a great squad and hopefully pushing towards the top of the league. “The sooner we can give people something to cheer about - especially ourselves - the better.” Anderson was happy with both displays this week. “There have been a lot of positives come from the game and also the negatives of going out of the cup and not getting three points in the first game,” he said. “I think in both second halves we were brilliant and deserved a hell of a lot more from both games. “A bit of sloppy defending in both games has cost us. “But I think fans who have been to the games will see we have something very good here. “We are creating a lot of opportunities, which is the hardest thing, and once one or two go for us I think we will hit the ground running. “We are learning. We’re still a new bunch of lads who are learning every single day what each other can do. “We need a few results and a bit of Lady Luck to go our way and we’ll get the ball rolling.” On Saturday new boys Forest Green Rovers will play their first ever away game in the Football League at the One Call Stadium. Anderson said they made a great story being such a small club with their vegan and environmental ethics. “I don’t know too much about them and their history, but you read a bit in the press about what they are doing with the club and the environmental side of things they are trying to do with veggie burgers and so on. I’d rather have meat myself but I’m sure they taste pretty good,” he smiled. “It’s a great story. It’s always nice to see a smaller club - though they are probably not one any more now - manage to get themselves into the Football League. “They have done absolutely brilliantly to get where they are, but we must make sure we don’t let them continue. “You get similar stories in the FA Cup and the League Cup where smaller sides go on and create a bit of history. “They have created a bit of history already in making it to the Football League. “You have to take your hat off to them and the way the club’s been run, but when it comes to 3pm on Saturday we won’t be worrying about that. All we’ll be thinking about is ourselves.” Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/anderson-hoping-for-third-time-lucky-as-stags-seek-first-win-1-8696780 ------------------ |
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