Archived News from December 2017
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EVANS ON BYROM INJURY AND HEMMINGS LOAN
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Gaffer wants Glovers’ match to spark unbeaten run
mansfieldtown.net, Tue 12 Dec 2017 Stags' boss Steve Evans wants his players to prove a point on Saturday against Yeovil Town as they aim to return to winning ways after their seven-match unbeaten run in Sky Bet League Two came to an end last week. The 2-0 defeat to Crawley Town was Stags' first league defeat for almost two months and they now have back-to-back home games before Christmas as they bid to return to the play-off group. And the gaffer has promised changes to his starting line-up for the visit of the Glovers and wants his players to prove a point after last week's defeat in West Sussex. "It's now about working hard this week and getting ready for Yeovil on Saturday. We want to try and win a couple of games pre-Christmas and if we do that, we'll be in the top four or five. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2017/december/gaffer-wants-glovers-match-to-spark-unbeaten-run/ "We've got 21 or 22 lads competing for a place on Saturday. We have to create a mentality that it's one game at a time. We've got enough characters in the dressing room to bounce back after Saturday, we bounced back after Swindon didn't we? "There's a lot of players that are going to have a point to prove. Some of them, unfortunately, are going to have to prove a point sitting up in the Ian Greaves Stand with a big coat on because they won't be involved. There will be changes for Saturday, there's got to be. "We've 24/25 games in now as a group. We're going to get into a period very, very soon, where in the next four weeks we'll be saying 'right, these errors should be out of our system'. "The big part will be what we want to do. If we turn up properly and we have eight or nine play well, we'll win. If we don't, we'll get beat." The boss revealed that midfielder Joel Byrom will still be unavailable for Saturday's match as he continues his recovery from a groin injury, but he is hopeful that striker Kane Hemmings could be available after 'feeling his calf' in training last Friday. "Joel's maybe still a couple of weeks away. Joel had a little nasty tear on his groin. We miss Joel Byrom; we miss him like you'd miss a tissue on a wet, windy night when your nose is running, so we miss Joel Byrom. He's doing everything he can to be fit and the sooner the better for me. "Kane trained on Friday morning and he just felt his other calf. There are no pulls, no strains, it's a strange one for everyone. It baffled the medical team and if it baffled the head of medical in Dan Kett, then it certainly does that to me! "We can't take chances; all our players are too important. None of them deserve to be taken chances [on] unless we're into the last game or two of the season." Hemmings, who is on loan from Oxford United, can be recalled by the U's next month and the manager revealed this morning that no decision has yet been made on the striker's future beyond January. "I think it's the third week in January that that agreement's in place. I'll probably have a chat with Pep [Clotet, Oxford manager] when we get into January. We're very clear, we'd like to keep Kane. "We were just starting to get him fit, he's starting to get goals and it's a shame he pulls up with his calf because he was just starting to look a real threat. He's a proper striker for this level and we worked so hard to get him in the condition he is. "We'll respect the thoughts of Oxford United Football Club, there's good people there. I know Kane would like to stay but we respect Pep and Oxford too much to say that we have anything to do with the decision, that lies in the hands of his parent club." Supporters will be able to view the manager's full news conference on iFollow Stags later today. -------------------------- Stags players warned as Crawley inquest finally takes place chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 12 December 2017 This week’s snow saw Mansfield Town’s inquest into Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 defeat at Crawley Town postponed until today. But the wait had not tempered boss Steve Evans’ anger at the performance and he warned his players to expect changes against Yeovil this Saturday. “I wanted to get them in Sunday/Monday but the weather was so bad around the country and I took the advice of the Police to tell our players to stay at home,” said Evans. “But we had a team meeting this morning and they were left in no doubt that what happened on Saturday for large periods of that game can’t be repeated. It wasn’t acceptable. “We now have 21/22 lads competing for a place on Saturday and no one is save from execution. “There are no excuses. It was a poor performance. As a manager you look and say if you can get eight or nine players playing well the Stags will win. If you have eight or nine below form you’ll get beat.” Players hoping to put things right at the weekend may not get the chance. “There will be a lot of players with points to prove but some, unfortunately, may have a point to prove sitting up in the stand with a big coat on as they won’t be involved,” said Evans. “There will be changes on Saturday. There’s got to be. There is a saying - if you don’t do something about it then you do nothing about it. That’s not me. “We are 24/25 games in as a group and we are going to get into a period very soon, maybe in the next four weeks, when we say these errors should be out our system.” Evans knew what quality Crawley had from recent results. “Crawley beat Exeter very comfortably, they drew with Luton and should have beaten them, and they went to Coventry and drew,” he said. “So it wasn’t a big surprise result when you actually break down their results. The big surprise is how poor we were. “After the first 15 minutes Crawley were the better side. We seemed to lack energy, we seemed to lack being able to pass it, we seemed to be lacking in making decisions - very unlike us. “Overall it was way, way short and we short-changed ourselves and we short-changed everyone.” He added: “The boys just seemed flat and it was a poor day. There were probably only two or three players who got pass marks on Saturday - that’s how low the performance was. “There’s not been many like that. But there have been two or three and it’s one too many now. “So it’s now about what can happen this week and getting ready for Yeovil on Saturday and trying to win a couple of games pre-Christmas. If we can do that we’ll be in the top four or five.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-players-warned-as-crawley-inquest-finally-takes-place-1-8906546 ------------------- Evans gets green light to move for January targets chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 12 December 2017 Steve Evans has been given the green light to move for his January window targets. “We know who we want and the chairman is good with that,” said Evans. “There won’t be many. We will get on with that business when we get to January. “It could be two or three in and two or three may go to balance numbers back.” We don’t want to be just adding to the group. We have a really competitive squad as it is. “No one who has been playing regular football is going to be leaving. “But maybe one or two who have not been able to get on the pitch on a regular basis need to go and ply their trade somewhere else. “They are big decisions as they are still good players and there is a lot of football to be played between now and when we travel to Cardiff.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/evans-gets-green-light-to-move-for-january-targets-1-8906552 ------------------- React and let’s start a new unbeaten run says Stags boss Evans chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 12 December 2017 Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans wants to see a reaction from his side after last weekend’s defeat at Crawley and begin another unbeaten run. The Stags had gone 12 games without defeat before the disappointing 2-0 defeat at Evans’ old club. As he prepared his squad for Saturday’s visit of Yeovil Town, he said: “I want to see a reaction. “The performance last Saturday was not characteristic of what we are about as individuals. We’ve got some fantastic players in that dressing room. “We have to turn that hurt into positive energy. “Yes we will respect and analyse and got through certain bits of the video of what Yeovil do and their playing squad. “But the big part is what we are going to do. If we turn up properly and have eight or nine play well we will win. If we don’t we’ll get beat. “Let’s concentrate on beating Yeovil. There’s no point in thinking about Morecambe coming here after on the 23rd. We have to deal with Yeovil and that will be tough in its own right.” Evans added: “Credit to Crawley. They worked so hard, especially in the second half and, if I’m going to lose to a club in this league, I’d rather lose to Crawley than anyone else. But it still hurt on Saturday on the way home. “Everyone wants to be critical and analytical and down on you when you have a bad day at the office. We’d just gone 12 games unbeaten and get absolutely no recognition. “I said to the players the aim is to beat Yeovil and try to go another 12 games unbeaten. “We have enough characters in the dressing room to bounce back after Saturday. We bounced back after Swindon didn’t we? “Some of them play like that they wouldn’t get a trial at Crawley or Yeovil.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/react-and-let-s-start-a-new-unbeaten-run-says-stags-boss-evans-1-8908199 ----------------- High hopes for Stags youngsters chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Steve Evans has high hopes for some members of Mansfield Town’s current youth team. The young Stags are flying high at the top of their league and only exited the FA Youth Cup on penalties against Premier League Crystal Palace last week. “It’s a good age group for us and I think there’s two or three promising players in there and we are looking forward to seeing if they can progress into the U21s and, more importantly, into the reserves side,” said Stags boss Evans. “That puts them clearly then in the eyes of us and whether they’re good enough to come and train with the first team. “It’s difficult. You can be a really good player at U18 level and people think you should be competing with the Byroms and the Roses. “But they step up to the first team and show what they are - young kids. “But we desperately need two or three young kids to come through and be in the first team as nothing beats energy and youth. We’d rather have that than older players.” The penalties exit came just 24 hours after the first team also lose on spot kicks in the Checkatrade Trophy at Blackpool and Evans said: “After a penalty shoot-out you often hear supporters all round the country saying - do they practice? “Every single day we practice penalties. But it doesn’t put the nerves into the situation when there is a big support there and everyone’s watching whether you can stick the ball in the net.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/high-hopes-for-stags-youngsters-1-8910293 -------------------- Stags hoping to hold onto Hemmings chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 12 December 2017 Mansfield Town are hoping striker Kane Hemmings won’t be recalled by parent club Oxford United next month. Hemmings was loaned to Stags for the season but with a clause that allowed a recall midway through “I think it’s the third week in January when that agreement is in place for. I’ll probably have a chat with Pep (Clotet) in mid-January. “We are very clear we’d like to keep Kane. We are just starting to get him fit and he’s just starting to get goals. So it’s a shame he pulled up with his calf as he’d started to look a real threat. “He is a proper striker for this level and have worked so hard to get him into the condition he is. “I know Kane would like to stay here. I know that from my first chat with him. “But we will respect the thoughts of Oxford United Football Club. They are good people there. “I respect Pep and Oxford too much to say we have anything to do with the decision. That lies at the hands of his parent club.” Hemmings remains a doubt for this weekend’s home clash with Yeovil. “Kane was training Friday morning and he just felt his other calf,” said Evans. “There was no pull or strain so it was a strange one and baffled the medical team. We can’t take chances. “Our players are too important to be taking chances unless you’re into the last game or two of the season. So he had to sit out and hopefully we’ll see him back on the grass before the weekend.” Also out is midfield ace Joel Byrom and Evans added: “Joel is maybe still a couple of weeks away. “He had a nasty tear in his groin and we miss Joel Byrom. He is doing everything he can to get fit. The sooner the better for me.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-hoping-to-hold-onto-hemmings-1-8908226 ---------------------- Oxford United boss to weigh up decision over Kane Hemmings recall clause in Mansfield Town loan David Pritchard, Oxford Mail, 14 Dec 2017 PEP Clotet is yet to make a decision on Kane Hemmings’s loan at Mansfield Town. The season-long deal which saw the striker join the Sky Bet League Two club in August contains a recall clause in the middle of January. Stags boss Steve Evans has made it clear this week he would like to keep the 25-year-old, whose four goals for the club have come in his last eight appearances. United boss Clotet plans to speak with Evans before weighing up his options. He said: “I would like to see what his plans are for the player and get some feedback. I will speak to Kane as well. “It’s not something that is on my mind at this moment because I’m focused on a lot of games before January. “Soon it will be time to assess what we will do.” Read more at http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/sport/oxfordunited/15773843.Oxford_United_boss_to_weigh_up_decision_over_Kane_Hemmings_recall_clause_in_Mansfield_Town_loan/ ---------------------- |
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