Archived News from March 2021
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CLOUGH PREVIEWS CHELTENHAM GAME
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Emphasis is on no mistakes - manager
mansfieldtown.net, Monday 8th March 2021 Boss Nigel Clough says his side must make no mistakes if they are to take something from Tuesday evening’s home match against league leaders Cheltenham Town. The Stags will face a stern test as they look to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat to Barrow, with high-flying Robins the visitors to One Call Stadium. The manager says that his side must ‘defend better’ than they have in recent matches. “We’re certainly going to have to defend better than we have done. But they are one of the most solid teams [in the division],” he told iFollow Stags. “Once they do get ahead, then they’re very difficult for us to break down. So that will be the priority, to not go behind in the game tomorrow night. “I think they [Cheltenham] have a really good chance of doing it [earning promotion]. “You look at teams like them and Forest Green and how they’ve built, they’ve kept the same manager over the last few seasons and they’re probably the best two teams in the league. Maybe Cambridge as well are up there. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/march/emphasis-is-on-no-mistakes---manager/ “They’re all vying for automatic promotion. I think that says an awful lot about what teams can do in order to achieve success. “It [long throw] comes in and it’s a potent weapon for them [Cheltenham]. We dealt with it fantastically apart from one in the [Emirates FA] cup game, and it’s the one that cost us the game. “That’s the thing with it, because they get so many opportunities to sling it in there when you give throw-ins away. You have to deal with every one. “[The emphasis is on making] no mistakes [tomorrow night].” Nigel Clough also offered his final thoughts on Saturday’s frustrating afternoon away to Barrow. “Overall performance was good, but we lost because of individual errors again. “We’ve seen the centre-halves make mistakes in the last few games and I think they’ve responded well. “I thought Faz Rawson especially was excellent on Saturday. I thought Ryan Sweeney was unbelievably unlucky to get a second yellow card. “If we could appeal it, we would. But we’re not allowed to. It was so innocuous, and he was very unlucky to get that. “But even with ten men, Stoney [Aidan Stone] hadn’t touched the ball for the majority of the game. “Then all of a sudden, we make the error, the other one goes in quickly and the game’s over. “We have to really get in there and die for a goal at the moment. We have to make more clear cut chances from the situations we’re having. “Our build-up play again was good on Saturday. We got into great areas, but wasted crosses at times. We also put a few good ones in there. “It’s about creating more chances from the situations we’re in, because our general play is fine.” There was also an injury update on several players from the Mansfield Town boss. “He [Aidan Stone] is in the treatment room with ice on his knee at the moment. We’re not quite sure as it’s early to tell, but we don’t think it’s as bad as we feared. “We’ll probably know a little more later this week when it settles down. “We weren’t going to bring him [Jordan Bowery] off [on Saturday]. But he got a whack as the lad landed on top of his foot, so there’s no point risking him. We’re hoping he’ll be okay for Cheltenham. “He [George Lapslie] has [got a chance of making the squad tomorrow]. He hasn’t joined in training yet but he’s done a lot of individual stuff. We’re looking for him to join in training this morning and see how he is from there. “Oli Sarkic will probably be towards the weekend, but Stephen McLaughlin has a chance for Tuesday. We’re hoping he’ll train this morning and see how he is.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ----------------------- Nigel Clough wants Mansfield Town to stop beating themselves chad.co.uk, By Stephen Thirkill, Monday 8th March 2021 Stags slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Barrow on Saturday after they paid the price for more errors. It follows successive away 1-0 losses at Bradford City and Harrogate which saw defensive lapses lead to defeat. “I’m so frustrated with the blatant errors that we are making,” said Clough. “We are beating ourselves. The last three defeats have been our own undoing. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/nigel-clough-wants-mansfield-town-to-stop-beating-themselves-3157898 “The mistakes are being punished but I can't remember the last time an opposition team made the errors that we are making. “They are clear and obvious ones and you will be punished at most levels for those sorts of errors.” It is an error of concern that Clough is dissecting with his players as they look to learn and cut out the errors. “We are discussing it with the players as to what is going through their minds and why they do what they do on the pitch,” added Clough. “A professional player should always be able to come up with a reason for doing what they did. “When they make a mistake not doing the right thing then that is a different story. “What we don't do after the game is give people a pat on the back and say bad luck, if you've made an error you shouldn't have done. “We have to look at how they will deal with it in the next game. You have to put it behind you and move on. “Top players can put it out of their minds and its how they deal with the mistakes and when things are going badly.” Mansfield have now won just one of their last eight games and have scored just once in 468 minutes of football. And Clough wants to see his players do more to make the ball drop their way. “Not a lot is dropping for us but we have to do more to make the ball drop for us,” he said. “When you are not scoring regularly it is more difficult to do. We are also not creating enough chances from the good positions we are in. “We need to make sure we get on the end of it when a ball is flashed across the face of goal and to anticipate and take a chance.” ---------------------- Nigel Clough keen to keep putting building blocks in place at Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, By Stephen Thirkill, Monday 8th March 2021 Nigel Clough wants to keep putting the building blocks in place as Mansfield Town fine-tune ahead of a planned promotion push next season. Stags have struggled since going on a record five game winning streak and have not won away since. During that time Clough’s men have chucked points away following costly blunders and also struggled to find their shooting boots. But the experienced boss knows he now has the perfect chance to take a look at his players and plot the make-up of his 2021/22 squad. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/nigel-clough-keen-to-keep-putting-building-blocks-in-place-at-mansfield-town-3158249 “We are still building, we are always building,” said Clough. “We are trying to get the results to stay up this season, which I think we will, but at the same time putting things in place. “Things like getting Jason Law on the pitch, taking a look at Aiden Stone and assessing every week who is going to be with us next year and part of what we are trying to achieve next year. “Who is going to be good enough to be a part of what we are trying to achieve? “Players are playing for their place. No-one is guaranteed a place and I hope the players think like that as well.” And Clough knows his side must learn to cut out defensive errors if they are to challenge at the top. He is also keen to stress the positive aspects of Mansfield’s play and see his troops respond to individual errors. “Having 20 years of doing this I know you go through these dips,” added Clough. “It’s much harder when you can't pinpoint why you are losing games. “When you know why you are losing games it is easier to try and focus on that. “We want to focus on the good parts. We are doing a lot of good things such as creating chances and good situations. “We have lost three away after making mistakes and not putting chances away and that's it. “We are not hammering the players, but we have to point out the mistakes to individuals. “As an ex professional footballer I don't think there is anything worse than someone giving you a pat on the pat and saying bad luck when you don't deserve it, when it is not bad luck. “Whoever it is, we have to point it out to them and, in pretty blunt terms, that they have made an error that they shouldn't be making. “I hope they are up for putting it right and I am looking for a reaction, for them to get out on the pitch, put their chest out and say I'm better than that.” --------------------- Nigel Clough told Stephen Thirkill, video available on iFollow: "It's funny, the two contracts we gave out to two younger players, Kellan Gordon and Harry Charsley, since we've given them, they haven't been playing too well." -------------------- League leaders Chelthenham Town holds no fears for Mansfield Town boss chad.co.uk, By Stephen Thirkill, Monday 8th March 2021 League leaders Cheltenham Town hold no fears for Stags boss Nigel Clough. Mansfield will attempt to kick-start a better run of form by toppling the leaders at the One Call Stadium tomorrow night. Stags go into the game on the back of a poor 2-0 loss at relegation-threatened Barrow and with just one win in eight. But Clough feels his side are more than capable of earning three points against Cheltenham. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/league-leaders-chelthenham-town-holds-no-fears-for-mansfield-town-boss-3157995 “It's not a bad thing to face a team like Cheltenham (after a poor defeat), we are just as capable of beating them as losing to a team at the bottom,” he said. “We just have to make no mistakes. If they score two great goals against us we will hold our hands up, but we have to stop giving them goals. “If we can't win then we need to get a draw. We beat Morecambe who are up there and it is a good chance to bounce back. “There is not much in the league. Cheltenham will have confidence, but we can beat them, especially at home.” Clough has been impressed by Chelthenham’s progress and believes the table-toppers are now benefiting from a clear long-term strategy. “Cheltenham have slowly built up,” he added. “They have knocked on the door and it's only a matter of time if they keep improving. They have built and it has not been done overnight. “Success is built on solid foundations and a few solid seasons, so when they go up they are ready to go up and challenge next season. “We will have to pay well and deal with their threats, especially at set plays.” Mansfield will be without the suspended Ryan Sweeney, with Jake Wright or James Perch set to get the nod. Aiden Stone will miss the game with the injury picked up against Barrow. George Lapslie and Stephen McLaughlin could be back in contention, while Ollie Sarkic may feature against Crawley at the weekend. ---------------------- |
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