Archived News from March 2022
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CLOUGH REFLECT ON EXETER,TRANMERE/HEWITT INTERVIEW
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Stags’ fans can be the ‘difference’ - gaffer
mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 8th March 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough says the club’s ‘brilliant’ support can make a ‘difference’ in matches with a flurry of Sky Bet League Two fixtures against promotion rivals on the horizon. Last Friday against Exeter, the Stags boasted the most amount supporters inside the home stands at One Call Stadium since promotion from the Conference in 2013. Speaking in his news conference ahead of this Friday’s game away at Tranmere, the boss expects to be backed by another superb following at Prenton Park. Already 700 tickets have been snapped up by Stags’ fans for the fixture. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/march/stags-fans-can-be-the-difference--gaffer/ “It makes a difference for us when we have the [superb] travelling support,” the manager said. “I hope we can keep putting in the [excellent] performances for the rest of the season for them. “Home or away [the supporters are magnificent]; the One Call was rocking on Friday night with the big support there and I think there’ll be a great support again on Friday night at Tranmere.” The record number of home fans inside One Call Stadium against Exeter (for 10 years since promotion from the Conference) was saw a record-equalling tenth successive home league victory, a feat last achieved in 1949. “That’s nearly ten years and then 73 (years) for ten straight home league wins as well. “It’s all good stuff. “We’ve just got to keep it going.” The record number of Stags’ supporters at One Call Stadium were treated to a thriller under the lights on Friday. The manager says the clash was worthy of a level above. “[It was a] Big win and a very, very good game between two good teams,” said the Stags’ chief. “Having not played Forest Green yet, I thought Exeter - with their performance the other night - were the best [side] we’ve played. “I thought the game, generally, was of a standard above League Two. “Both teams, on that showing, could survive in League One. “It was a very honest, competitive game.” "The referee said he enjoyed it too. No yellow cards, which is highly unusual in modern day football. He said: I wasn't even close to giving one." Mansfield face another promotion rival, Tranmere Rovers, this Friday away at Prenton Park. Rovers haven’t won in their last five league matches. “[They’re] A very good team and everybody has these sorts of dips,” the manager said. “It’s a complete reversal of when we played them at home. “I think they were going very well, and we were struggling. “A win [in that match] set us off on a good run. “I remember at the time saying that we thought it was a perfect game for us [with] nothing really expected. “Tranmere will feel the same. It’s a great opportunity for them to get back on track. “They mix it up. They changed formation on Saturday. “We’re not quite sure what they’ll be doing this Friday night. “We’ve got a number of different formations we can play, but what they’ve got is good forwards. “I think Kane Hemmings, who Stags’ fans will know well, is as dangerous [a forward] as there is in the league.” Centre-back Oli Hawkins is eligible to return from his two-game suspension on Friday evening. The boss says he has a difficult decision to make ahead of the match - given the form of Elliott Hewitt and Farrend Rawson in his absence. “It’s a difficult one because when he was in the team, we were very solid and since he’s come out the team we’ve looked solid as well. “It’s going to be a difficult decision. “If he does come back into the [matchday] 18, somebody is dropping out as well. “We’ll have a good think this week and try and come up with the best team to get a result.” "If you asked them both (Hawkins and Lucas Akins), their preference would be to play up front. But they'be both been filling in doing defensive dutues. A number of first team players featured for the under-23s’ side in a 1-1 Premier League Cup draw against Leeds United yesterday. “James Perch got 90 minutes [under his belt] which was very important, Danny Johnson as well,” the boss said. "It was the first 90 minutes for James Perch since his injury. It was quite comfortable for him, which is good, against a good Leeds side with some brilliant youngsters, so it was a good test for us. “Kieran Wallace played about 80 minutes; Jason Law got 90 minutes. “We’ve just sort of topped them up with their fitness. “It was ideal [for them to feature] against a good, young Leeds team.” Striker Danny Johnson scored the Stags’ only goal of the game as he boosted his match fitness. “He got a goal. He had two or three chances but tucked one away. “He always looks likely to score when he’s on the pitch.” "You can only play 3 overage outfielders and a goalkeeper otherwise one or two more might have had a game. Nigel Clough believes Mansfield Town academy can be a huge asset to the club for years to come He said: “It’s absolutely vital to either get them involved in games or training and things like that. It’s the best way to aid their development and to speed it up. “We’ve always put great emphasis on the academy wherever we’ve been, and doing our best to get the balance between producing young players and then getting the first team on the pitch as well that can compete. “The two aren’t always compatible. At Derby we had to be patient because academies take time to really flourish and get players coming through. "I think this place [the RH Academy] is only about three years old and it’ll take maybe four or five years for the academy to really make a difference since moving here, but we’re delighted with how they’re working and we may have a couple more become pros next year, but it can take almost a five or six-year cycle to make things work.” Ahead of a busy month against promotion-chasing rivals, the manager says it’s important his side makes the most of the club’s games in hand. “[It’s] Vital that when you do have the games in hand, you’ve got to make them count. “It doesn’t always work out; people always say I’d rather have the points in the bag and of course you would. “If you’re a point behind somebody with two games in hand [however,] you’ve got to back yourself that you can make the difference up and more.” Watch the manager's news conference in full now on iFollow Stags by clicking here. -------------------------- Nigel Clough told iFollow Stags: "We were very lucky to inherit Seamus (McDonagh, goalkeeping coach). "And it's very good to have someone on the staff who's older than us!" On the Exeter game: "I thought we just about edged it. Nathan Bishop produced great saves and it was just a bit unfortunate that he dropped the one in the last minute which stopped us getting a clean sheet." "It shows it's important to get that second goal, so when they do pull one back it's just a consolation." ------------------ Nigel Clough believes Tranmere Rovers will be keen to arrest poor form against Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, By Mark Duffy, Tuesday 8th March 2022 Nigel Clough says form will count for nothing on Friday night when Mansfield Town go to Tranmere Rovers as Stags aim to break into the top three in League Two. They face a side with whom they’re level on points having played three games fewer, but with Rovers having lost four of their last five games. But Clough knows the Wirral-based outfit will be keen to put that right and likened the scenario to the one that faced his own side when the teams met earlier in the season. He said: “They’re a very good side. Every team has these kinds of dips and it’s a complete reversal I think of when we played them at home, as they were going very well and we were struggling and that win set us off on a good run. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/clough-rovers-pose-big-threat-3602495 “I remember saying at the time that I thought it was the perfect game for us in that nothing was really expected. Tranmere will be feeling the same and that it’s a great opportunity for them to get back on track. “They mix it up. They changed formation on Saturday so we’re not quite sure what they’ll be doing this Friday night but we’ve obviously got one or two different formations we can play as well. “They’ve got good forwards - Kane Hemmings is someone Stags fans will know well and he’s as dangerous as anyone there is in the league.” Clough said he hopes to welcome the versatile Oli Hawkins back into the fold following injury, but is undecided as to not only where he could play on the pitch following his good displays in defence, but also who may miss out should he take his place in the squad. He said: “ It’s a difficult one because when he was in the team we looked solid and since he’s come out of the team we’ve looked solid as well, just conceding the late goal against Exeter. “If he does come into the 18 then someone has to drop out so we’ll have a good think this week and try and come up with the best team to get the result. “He also gives us an option at the other end, as is the case with Lucas Akins, and I think if you asked them both their preference would be to play up front, but they’ve both been filling in doing defensive duties for us, so there are plenty of options with the players we have available.” -------------------- Hewitt interview: Bishop is best goalkeeper I’ve played with mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 8th March 2022 Mansfield Town defender Elliott Hewitt has hailed Stags’ number one Nathan Bishop as ‘probably the best goalkeeper I’ve played with’, when speaking at a news conference earlier today. Bishop, 22, has made a huge impression since signing on loan from Manchester United last summer. The former Southend man helped Stags to victory last Friday at home to Exeter City with a string of fine saves. And when asked about the in-form shot-stopper, Hewitt said: “He’s probably the best goalkeeper that I’ve played with, especially in terms of shot-stopping. “I think his potential is wherever he wants to take himself, but he is probably the best professional that I’ve ever seen as well. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/march/bishop-is-best-goalkeeper-ive-played-with---defender/ “He’s always the first in and the last out [at the training ground]. “He doesn’t eat chocolate; he doesn’t drink alcohol. He’s the perfect professional and hopefully he’ll go right to the top.” The defender reflected on yet another victory - Stags’ tenth in a row at home in the league - when the amber and blue beat Exeter 2-1 last week. “It was good to get the three points and go above them [Exeter], so it was positive,” said Hewitt. “We fancy ourselves against anyone, but I would say Exeter is the best we have played, especially at home. “Unfortunately, some results did not go our way over the weekend, but we have still got those games in hand and hopefully we can win them.” The defender is one of the most improved players this season, and after a self-confessed poor start, has been a mainstay in the Stags’ side. “It has been up and down [the season]. “I had a pretty poor start and suppose I was quite lucky in a sense as injuries were sort of the reason I kept my place.” "Now luckily I've found my form and hopefully I've repaid the gaffer for picking me." The 27-year-old also highlighted the importance of the fans in helping the players secure positive results throughout the season. “They’ve been massive this season, more so at the start of the season when things were not going our way and they were sticking with us. “Now, there has been a few games where we have been 2-0 up and when we got back to 2-2 against Hartlepool (*), the fans push us on again.” (* comment from Martin - we were 2-0 down to Hartlepool and came back to win 3-2) With 700 tickets sold ahead of the clash against Tranmere Rovers this Friday, the defender knows the importance of the away support. “It is what we need for the rest of the season. “They were massive at Bradford as there were 16,000 home fans but all I could hear was the away fans so hopefully they can continue that for the rest of the season.” Hewitt also acknowledged the magnitude of breaking the consecutive home wins record last Friday against Exeter, that match being the tenth success in a row and in front of another big crowd. He added: “It’s a record that’s stood for so long and is the second record we’ve broken this season so hopefully we can keep doing it. "The remaining home games will be massive and we fancy ourselves against anyone there, even the likes of Middlesbrough we took them right to the death. So hopefully the fans can keep that support up.” "Exeter are probably the best side we've played, especially at home. The did cause us a lot of problems. Watch the full-back's news conference in full by clicking here. ------------------- Tranmere Rovers boss Micky Mellon wants his side to find the spark against Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, By Stephen Thirkill, Wednesday 9th March 2022 Tranmere Rovers boss Micky Mellon wants his side to re-find their spark against Mansfield Town. Slumping Rovers were beaten 3-2 at home Northampton last weekend to leave them with just one point from their last five matches. “We are going to move on and get working hard to get the spark back,” he said. “We have to be determined to get on the ball and play, so we can play the way we want to play. read more at https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/tranmere-boss-micky-mellon-keen-to-find-the-spark-against-stags-3602264 “We have to find the spark again within the group and the ability to stamp our authority on the game. “It was not good enough against Northampton. We are losing too many goals and that will always make it difficult for ourselves. “We will keep battling hard within the group to turn it around.” The slump has left Tranmere in sixth and level with Stags but having played three games more. ---------------------- |
Latest | March 2022