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CLOUGH, MACDONALD, MARK HUGHES REACTION
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Boss: Stags gave everything
mansfieldtown.net, Sat 2 Sept 2023 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough says his side gave “absolutely everything” in this afternoon’s 0-0 draw at home to Bradford City - continuing the club’s unbeaten start to the season - despite having injuries to key players. With depleted numbers, Stags have taken four points from Stockport and Bradford in a week whilst also beating Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday. Speaking to iFollow Stags post-match, the boss said: “It has been a big week with two very tough games on Saturday and Tuesday, especially at Hillsborough. “We didn't have much choice in having to play the same team again today. “There were a lot of tired legs, and we had three players playing only their second games of the season. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2023/september/boss-stags-gave-everything/ “The lads have given absolutely everything this week. You can't doubt their commitment.” The gaffer believes his side started to find their rhythm more in the second-half. “The second-half was a bit more like us and better finishing or a break in the penalty area and we might have nicked it 1-0. “Bradford are very well organised, well drilled and very difficult to break down. We had to be at our best to do that, but we found it tough. “We are never happy with a 0-0 at home but it's nice to keep the unbeaten run going and we have to put it into perspective in terms of what we have gone through this week. “We are in the top seven, yet we had 11 players that couldn't start today and another double whammy this week with Rhys Oates and Stephen Quinn [getting injured]. “We don't want to lose anybody but I couldn't think of two more important players at the moment to lose than those two.” The boss went on to provide the extent of the duo’s injuries. “Their prognosis is not very good. Rhys ruptured ankle ligaments in that challenge right in the 90th minute at Hillsborough when he won a corner. The scans suggest two to three months,” he added. “Stephen Quinn made a challenge down here against Stockport quite early in the first half and has nicked a ligament in the side of his knee and he will be a bit longer - between three and four months. “Everyone else is just going to have to step up the next few weeks. “Aaron Lewis has a chance for next Saturday, Hiram Boateng maybe the week after. So I am glad we have a quiet month. “I am glad the Doncaster [Trophy] game has been moved from Tuesday as I am not sure we could have put a team out.” The gaffer revealed the club looked at bringing in cover in the forward area on Deadline Day. “We did try to get a loan in yesterday - a young striker - but couldn't quite manage it,” said Nigel. “There are a few free agents out there that we have spoken to before the window shut. We will pick up on those next week. “Everybody wants to try to get better.” ---------------------------------- Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham: "Our crossing and final ball was poor today. "Ollie Clarke played his first game this season on Tuesday. He was struggling to get going today. Add you saw a few heavy legs out there, hence not as sharp as we have been." "I thought the centre half pairing of Flint and Brunt played well today. "Very pleased with James Gale when he came on, he ruffled a few feathers and caused them a few problems." ---------------------------------- Rhys Oates and Stephen Quinn sidelined after scans as Mansfield Town injury crisis worsens chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Sat 2 Sept 2023 Mansfield Town's injury crisis worsened today with scans ruling out striker Rhys Oates and midfield veteran Stephen Quinn for several months. Nigel Clough was forced to field the same 11 again in today's battling 0-0 home draw with Bradford City and has 11 players unavailable. He said: “We are top seven yet we had 11 players couldn't start today and another double whammy this week with Rhys Oates and Stephen Quinn. “We don't want to lose anybody but I couldn't think of two more important players at the moment to lose than those two. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/rhys-oates-and-stephen-quinn-sidelined-after-scans-as-mansfield-town-injury-crisis-worsens-4278348 “We miss Rhys' directness, even if he's coming off the bench or something to affect the game. He will be a huge miss for us. “Their prognosis is not very good. Rhys ruptured ankle ligaments in that challenge right in the 90th minute at Hillsborough when he won a corner. The scans suggest two to three months. “Stephen Quinn made a challenge down here against Stockport quite early in the first half and has nicked a ligament in the side of his knee and he will be a bit longer - between three and four months. “Everyone else is just going to have to step up the next few weeks.” He added: “Aaron Lewis has a chance for next Saturday, Hiram Boateng maybe the week after. So I am glad we have a quiet month. “I am glad the Doncaster game has been moved from Tuesday as I am not sure we could have put a team out. “The injuries are just incredible bad luck and misfortune. There are not two injuries the same. It is absolutely bizarre. It has been like it for 10-11 months now and we just have to get on with it. There is nothing else we can do.” On today's game, he said: “It was a good point but I didn't think much of the performance, especially in the first half. “I thought we got going a bit in the second half and created enough chances and situations. But the final cross or pass was missing today and we were nowhere near the levels we have been. “But it has been a big week with two very tough games on Saturday and Tuesday, especially at Hillsborough. And we didn't have much choice in having to play the same team again today. “There were a lot of tired legs and we had three players playing only their second games of the season. “The lads have given absolutely everything this week. You can't doubt their commitment. “Second half was a bit more like us and better finishing or a break in the penalty area and we might have nicked it 1-0. “Bradford are very well organised, well drilled and very difficult to break down. We had to be at our best to do that, but we found it tough. “We are never happy with a 0-0 at home but it's nice to keep the unbeaten run going. And we have to put it into perspective in terms of what we have gone through this week. You have to allow us a little bit for that.” It was a quiet deadline day for Mansfield yesterday with just youngster Taylor Anderson heading out on loan to Ilkeston for a month. Clough said: “We did try to get a loan in yesterday - a young striker - but couldn't quite manage it. “But there are a few free agents out there that we have spoken to before the window shut. We will pick up on those next week. “Everybody wants to try to get better. Being a free agent used to be a bit of a stigma. But now they are the only ones we can sign for the next four months.” --------------------- Macdonald enjoying life at Mansfield mansfieldtown.net, Sat 2 Sept 2023 Full-back Calum Macdonald says he’s ‘enjoying every second at Mansfield’ following this afternoon’s goalless draw at home to Bradford City. The 25-year-old joined the club in the summer and has impressed at left-back since signing for the Stags. The Nottingham-born defender won the sponsor’s Man of the Match in a 0-0 draw with fellow promotion hopefuls Bradford today. Summing up his brief time at the club so far, he said: “I’ve enjoyed every second of it. There’s a positive atmosphere around the club, and I’m pleased with the way we play. We had a really strong pre-season. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2023/september/macdonald-enjoying-life-at-mansfield/ “My sending-off at Crewe set me off a little bit but I’m now getting back to the sort of fitness levels required to play in this team.” On the performance and point against the Bantams, Macdonald said: “It was a tough game, a very tough game. I don’t think we were at our fluid best that we have been at times [this season]. “It’s important that we dug in and got a clean sheet and I think in the end we could have definitely nicked the game. “It was important that, after we weren’t great in the first-half, we stayed in the game. We kept a clean sheet and it gave us the best opportunity to go and win it going forward. It didn’t happen today but hopefully in the weeks ahead it will stand us in good stead. “If anyone was going to win the game I think it was us. We’ve definitely played better this season. We needed more quality in the final third, myself included, with delivering the ball into the box better and [if we do that] we’ll get more chances. “We got into some good areas and the ball in the box maybe wasn’t up the level which it maybe has been in previous weeks, but that’ll come.” When asked about his own performance, Macdonald said: “There’s plenty to improve on when I get into that final third. My crossing and delivery was quite average. From a defensive point of view, up against my wing-back, I felt I dealt with him pretty well. Going forward, hopefully I can improve on my attacking side.” The defender emphasised Stags’ unbeaten start to the season, saying: “We’ll keep that going as long as we possibly can. It’s important that the games we’re not winning we do draw because we can turn those into wins quickly enough. We’ll keep trying.” He added: “We will rest this week, and we have another game next Saturday, so we’ll be fresh and ready to go again.” -------------------------- Important to take a point when you don’t win says Mansfield Town’s Calum Macdonald after dour draw with Bradford City chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Sat 2 Sept 2023 Mansfield Town summer signing Calum Macdonald said it was important to avoid defeat on days when things don't go your way after this afternoon's dour 0-0 home draw with Bradford City. The injury-hit Stags remain unbeaten in all competitions and left back Macdonald is enjoying life at the One Call Stadium. “We are eight games unbeaten and will keep that going as long as we can,” he said. “It is important the games we are not winning we do draw them. We can turn them into wins quickly enough. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/important-to-take-a-point-when-you-dont-win-says-mansfield-towns-calum-macdonald-after-dour-draw-with-bradford-city-4278398 “It was a very tough game. We were not at our fluid best but it was important we dug in and got the clean sheet, and in the end we could have nicked the game. “We have been better in the second half of every game we have played so far which shows we need to start better but also shows we have good fitness in the team and keep going right to the very end. “First half we weren't great. But we stayed in the game and kept us a clean sheet which gave us the best opportunity to go on and win it going forward. It didn't happen today. “But if anyone was going to go on and win the game it was us. “It has been a long week, we've had two tough games before today. But that's no excuse for not being as fluid as we have been. “We were still the fresher team towards the end of the game. “Christy Pym wasn't really called upon today - bar Tuesday he's not really had too many busy games this season.” On his own personal situation, he added: “There is plenty for me to improve on in the final third. “Since I joined I have enjoyed every single second of it - the atmosphere around the club and the way we play. “We had a really strong pre-season. Unfortunately I got sent off in the opening Crewe game which set me back a little bit but I feel I am getting back to the fitness levels now which are required to play in this team.” ------------------------------- What Mark Hughes had to say about Bantams draw at Mansfield thetelegraphandargus.co.uk, By Simon Parker CITY face the next few weeks without Andy Cook, Mark Hughes has confirmed. The striker has missed the last two games after taking a whack in his side against Crewe. And the Bantams boss revealed that his side injury will take longer to heal. Hughes felt his side could have done more in attack in this afternoon’s goalless draw at Mansfield - and admits they’ve got to get used to playing without Cook. “We’re getting better,” he said. “We will get better. “We’re missing a little bit of a presence at the top end of the pitch. We didn’t have that option to go along without Cooky. https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/23763828.mark-hughes-say-bantams-draw-mansfield/ “That’s going to be a loss in the next few weeks. But we’ve got to make the best of it. “I probably would have been happy with a point prior to the game. “Mansfield have started the season well, they were 100 per cent here and played really well against Stockport when we watched them. “But I don’t think they created anything of note against us. I felt we were comfortable again. “Under those circumstances, I would have hoped we might have created a little bit more than we actually did. “I thought we had good moments when we could have produced a little bit better at the top end. But we didn’t sustain that pressure on people when guys can make mistakes. “That would be something I’m a little bit disappointed with but overall credit to the lads, they’ve put in a real shift this week. “We’ve put a huge effort in with the home game and two really difficult away ones. “We’ve come through on the other side without being beaten in any of them. Credit to the lads they’ve stuck at it. “We’ve got a week now to regroup, we’ve got new lads into the squad we’ll integrate and we’ll be ready to go for the next game.” Alex Pattison also faces a few weeks on the sidelines with his hamstring injury. Hughes added: “I took him off at half-time on Tuesday to stop it being actual damage that he felt. He was quite prepared to keep on playing. “He came off as a precaution but unfortunately the damage was already done. He’s going to be two to three weeks. “It’s a loss. I think he would have made a difference today.” ----------------------------- Bradford City manager Mark Hughes happy to settle for a point in stalemate at Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Sat 2 Sept 2023 Bradford City manager Mark Hughes was happy to settle for a point in today's 0-0 draw at Mansfield Town. Lucas Akins clipped the Bradford post with 11 minutes to go but it was an easy afternoon for both keepers over the 90 minutes. “It was a game of few chances. I just felt if we had just quickened up our play at the top end of the pitch then we could have had a bit more joy that we had,” said Hughes. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city-manager-mark-hughes-happy-to-settle-for-a-point-in-stalemate-at-mansfield-town-4278344 “It was a little bit flat for both teams today for whatever reason, but I never felt under any pressure. “I don't think they created anything of note and I don't think we created too many clear cut chances either. You get those games now and again - it wasn't a great spectacle. “We were in the ascendancy in terms of possession but you have to make use of that. “We didn't have the outlet of Andy Cook today to go long and work off flick-offs. We didn't force any sustained pressure which is what forces people into mistakes. “It's been a tough week. Mansfield is a difficult place to come and we have had six out of eight games away, so it's been a big shift from everybody and maybe the edge was taken off our game.” ------------------------ |
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