Archived News from September 2005
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STRIKER SHORTAGE FOR CHESTER BATTLE
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Stags' firepower shortage for Chester battle
CHAD website, 01 September 2005 MANSFIELD Town travel to for the big 'grudge' match at Keith Curle's Chester City tomorrow night with a major firepower shortage. Carlton Palmer has been unable to bring a new striker into the club in time for the trip to the Welsh borders. And with Matthew Tipton quitting the club last Friday, Chris Beardsley breaking a leg on Monday, Palmer is also without Adam Birchall who is on Welsh U21 duty up the road in Wrexham. That leaves only Richie Barker as a recognised striker, though winger Simon Brown has played up front with him. "I tried to do a couple of deals yesterday but they didn't come off as one or two other clubs were offering ridiculous money," said Palmer. "You don't need to be Albert Einstein to see we are short on firepower tomorrow and we will get this game out the way and try to bring in one or two strikers on emergency loans before next weekend. "But I will not be panicking and bringing in players for the sake of it." Palmer revealed one of the players he was after was Northampton Town's Eric Sabin, but he was offered a much better deal at Oxford United. "The money he went there for was unbelievable and I won't put this club in danger," said Palmer. "It is obvious some clubs are gambling with money they haven't got and some could go out of business because of it. "Bristol Rovers and Northampton spent more than anyone last season and didn't get up. So there are no guarantees." Despite some good displays, Stags have only won one of their first six League games. Palmer said: "Obviously we need to start getting more points on the board. But there is not a lot wrong. I ask myself if we are playing well, if we are creating chances and if we are scoring goals and the answer is yes. "The only thing we are not doing is defending properly at restarts. We are just three conceded goals away from being in the top seven. "We have young players who are a little naive and 85 per cent of the goals we have conceded have come from restarts. "We were the better side against Notts and should have had the game won. But with seven minutes left they sent on big Andy White and threw seven men in the box. "That's when players should have taken responsibility and made sure everyone was marked." There will be little margin for error at Chester tomorrow where a hot reception awaits Palmer's men. Former Stags boss Keith Curle is still involved in a High Court action against Mansfield Town and players like Dave Artell, Luke Dimech, Scott McNiven and Tom Curtis will all have a big point to prove after being released by Palmer. McNiven, Dimech and Curtis were all told they could leave while Artell fought a bitter battle with the Stags after demanding a released from his contract to join Curle. Palmer said his troops must stay focused and not think too much about the hype over the game. "For me this is just another match," he said. "We didn't get involved in the occasion of the derby with the Notts County game and we have to do the same at Chester. "There is no issue between me and Keith Curle and if he has a grievance with Keith Haslam that is his problem. My job is to take a team there and get a result." --------------- mansfieldtown.net: Striker shortage 'No Panic' With the transfer Deadline now passed Carlton Palmer says that he wasn't going to bring any player in the club for the sake of it despite being two strikers down after Matthew Tipton left to join league 2 rivals Bury and Chris Beardsley broke his leg in the derby game against Notts County. "I won't say that yesterday (Wednesday 31st August) was a frustrating day because I didn't envisage having to bring anybody in on transfer deadline day. Obviously the situation with Matthew Tipton leaving and then Beardsley's broken leg compounded my problems some what but I wasn't going to do a deal yesterday that I didn't think was right for the football club. I tried to do a couple of deals but they didn't come off. "One or two clubs were paying ridiculous money to bring players in before the window shut and were in some cases paying over the odds." He told the official website this morning. The fact that he Stags are need of a striker has not passed the Stags boss especially as on top of the Tipton and Beardsley situation we will be without Adam Birchall who has been called up for International duty: "You (don't?) have to be Albert Einstein to realise that we need a striker with Matthew Tipton leaving then Beardo breaking his leg and Birchall will be away on International duty but it is a situation that has occurred in the last ten days and it is impossible to make things happen in a couple days, we tried but it didn't work out so we will be concentrating on getting the Chester City game out of the way on Friday evening then we see who we can get in on an emergency loan." He added. Talking about young Chris Beardsley and the way he was coming on the Stags boss was delighted with the way the young forward was starting to make an impact before his accident. "I was delighted with way 'Beardo' was coming along and I thought he played ever so well against Stoke, Boston and Notts County. I will bring somebody in on an emergency loan to replace him as he will be out to around Christmas time but there is no panic, we will find the right person." Meanwhile Palmer is pleased that he has a full squad to select from for tomorrow's trip to the Deva Stadium when the Stags face former boss Keith Curle's Chester City side. "Gavin Peers and Adam Rundle are fit and rested and I am fit again and in the squad. We have being working hard on resolving the defending of set pieces. The players are young and sometimes they make mistakes so we are working to get it right. And with only Beardsley being out of the equation I have a full squad to choose my side from - which I will do tomorrow" ------------ |
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