Archived News from October 2005
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HASLAM: THERE IS NO RUSH
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No rush for new boss, says chairman
CHAD, 05 October 2005 MANAGERLESS Mansfield Town are three points adrift at the bottom of the Football League after Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Leyton Orient. But chairman Keith Haslam called on fans not to panic and said he would not rush into a decision on a new manager. And he called on fans to unite behind the club ahead of Friday's visit of Shrewbury Town (7.45pm). The Stags Supporters Association have also called on supporters to get behind the side. Caretaker boss Peter Shirtliff, one of 60-plus candidates for the vacancy will again prepare the side for the next game and Mr Haslam told Chad: "The situation is still the same as last week as far as I am concerned. "I am monitoring the situation and talking to Peter – I want to give him a fair crack. "There is no rush. Look at Bury and Swindon - they haven't appointed anyone yet. And I do not believe it affects the players not having a full-time appointment. "Look at Saturday's game. Once again we played well but conceded three goals through individual mistakes again. "Orient's manager Martin Ling also said we played well and felt we were in a false position. But I know things have got to turn around quickly. "If I went for someone from outside the club I have three or four people from the pile of applications that I would want to interview. "Obviously Peter is very much in the hat and, although I have put no time scale on it, I would say I will sit down and talk with him in the next couple of weeks. "I would be more concerned if we were not creating chances and scoring goals. "Again on Saturday we had the majority of the play. Apart from the games against Peterborough, Chester and Wycombe we have played reasonably well and not deserved to lose. "It's just down to these individual mistakes we have to eradicate. No one has hit us with wonder goals or carved us open yet." Various rumours about Haslam's future with the club are going around town and there are also rumblings of a planned protest against the chairman before Friday's game. But he said: "I hope fans turn up on Friday and get behind the players. "They are the ones that have to perform and need those supporters. "It is not the time to have a go at me. If some supporters want me to go, that won't do it. If certain sections want me out, that is another issue and Friday is not the time to deal with it. "Shrewsbury would love to come and see the players have the added burden of protests. It would play straight into their hands. I can understand supporters' frustrations at the moment, but we have to deal with the situation. "There have been a lot of rumours flying around Mansfield recently - some of them crazy and unfounded. But Friday is only about the football. "We always have a good atmosphere at a Friday night game and a good turnout of supporters. Hopefully we will get that again and start picking up some points." Shirtliff has already stated he needs to bring in some new faces to strengthen the side. And the chairman said his caretaker can do so. "That is part of being caretaker manager," he said. "It is the same responsibility as being manager. "I know Peter is out looking at players two or three nights this week and we have other people at other games. If these players perform, there is a chance we will see some movement before the weekend." A spokesman for the SSA agreed with the chairman's sentiments for Friday and said: "Supporters need to forget what is going on behind closed doors on Friday night and get behind the team to make sure we get a win." Shirtliff said: "We have got to be really up for it on Friday. "It is a night game so hopefully we'll get a good crowd who will get behind the team and help us get the right result. "It would be so nice to get a home win. We have played five at home and seven away so far and we need to get some home wins under our belt which would be a big confidence booster." Shirtliff said nothing had changed on his caretaker role. "I am two weeks into the job now and just getting on with it," he said. "I think in the not too distant future the chairman will make a decision on what he wants to do. But I am enjoying it in the meantime. "We have to start picking up points and cutting out the silly mistakes at the back. If we can then I know we will create chances and score goals. "I was disappointed with our defending on Saturday. You concede three goals then you are going to lose. "It is imperative we get some new faces into the club with a bit of presence, but it will be difficult to get people to come here right now. "I have already identified one or two players and there may be more as the week goes on. I would like to bring one or more in for Friday night but it may not be easy. "A player has to want to come here and his club have to allow him to come as well." If Jason Talbot shakes off his groin strain, Shirtliff may have a full squad to choose from, apart from broken leg victim Chris Beardsley and Adam Birchall, who is again away on Welsh U21 duty. ----------- Managerial Post still open mansfieldtown.net Peter Shirtliff believes that Mansfield Town chairman is close to announces his decision on the manager situation at Field Mill: "I think that in the not too distant future the Chairman will be announcing what he wants to do about filling the manager position. I have been in the job two weeks now and I am working hard to try and improve the team and the squad and obviously I am looking at different players before I bring them in. things will not change over night it takes time so we have to stick together as a group and hopefully things will turn, but results are important. "I am enjoying what I am doing and am still interested in the position" He told the official website. Meanwhile Chairman Keith Haslam said: "The situation is still the same as last week as far as I am concerned. I am monitoring the situation and talking to Peter - I want to give him a fair crack. "There is no rush. Look at Bury and Swindon - they haven't appointed anyone yet. And I do not believe it affects the players not having a full-time appointment. Look at Saturday's game. Once again we played well but conceded three goals through individual mistakes again. "Orient's manager Martin Ling also felt we played well and felt we are in a false position. "But I know things have got to turn around quickly. "If I went for someone from outside the club I have three or four people from the pile of applications that I would want to interview. Obviously Peter is very much in the hat and, although I have put no time scale on it, I would say I will sit down and talk with him in the next couple of weeks." Various rumours about Mr Haslam's future with the club are going around town and there are also rumblings of a planned protest against the chairman before Friday's game. But he said: "I hope fans turn up on Friday and get behind the players. They are the ones that have to perform and need those supporters. "It is not the time to have a go at me. If some supporters want me to go, that won't do it. If certain sections want me out, that is another issue and Friday is not the time to deal with it. "Shrewsbury would love to come and see the players have the added burden of protests. It would play straight into their hands. "I can understand supporters' frustrations at the moment, but we have to deal with the situation. "There have been a lot of rumours flying around Mansfield recently - some of them crazy and all of them unfounded." ------- Shirtliff has players in his sights mansfieldtown.net Caretaker boss Peter Shirtliff has identified two players that he would like to bring into Mansfield Town but realises that it isn't always as easy as it first seems: "I have been looking at players to cover all areas to strengthen the squad and I have identified two at the moment but as the week goes on I am sure there will be more. I am hopeful that I can get them in but it is difficult to be confident about these things because the players have to want to come here and their club has to allow them to make the move that is why I say I am hopeful of bringing them in." Shirtliff will continue his search for players, as he believes that although the players we have at the club already are a good young squad, it is important to bring in some new players if we are to be competitive this season. As he prepares for Friday Night's (7.45pm KO) home fixture against Shrewsbury he has a full squad to choose from with the exception of Chris Beardsley who is recovering from a broken leg and Jason Talbot who as being battling against a groin strain. -------- 'Get Meaner' mansfieldtown.net Stags caretaker Manager Peter Shirtliff has has had time to reflect on Saturday's defeat at Brisbane road over the weekend and feels that we did enough to at least share the points: "We did well for the most part and I think that we certainly did enough for a point. On another day if we were at the top of the league luck would probably would have gone our way a little bit but as it goes if you make mistakes you always seem to get punished when you are bottom of the league. Though, I do recognise that we need to improve and eradicate the mistakes that have been costing us at the back and be more clinical in our finishing. "The one worry is that if improvement doesn't come soon the lads' confidence will start to suffer but at the moment I think that they are still pretty confident and look as though they can win any game. I am not too concerned at the moment because I believe that we have players who can score goals and create chances we just need to be a bit tighter and meaner at the back and hopefully our luck will turn soon" |
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