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Archived News from October 2002

WATKISS IS SET FOR A STAGS RESHUFFLE
1st October 2002 14:50


WATKISS IS SET FOR A STAGS RESHUFFLE
Evening Post, 01 October 2002

Defender Stuart Reddington could be joining Nigel Clough at Burton for a month after Mansfield Town boss Stuart Watkiss today admitted he wants to "shuffle his pack".

And the Stags manager has hinted other players may be on their way to accommodate new players as they look to pull themselves up from the bottom of Division Two.

The Nationwide Conference outfit inquired about the 24-year-old's availability last week but the Stags boss was unable to do a deal because of his injury list.

However, with both Allen Tankard and Peter Clark, currently on loan from Stockport, returning to training yesterday, Watkiss may have more room to manoeuvre.

He definitely believes the move would be right for Reddington, who joined the Stags on a permanent basis from Chelsea at the beginning of last season after previously enjoying a loan spell at Field Mill.

Watkiss said: "I spoke to Nigel Clough last week about Stuart and I think it would be good for him to have a month's football at a good standard because I think he would be the first to admit that things haven't really gone his way this season.

"But he has been working very hard in training and he has got a great attitude. All he wants to do is improve his football and I expect to be talking to Nigel again in the next couple of days."

With Watkiss unable to extract any more money for wages, it is a case of players having to leave the club, even if it is only temporarily, if others are to be brought in.

He said: "I think I might have to shuffle the pack and it is a case of getting some people out on loan before we can get anyone in on loan.

"That is the way things have to be done at this standard.

"Ideally, I would want to bring in players to add to the squad but that is life in the Second Division after the collapse of the ITV Digital deal."

Watkiss intends to talk to Leicester City boss Micky Adams about Damien Delaney this week as the defender reaches the end of his month's loan from the Walkers Stadium.

He will be available for Saturday's home clash with Tranmere Rovers and Watkiss hopes an extension can be arranged.

He said: "Damien's loan is up after Saturday but I would like to keep him here.

"We will just have to look at the financial side of things to see if we can do that.

Both Clark and Tankard are expected to feature in the reserves' match at Boston tomorrow (kick-off, 7pm) after their respective knee injuries.

Should they come through without problems, Clark should be added to the squad on Saturday but Watkiss warned Tankard will not be making an immediate return to the fold.

He said: "With the amount of time Allen has had out, I think we are looking at two weeks of full training and a couple of reserve games before he gets back to being in the first team.

"It will be the same when Bobby Hassell and Shayne Bradley hopefully return to training next week.

"They cannot be thrown straight back in and we will se how it goes.

"I have talked about the light being at the end of the tunnel before and we have had disappointments so hopefully it won't happen again."
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Posted by Martin Shaw

 

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