Archived News from December 2011
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COX, GREEN, DEMPSTER, ALAN DEVONSHIRE REACTION
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--------------------- Paul Cox and Matt Green interviews from Mansfield 103.2 ---> http://soundcloud.com/mansfield-103-2-sport/sets/03-12-2011-mansfield-town-4 ------------------ VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox told BBC Radio Nottingham ---> http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15901962.stm "When we're going through a bit of a blip it's very easy to lose confidence or to lose where you want to be and how you want to get there. "What we've tried to do as a group of people is work extremely hard on the training ground and keep our sights set on where we want to be at the end of the season. "Through the rough times we've ploughed on through and we're starting to produce one or two good performances. And now we're starting to get our rewards for it. "I thought it was a positive result, a positive performance and I'm hoping, coming into the Christmas period, it's a positive outlook for this football club." "We won 4-1 but there is still a massive amount we can do to get better. "If we want to challenge for a top-three or play-off place we have to be mentally tough and sometimes being mentally tough is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. "Sometimes we have put ourselves in trouble by having an extra pass at the back. Saying that we played from back to front and scored some good goals by playing some good football. "I don't want to be over-critical but there is stuff we need to be better at." ------------------- Stags boss praises Quarry Lane End fans for lifting Field Mill atmosphere chad.co.uk MANSFIELD Town boss Paul Cox thanked the noisy fans in the South Stand for playing their part in a first win in seven games – a 4-1 success against Braintree Town on Saturday, reports John Lomas. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/stags_boss_praises_quarry_lane_end_fans_for_lifting_field_mill_atmosphere_1_4030893 He said: “I am not getting carried away – it's only one win. But I don't think some of our recent performances have warranted draws – we have deserved to win. “So I have told the players to go out there with a smile and enjoy playing. Today they looked like they enjoyed it and they all put in a shift. “They are all like little puppy dogs – they just want to please the supporters. “I must thank the fans behind the goal who have given the stadium a different atmosphere and stayed behind the lads today and made them play. They make such a difference. “That now makes us four unbeaten so it's amazing how things can change. “I thought the lads today carried things on from the Gateshad match on Tuesday and we played some great football. “When Braintree scored from their first attack I did think here we go again. It will be 10 men behind the ball. The lads are only human and they looked anxious for a while. “Credit to the lads. They played well but didn't put their chances away on Tuesday, today they did.” After going behind, on-loan defender John Dempster grabbed his first goal for the club to set them on the recovery road and said: “I thought it went well, though we should have probably started a bit quicker. “Once we got into the game I thought we were quite comfortable. Overall it was a convincing performance.” On his goal, he added: Verma put a great ball in from the left hand side and I couldn't really miss to be honest. “I should have got my first goal on Tuesday night so it was good to get on the scoresheet today.” Braintree boss Alan Devonshire said: “It was down to individual errors again. But to be fair we were depleted so it wasn't the greatest of preparation. “On top of the suspensions, this morning we had two more pull out, one player in a car accident (Matt Pooley) and another ill (Pat O'Connor). “We had to go 4-5-1 with the bodies we had. But I thought we did okay in the first half and scored a good goal. “Mansfield's first two goals came from corners and they didn't have to work hard for any of their goals. “Some of my side are young and naive but they have to learn quickly. We are playing against professional players and professional teams. “The January window is coming up and I will change things if I have to. One thing I don't want is getting into a relegation battle. “Our main aim this year is 50 points and safety and I'd like to think we will be fine. But nothing in football is proven, you have to earn it. “Mansfield are a decent side – they showed it at our place and the lad up front (Green) is a real handful and scores goals.” ---------------------- Green praises manager's role in his own resurgence Nottingham Post MATT Green has paid tribute to the role Mansfield manager Paul Cox has played in his resurgence this season. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-14045261-detail/story.html The striker was deemed surplus to requirements at Oxford by Chris Wilder and was desperate to get his career back on track. He has done exactly that at Field Mill, bagging 13 goals in 22 league games – his latest two in the 4-1 win over Braintree on Saturday – since joining the club on a six-month loan in the summer. And Green is adamant that Cox deserves a big chunk of the credit for continually putting his faith in him. "The gaffer is someone who I have a huge amount of respect for," said Green. "He is always willing to put an arm around my shoulder and tells me good things that I want to hear. "He thinks outside the box and keeps me positive so that when I get chances I'm in the right frame of mind to stick them away. "He's been very influential, as has Micky Moore (assistant manager) and I haven't got a bad word to say about either of them. "I think when you have them believing in you, as well as the captain (Adam Murray) and experienced players like John Thompson, then it makes a big difference. "At the moment I don't think I could be in a better place both mentally and physically." Green is already well on the way to bagging 20 goals in a season for the first time in his career. He said: "That's a great target to go for and the fact that I have already got quite a few goals in the kitty takes the pressure off a bit. "I'm really enjoying it and hopefully the goals can keep flowing into next year as well. "The two against Braintree were a little more scrappy than some of the others I have scored from outside the box or from one on ones. "But sometimes those ones are more satisfying because it shows you are getting in the right positions." Meanwhile, Paul Cox was as pleased as punch to see his Mansfield side end a run of six games without a win with a comprehensive win over Braintree. The Stags had not tasted victory since their 3-2 success over Alfreton in late October. "It's been a while coming and when Muzza (Adam Murray) missed that chance early on after they had scored, you do think 'here we go again'," said Cox. "We did get a bit anxious at times in the first half, but credit to the lads for turning it around. "I thought they carried on where they left off against Gateshead in midweek and played some great football." -------------------- Alan Devonshire told the Non-League Paper: "It was down to individual errors again, but to be fair we were depleted so it wasn't the greatest of preparation. On top of the (three) suspensions, in the morning we had two more pull out, one player in a car accident (Mat Pooley) and Pat O'Connor ill. We had to go 4-5-1 with the bodies we had. But I thought we did okay in the first half and scored a good goal. Mansfield's first two goals came from corners and they didn't have to work hard for any of their goals. Some of my side are young and naive, but they have got to learn quickly." -------------------- http://www.braintreetownfc.org.uk: After the game Iron boss Alan Devonshire was realistic: "What I'm learning very quickly is that you can't take on this league with just twelve players. I've got to sort out the discipline, get everybody fit and available and then we go to work." -------------------- |
Latest | December 2011