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Archived News from October 2013

MURRAY UNHAPPY WITH CRITICISM FROM COX
31st October 2013 10:04


Stags manager Cox refuses to enter war of words with assistant Murray
chad.co.uk, 12 October 2013 18:35

Paul Cox refused to enter into a war of words with his assistant manager Adam Murray after stories suggesting the relationship between the two of them had broken down in the press this morning.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/stags-manager-cox-refuses-to-enter-war-of-words-with-assistant-murray-1-6142951

Murray is about to start a second month on loan at neighbours Rainworth MW but was hurt by comments Cox was alleged to have made earlier on the week.

However, today Cox said the newspaper in question had since retracted the story which the club had said was made up of two separate stories and taken out of context.

Cox retorted: “I find it quite strange how someone can put something in the press on the morning of a very important game.

“Adam Murray spoke to me and texted me and asked if he could go on loan.

“He then asked me and texted me if he could extend it.

“When we read what had gone in the paper our head of media contacted them and pointed out it was two stories they had put together and asked them to retract it which they did.

“Adam Murray was told that had been done before the story that appeared this morning.

“Then I also find out he is going to be running Rainworth’s Academy.

“I will let people make up their own minds about this. It’s not my style to start slinging mud around.

“No one is bigger than this football club.

“I am not getting into a war of words. I have facts to back everything up verbally and written. The story was a mistake and the paper retracted it.”

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STORY PUBLISHED SATURDAY MORNING:
Mansfield captain Adam Murray unhappy with criticism from manager Paul Cox
October 12, 2013 10:34am

Adam Murray: Unhappy with comments made by Paul Cox
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/29025/8968976/mansfield-captain-adam-murray-unhappy-with-criticism-from-manager-paul-cox

The agent of Adam Murray has responded to the comments made by the Mansfield manager Paul Cox about his assistant

Cox had hit out at Murray in an interview earlier this week after a breakdown in the relationship between the pair.

Murray has not featured for the Stags since early August and the 31-year-old joined non-league outfit Rainworth Miners Welfare on loan last month in search of regular first-team football.

Murray's agent, Gino Culbertson, admitted the player and assistant manager was surprised and disappointed by Cox's comments about him.

"Adam was very surprised and disappointed with the remarks made about him which were not only inappropriate, but also untrue and unjustified and Adam feels as though his character has been brought into question despite his loyal contribution to the club's success last season, where he was youth coach, player, captain and assistant manager.

"What more commitment can you have than that?

"Everybody involved with Adam over the past years know what he is about and the passion he has for his club and to have that questioned has both shocked and hurt him.

"He is fully aware the manager has made it clear he has no future role to play at the club hence his decision to accept a further loan. Other than this we will not comment further at this stage."

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Relations sour between Stags manager Cox and assistant Murray
chad.co.uk, 12 October 2013 morning

Preparation for Mansfield Town’s home clash with Bristol Rovers today is being overshadowed by a spat between boss Paul Cox and his assistant Adam Murray.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/relations-sour-between-stags-manager-cox-and-assistant-murray-1-6142756#.Ulmx9gzAS_Q.twitter

Murray went out on loan to neighbours Rainworth Miners’ Welfare a month ago, a move said to be purely to get Murray some match fitness after the club skipper lost his place in the side.

But Cox made comments earlier this week suggesting a breakdown in relationships between the pair and questioning Murray’s commitment to the cause.

However, this morning Murray’s agent, Gino Culbertson, admitted the player and assistant manager was surprised and disappointed by Cox’s comments about him.

The 31-year-old, on his third spell with the Stags, believes the manager no longer wants him as part of his plans, suggesting his time with the club could be coming to a disappointing end with Murray now getting involved with a new U19 scholarship scheme at Rainworth.

Agent Culbertson said: “Adam was very surprised and disappointed with the remarks made about him which were not only inappropriate, but also untrue and unjustified.

“Adam feels as though his character has been brought into question despite his loyal contribution to the club’s success last season, where he was youth coach, player, captain and assistant manager.

“What more commitment can you have than that?

“Everybody involved with Adam over the past years know what he is about and the passion he has for his club and to have that questioned has both shocked and hurt him.

“He is fully aware the manager has made it clear he has no future role to play at the club hence his decision to accept a further loan. Other than this we will not comment further at this stage.”

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the following is the article retracted by the Nottingham Post

Mansfield Town's former captain Adam Murray happy to stay out on loan
Nottingham Post, Thur 10 Oct 2013

ADAM Murray's days as a Mansfield Town player look to be increasingly numbered, with the Conference winning captain set to continue his stint at Rainworth.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/story-19913162-detail/story.html?

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ej_kOxZPK_oJ:http://www.nottinghampost.com/Mansfield-Town-s-captain-Adam-Murray-happy-stay/story-19913162-detail/story.html+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

The midfielder started the first two games of the new campaign - defeats to Scunthorpe and Tranmere - but lost his first-team spot thereafter.

Mansfield promptly went eight games unbeaten before losing to Hartlepool at the weekend and though they were beaten 1-0 by rivals and League Two leaders Chesterfield in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday night, were impressive in defeat.

Keiran Murtagh made an eye-catching return to action in the middle of the field, meaning Murray continues to be surplus to requirements, even in the absence of the injured Chris Clements.

When asked about the former Oxford man's future when his current loan spell at Kirklington Road ends, Cox said: "Muzz contacted me to say that he was going to accept to go on loan again.

"We need as many good players that want to take this club forward and want to play for this club as we can.

"It's a waste of time having the best player in the world if he doesn't want to play for you or doesn't want to win or it doesn't hurt when you lose.

"You've got to have good footballers, but ones who also have that desire to want to win a trophy."

Ritchie Sutton's lengthy treatment and exit on a stretcher from the clash with the Spireites suggested the defender could be sidelined for some time, Cox is now far more hopeful.

He said: "I heard at first it was a spinal or neck injury and you doubt if he would be in for two weeks or so.

"But now it seems it may be concussion. We'll just have to monitor it.

"Sutts is a tough cookie and he will want to play on Saturday against Bristol Rovers if he can, that's for sure."

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the following is an article unrelated but interesting comparisons nonetheless:

Beware of the Bomb Squad
THE SECRET NON-LEAGUE
9 OCT, 2013
http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/articles/13656/beware-of-the-bomb-squad/

With the exception of maybe the best players in the world, it’s fair to say that every footballer has experienced the “Bomb Squad”. To those who don’t know what this means, it’s a modern phrase that footballers use when they have been dropped or are no longer in the gaffer’s plans.

There have been many players I have come across in non-league who have been on the receiving end of this, where they have fallen out of favour with the manager and are surplus to requirements. This usually means playing with the reserves or training with the youth team, depending on how severe or brutal the boss is.

I have witnessed managers exile players if they are not up to their ruthlessly high standards. Whether it’s the manager’s discipline or the player’s bad attitude, it commonly results in the player sat on the bench or in the stands.

An experienced pro treated like a kid who had committed a crime. But this wasn’t the case
At a previous club, I’ve seen one player starting the season as club captain. He was recruited from the league’s top club and was brought in as the top earner. He had racked up nearly 400 career games and was a top professional who all the lads respected and younger lads aspired to.

But after a heavy defeat, the gaffer used him as the scapegoat and dropped him. He never played for the club again. This was only a couple of months into the season and he had another two years remaining on his contract. He was forced to train every afternoon with the youth team and only made the bench for reserve games.

As a team-mate, it was hard to comprehend. An experienced pro treated like a kid who had committed a crime. But this wasn’t the case. He was just like any other player who had performed badly in that game and now this had developed into a nightmare for him, not only affecting his career but his also personality.

You really do have to be thick skinned to play this game. The stories I hear around the changing-rooms would be laughed at or never believed in any other workplace.

This is generally when the gaffer or the board don’t want to trigger the clause in the player’s contract
One thing I really can’t stand - and I believe there are managers who are guilty of this - is when they read the fans’ forums and will pick their team on what the fans say. And not only the team but formations also. This is comedy gold. I am convinced that there are a few managers who do this to gain the fans’ support, especially when things aren’t going well.

I’m talking non-league here. Don’t be confused, I’m not referring to Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho. That would be silly. However, previous Chelsea managers have been known to pick their team on the owner’s command, the actions of a “Yes Man”.

A common issue in football that many players experience is politics. The manager not selecting a player, due to a clause in his contract, can show this. An example would be when, after ten games, his contract is extended or wages increased. I’ve seen players play week in, week out, then all of a sudden they aren’t in the squad or don’t play for the rest of the season.

This is generally when the gaffer or the board don’t want to trigger the clause in the player’s contract. There is so much politics in football these days, even down the lower leagues. I think clubs and managers can get away with it more in non-league as they aren’t in the limelight or at the mercy of the media as much as the bigger clubs.

A former team-mate of mine was placed on the transfer list and made available for loan, a club came in for him and the gaffer rejected this deal as he wanted the acquiring club to contribute an extra £50 towards his wages. Both clubs were stubborn and, subsequently, the deal fell through, resulting in my mate not playing a competitive game for six months.

Most fans will never know the truth about many incidents but, when they are leaked, it becomes a game of Chinese whispers
Clubs usually demand 50 per cent of the wages paid for loan deals and, when a club can’t afford this due to the player’s high wages, this can stall the deal. A frustrating time for my old team-mate; this can affect your career and it certainly muddied the waters for him.

A player I once played with is now an assistant manager and club captain. He has played over 300 league games and has several promotions on his CV. He is a legend at his club and respected by many players in football but, after a disagreement with the gaffer, he was made to train with the youth team and was sent on loan to a club a few divisions below.

From what I’ve heard, he was seen as a threat to his manager and the boss had no other choice but to force him out the door to save his own back. He was treated really badly considering what he had achieved for the club. It really is quite hard to believe.

These are the politics that go on in football behind closed doors. Most fans will never know the truth about many incidents but, when they are leaked, it becomes a game of Chinese whispers.

I have been lucky enough to have experienced the Bomb Squad on only one occasion. However, it was one to remember and a frustrating few weeks that could have dented my football career. This all came after a heavy loss, which left us in the relegation zone and put us under huge amounts of pressure after being tipped as favourites for promotion at the start of the season.

On the Monday morning following the defeat, we were called into a team meeting to discuss our poor run of form. The manager gave us a right bollocking and suggested that some players would be dropped and exposed for our bad performance. Following the team meeting came the individual meetings, which was in squad number order.

We were left to wait like schoolkids waiting for the headmaster to see us after being naughty. No bullshit.

I spoke on behalf of the team as, being the skipper, it seemed the right thing to do
I was captain at the time and, when I was called in, I expressed my thoughts on what seemed to be the problem. I told the gaffer how regimented training was and how we were treated like a youth team with strict rules and excessively high standards, with incidents off the pitch seemingly more important than those on it.

I spoke on behalf of the team as, being the skipper, it seemed the right thing to do. With a team that was low on confidence, there weren’t too many loud voices in the changing-rooms. However, under this stubborn manager, voicing my opinion proved to be the wrong thing to do.

He didn’t like what I had to say and was the type of person who would rather cut off his nose to spite his face. I was placed on the transfer list later that day and was run ragged with the fitness coach for the next two weeks, along with a few other players who were also victims of the gaffer’s own failure.

These two weeks were a big test for me. The fans labelled us as “bad eggs” with bad attitudes and the manager publicly slammed us in the local newspaper. It was tough for me mentally and placed my career on the ropes as it could quite easily have given me a bad reputation and put other clubs off me.

But I kept my head down, worked hard and didn’t say a word to anyone. It’s a difficult position to be in; naturally, it affects you and your life when you are dropped and it affected me and left me very frustrated.

I couldn’t do anything about it apart from just deal with the circumstances and hope that the scenario would be sorted and I could get back to doing what I enjoy most.

I stuck up for the lads, stood by my morals and principles as a player and person. I was ignored by some team-mates as they were worried that if the manager saw them speaking to me, they would be in danger of being in the same position as me.

I was hoping to be paid up, which would have been ideal. More realistically, I expected to be loaned out
A few Conference clubs came in for me later that week, along with a Football League club, but it was obvious that my club wouldn’t allow this.

They rejected this opportunity for me to play at a higher level because, of course, they wouldn’t want me to look as if I’d come out on top. Within a week, the team continued their poor run of form and I was called into the gaffer’s office.

Like any player in this position, I was hoping to be paid up, which would have been ideal. More realistically, I expected to be loaned out.

But, no. It was far from what I had in mind and I was quite shocked when the gaffer asked: “Can you play for me tomorrow? We are in trouble and I need my best and experienced players in the team.” My response was simple and quite blunt: “I never once said I didn’t want to play for you or the club and I have never given less than 100 per cent.”

After a swift handshake, I played in front of our own fans at home the following day and put in a solid performance. Sadly, it wasn’t exactly greeted well by some hecklers in the stands - our very own fickle fans. Nice …

Anyway, the next day the gaffer stepped down and in came the new manager, who greeted us 48 hours later. The tables had turned. It’s funny how quickly football can change, eh?

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Latest | October 2013