Archived News from December 2002
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WILLIAMSON FIT FOR BARNSLEY
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MacKenzie doubtful / Curle on Rhys Day/ Sellars may be fit for Reserves tomorrow
--------- mansfieldtown.net report that Lee Williamson, who rested up an injured medial ligament during his suspension, is now free to play again, and will be joining training on Thursday and should be fit enough to be considered for Saturday. mansfieldtown.net report that Scott Sellars who has been out for some weeks, is returning to training on Wednesday, and could figure in the Reserves game at Tranmere on Wednesday night (in the Avon Insurance League Cup, Group 3) mansfieldtown.net report that there is some talk of offering him an extension to his contract to the end of the season, where he will be helping out with the coaching of the youth team. The finer details of this have still to be ironed out but the early indications are looking very positive. For more details, visit mansfieldtown.net ----------- CHAD: Curle sets out stall for success NEW Stags player-manager Keith Curle continued to set out his stall this week ahead of Saturday's six-pointer at fellow strugglers Barnsley (3pm). The 39-year-old former England international is making sweeping changes throughout the club to put it on a far more 'professional' footing. And he will step up his personal fitness training this week after admitting 'playing on memory' during Saturday's stunning 4-0 win over Blackpool. It was certainly an impressive memory as Curle marshalled his troops superbly to only their second clean sheet of the season. Curle has also verbally agreed a new deal with fellow veteran Scott Sellars to join the club's coaching staff as well as continue playing until at least the end of the season. The manager was delighted overall with Saturday's victory but is keen to work harder with the players on keeping their formational shape during the game. "I was very pleased with Saturday," he said. "Blackpool did cause us a few problems which we expected as they would with most teams in this division. Don't forget if they had won they would have gone seventh. "I can take a lot of positives out the game though I was disappointed that at times we didn't keep our shape. But I have not had long to work on that with the players and will be doing that this week. "We won't get carried away with the result. If we had lost we would not have gone down and just because we won on Saturday doesn't mean we will stay up. "We have 25 games left and I am looking forward to each and every one of them, starting Saturday at Barnsley. "There is a lot of hard work to be done here educating the players but in myself, John Gannon and Paul Holland we have people here who want to do that and turn them into better players." Curle felt physically shattered as he saluted the applauding fans at the end and said: "A lot of it was done on memory on Saturday. "But I know I can get by for the first three or four games on adrenalin, nerves and enthusiasm. I have only had 45 minutes proper football training in seven weeks which is not ideal preparation. But it helps when you have young legs around you. "I thought our full backs were superb and I enjoyed playing alonsgide Rhys Day. I tried to simplify his game for him and he looked the player everyone knows he can be." Curle did signal to the bench to replace the tiring Andy White with the fresh and fast legs of Colin Larkin which paid off with a quickfire brace of goals. But Curle admitted he will be leaving most decisions to the bench. "The last thing their defenders needed was the extra pace of Colin Larkin coming on," he said. "But on Saturdays John Gannon is in charge of the team. There are things I can sort out on the pitch when I am only 20 yards away from someone, but overall John will be in charge while I concentrate on my own game. "Also Scott Sellars watched for me from the director's box and came and gave us his input at half-time which was very useful. "Scott has agreed to join us on the coaching side and help out with the kids in the week and watching some games for us. "He has his coaching badge and it is a great chance for him to get a foot on the ladder. Scott is a very experienced player who knows how the game should be played and we want him to pass that on. "It also means Paul Holland can help John Gannon more with the first team which frees me up to train properly. I am trying to get the maximum out of everyone at the club. I want 100 per cent, not 90 per cent." Sellars may get some part of today's Avon Insurance League Cup reserve tie at Tranmere Rovers. Lee Williamson is back from suspension to rejoin the squad for Saturday's Oakwell trip. And he could get an instant recall if Neil MacKenzie, so impressive in the two games under Curle, fails to recover from a knee ligamant strain picked up on Saturday. MacKenzie will be assessed tomorrow (Thursday). For Curle is will be an instant return to a club he has recently played 11 games for. "It is always nice to go back to an old club and I had a good rapport with the supporters there," he said. "Also, their chairman rang to congratulate me on getting the job at Mansfield which was nice and I still see some of their players in Sheffield. "People might say it is a winnable game for us. As far as I am concerned every game we have left until the end of the season is winnable for us. "That is my attitude - we will give everyone a game of football. Along the way we will get bits and pieces of bad luck. "But we had some good luck on Saturday as the sending-off changed the game for us. My motto has always been I would rather be lucky than good." - Stags' Boxing Day home clash with Stockport County has been brought forward to a 1pm kick-off. The move, agreed by both clubs last week, followed a request from Police. - Stags' club shop is open for Christmas shopping on Saturday 10am-1pm, Monday 9am-1pm and Tuesday 9am-noon. It will then be closed until the following Monday, |
Latest | December 2002