Archived News from December 2014
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MURRAY, OLIVER, PAUL BUCKLE REACTION
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Standards must not slip - Murray
mansfieldtown.net, 13th December 2014 Boss disappointed not to win first home match since being appointed as permanent manager. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/standards-must-not-slip-murray-2141930.aspx#16HBXUE22VyRlep1.99 Manager Adam Murray is keen to ensure that standards don’t slip after watching our side take only a point from today’s Sky Bet League Two game with Cheltenham Town. The Stags looked on course for a victory following a wonder goal by Vadaine Oliver just before the hour mark, but a curling effort by Zack Kotwica in the dying minutes earned the visitors a share of the spoils. Murray is now determined that our players improve on the defensive lapses that contributed to us only taking one point, rather than three. “I’m disappointed not to have won that game,” said Murray, “[The equaliser at Cambridge United last week] and goals that have both come from re-starts. Last week it was a free-kick, this week it was a throw-in and it’s not good enough. “Its things that we’re trying to force into the week to work on and it’s going to take more work, because that’s a game today I feel we should have won. “Their kid [Zack Kotwica] has hit it, but he’s had three yards of space on the edge of our box in the 87th minute, so it’s not good enough. A great strike or not, it’s not good enough defending. It’s not good enough focus and it can’t happen again.” Our new boss continued: “At times we kept the ball okay, but I don’t think we were effective enough for it in the way that we want to play. “But again, it’s getting the boys to understand that we want to keep the ball, but it’s got to be effective and we have to punish teams when we’re doing that. “A little bit today, we weren’t dynamic and we didn’t put them on the back foot enough.” Looking ahead to the longer-term hopes for our side, Murray added: “I’ve got to have patience and that’s the big test I’m finding, because I want thing overnight and the end product I see in my head, I want to see out on the pitch. “I’ve got to understand that’s not going to happen overnight and it’s frustrating, because it’s little things that are costing us at the minute. “[If it hadn’t been for] a lack of concentration for 30 seconds last week, we’d have gone through to the next round of the FA Cup. A lack of concentration today stopped us from getting three points on the board. “That’s where we are as a team at the minute and I’ve just said to them [the players] it’s going to be a process of you coming to the party and people stepping up, before we come to that point where we’re winning continuously.” ------------------ Murray stays patient but sends out a warning after latest late lapse for Stags chad.co.uk Adam Murray admitted tonight that he must be patient for his vision of the way he wants Mansfield Town to play becomes a reality. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/murray-stays-patient-but-sends-out-a-warning-after-latest-late-lapse-for-stags-1-7003631 But, after a second late equaliser in as many matches saw Cheltenham leave One Call Stadium with a point this afternoon, he also warned his new charges to adapt quickly or move on. Stags had looked to be heading for victory, thanks to Vadaine Oliver’s superb 55th minute 30-yard dipping strike. But the visitors plugged away and were rewarded by Zack Kotwica’s excellent 88th minute equaliser to ruin Murray’s first full home game in the hot seat. To read the match report click HERE “I am disappointed,” said Murray. “At the minute we don’t know how to win a football match. We are probably lacking a bit of leadership and a bit of character at times in games. “When we are going through the rough periods, people have to step forwards. “I have said in the dressing room that everyone has a clean slate and an opportunity - it’s up to them. We have prepared them thoroughly, but at some time they have to take responsibility as a footballer. “People who know me as a player know I am not someone who will take second best and I definitely won’t take any passengers. Players have to get on board and do what I ask them to. Come to the party or go and find another party. “At the minute the boys are continuing to give me everything. But if people can’t hit the standard they can go elsewhere. “They won’t hear any rubbish from me, only honesty. It is black and white. What I say I will do and what they ask of me I will try to do.” He added: “It is disappointing that for the second week we have conceded late from a restart. It was a free kick last week and a throw-in today and it’s not good enough. “It was a great strike, but the kid had three yards of space on the edge of the box. “We kept the ball well at times but were not effective enough with it. We were not dynamic and didn’t put them on the back foot enough. “I know have have to have patience. That’s the big test I am finding out as I want the end product in my head to happen overnight on the pitch. “Little things are costing us. But for a lack of concentration for 30 seconds last week we could have been through to the next round of the cup. But for a lack of concentration for 30 seconds today we could have had three points on the board. We have let them off the hook. “The lads will be in tomorrow for recovery and preparation for the cup game on Tuesday. “I know I have to be patient. People must understand we are coming off a nine-game run without a win and turning things round slowly. These boys have to learn to win and at the minute they don’t know how.” This afternoon was a battle of two new managers with Paul Buckle recently appointed boss of Cheltenham. He rightly felt they went away with a point they deserved on the day. “I would have been devastated for the players if we had lost that, given the way we played,” he smiled. “In the first half we were very resilient and I don’t think our keeper had to make save, while we had a few chances just before half-time. That’s the third game since I came where it has been 0-0 at half-time. That’s a huge success from the goals we were letting in prior to me coming in. “In the second half I was so disappointed to fall behind. I think Carson was caught by surprise. We had done so well and our shape was excellent, which we had worked so hard on in training. To get beaten when they didn’t get goalside of us was disappointing. “But I always had a feeling we would get back into it. I had a plan B with the boys who came on. It goes to show the importance of the whole squad. I did say I wanted everybody at the club to be able to come on and play. “That should give everyone belief. They haven’t had a lot of minutes those who came on, but they helped to change the game.” He added: “It was a cracking goal. I don’t even know his surname, I have only just learned his first name. “I flew off the bench, I was in mid-air celebrating. I had a feeling one of the substitutes might score. I said to them when they went on to just do for me what they have been doing in training. “There is some real belief starting to show in the squad. That’s two league games now undefeated. “If there had been a little bit longer on the clock we might have won it, we were looking dangerous.” -------------------- Oliver happy with regular football mansfieldtown.net Striker admits he’s enjoying his football after scoring sensational goal in draw with Cheltenham. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/oliver-happy-with-regular-football-2143278.aspx#LGlJoDlUDibFtVpD.99 Goalscorer Vadaine Oliver admits he’s enjoying playing football again, having become an established figure in our team since joining us on loan from Crewe Alexandra in October. The striker, who is set to stay at One Call Stadium until mid-January, continued his good recent form by scoring a wonder goal in yesterday’s 1-1 draw at home to Cheltenham Town. “It was a good one,” quipped Oliver, when asked about his goal. “It was one of them where you just catch it clean and ‘the keeper was off his line so it went into the back of the net. “I was always have a quick look over my shoulder before the ball comes into me just to see who is around me. I didn’t notice he was off his line, so I took a touch, swerved on it and just hit it.” He continued: “It’s a good atmosphere. Obviously, when the crowd gets behind you, it gives you a burst of momentum and a real confidence. Being back playing again, it’s just about proving what I can do. “I’ve had an ‘up and down’ spell with Crewe and it was hard to keep the momentum going. I’ve obviously come here now and I’m playing games regularly. [The style] is suiting the way I play and it’s paying dividends.” Reflecting on the game itself, which ended in a draw after Zack Kotwica equalised late on for Cheltenham, he added: “It’s a massive disappointment for the boys and they’re downbeat about it. “Conceding in the 87th minute or whatever it was is a bit hard to take, but you’ve got to kick on because we’ve got a big game [against Cambridge United in the FA Cup] on Tuesday. “I think, based on last week’s performance as well, it was another late goal that we conceded, so we need to eradicate that and we’ll start to win games.” ------------- Goal ace Oliver denied by late strike chad.co.uk Stags loanee striker Vadaine Oliver grabbed what he thought was the match-winning goal for the second successive home game, only to see Cheltenham ruin his day by grabbing a late equaliser in yesterday’s 1-1 draw at One Call Stadium. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/goal-ace-oliver-denied-by-late-strike-1-7003635 Oliver said he had spotted the keeper off his line before he sent a dipping 30-yard half-volley over Trevor Carson. “It was a good one. One of those you just hit cleanly, and the keeper was off his line,” he said. “I always have a quick look over my shoulder to see who is around me, so I did spot him off his line. Oliver enjoyed playing before a slightly larger than usual home crowd after a cut-price ticket offer. “It is a good atmosphere when the crowd are behind you,” he said. “It helps your confidence and it’s good being back playing and showing what I can do. “It was a massive disappointment for everyone to concede so late and we are all downbeat about it. But we have got to kick on as we have a big game coming up on Tuesday. “Coming so late it was hard to take. The result saw Mansfield drop to within five points of the drop zone, but Oliver said: “For us, the mood in camp is we are not intending to look over our shoulders. We are just looking forward and fighting for a place in the play-offs.” As to the future, he added: “I had an up and down spell at Crewe and it’s hard to keep the momentum going. “I just want to concentrate on my football and everything else will be dealt with in due course. I need to concentrate on getting 90 minutes under my belt and scoring goals.” ---------------- Mansfield manager Adam Murray told BBC Radio Nottingham: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30357325 "We're very disappointed to concede a late goal today. We should have had enough in us to see the game out and grab the three points. "The lads know I'm not happy. We've been in two games now where we've conceded late on, and that's down to a lack of focus and leadership. "That said, we're doing a lot of good things and it's time to take it to the next level." Cheltenham Town manager Paul Buckle told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30357325 "That is the third game where we're 0-0 at half time, which is a huge (improvement) from the goals that we've been letting in, prior to me coming in. "I always had a feeling we'd get back into it. I had a plan B ready with the boys coming on and it goes to show the importance of the whole squad. "There's a lot of talent at the club, let's get them in, let's train them hard, and let's try and have more performances like that." --------------- |
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