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Archived News from August 2016

MURRAY & ADAMS REACTION/STAGS TURN DOWN GREEN BID
25th August 2016 19:09



We'll learn from Plymouth loss - Murray
mansfieldtown.net, 20th August 2016

Stags’ boss Adam Murray says his side will ‘learn from this afternoon’s 2-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle.

A first half brace from Argyle midfielder Graham Carey sealed the win for the Pilgrims, despite a second half fightback from the Stags.

And although Murray says playing over 90 minutes with ten men against Yeovil Town on Tuesday night contributed to a ‘sluggish’ start for his side, he wants his players to learn from the defeat to improve in the future.

“We knew that even if we would’ve gone in 1-0 [down] at half-time, we felt we could’ve put them under a bit of pressure, but we looked sluggish today,” the Stags’ chief said.

“Especially [in the] first half-an-hour, we looked like we were still 'in' Tuesday night, which we were very aware of and we tried to make the players know we couldn’t use that as any kind of excuse, but we didn’t have that energy and that drive in the first half-an-hour of the game.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/well-learn-from-plymouth-loss-murray-3261393.aspx#HahOUHy50eQhHJTI.99

“You learn from it, definitely. We’ve still got to look in to getting the balance right, especially away from home.

“Because you win a few games, people think you can turn up here and play four up front and go for the jugular - these kinds of teams pick you off and they would have done that to us.”

The manager says both striker Darius Henderson and winger CJ Hamilton were ‘outstanding’ after coming on as substitutes however he wants his players to improve their individual performances on a consistent basis.

“With the injuries we’ve got at the minute, we would’ve liked to freshened it up a little bit more, possibly before the game, but we obviously couldn’t do that. I just felt, at certain points, we didn’t have enough people on their game today.

“And the big thing that we’ve got to get right this season is, we don’t want one in five players that are a nine out of ten, then we drop to a five and a six, we need consistent sevens and we need to get that if we’re going to be successful in this league.”

Despite slipping to their first Sky Bet League Two defeat of the season, Murray says his side have had a positive start to the season which they can now build on.

“If somebody would’ve said to us at the start of the season that we’re going to be sitting in seventh and I think it’s joint third on goal difference after four games, we would’ve took it.

“We knew this was always going to be a tough one and I felt we lacked that little bit of ‘bounce’ that we had [on] Tuesday night today.”

Supporters can view Adam Murray’s post-match interview on Stags PlayerHD.

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Murray can’t end Plymouth away hoodoo Mansfield Town
chad.co.uk

Mansfield Town - and boss Adam Murray - were unable to shrug off their Plymouth Argyle away jink today as The Pilgrims won 2-0.

The Stags have won just once in 17 visits to Plymouth, nearly 38 years ago, and managed three draws - the third worst record of any team to have played regularly at Home Park.

“It is a fantastic football club, but as an individual I’m not very fond of it,” said Murray.

Read more at: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/murray-can-t-end-plymouth-away-hoodoo-1-8080214?

“I don’t think I’ve ever won here as a player or a manager. “It’s always my toughest place of the season to come so I am glad it’s out the way.”

On the game, he said: “I felt first half hour we were very sluggish and the damage was done in a period of 10 minutes from threats we were aware of which makes it even more disappointing.

“It showed a little bit of naivety in the group which we need to get rid of.

“We felt we’d put a team out there that could control the game if we got our game going and we didn’t do that until probably 10 minutes before half-time.

“I though second half we came out the stronger team, put them on the back foot and made them defend for large parts of the half.

“But we were not clinical or didn’t have that one that dropped to us or didn’t take the chance.

“Whatever I say in these interviews will be looked at as an excuse but we obviously put a lot into Tuesday night.

“We played with 10 men for 85 minutes and didn’t really change the team a lot today. We can’t. We haven’t got the bodies to do it at the minute. We have five or six of our key players out. “We tried to be organised in the first period of the game and play ourselves into it and get hold of it .

“But they came out the blocks flying. Obviously the pressure was on them to win. They’ve already had a couple of punches on the chin.”

Match-winner today was Brian Carey, with a quickfire first half brace, and Murray added: “He is too good for the level.

“He showed it last season. He was the major difference between the two teams.

“He is an X-factor. He turns something from thing into a bit of a spark. We didn’t deal with him first half and he caused us problems. He was the difference.”

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Stags reject un-named club's bid for Green
mansfieldtown.net, 20th August 2016

Stags' chief Adam Murray has revealed that the club have this week rejected a bid for striker Matt Green.

Speaking after the 2-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle this afternoon, manager Adam Murray revealed to the press that the club had received a bid for the services of last season's top scorer.

The manager said that the bid wasn’t ‘anywhere near’ what he would expect for the former Oxford United man, who has been on the score-sheet twice in the opening four games of the season.

“We’ve had a bit of interest in Matt this week. The bid we received, officially, is not up to anywhere near what we would expect for someone of Matt Green’s calibre,” Murray said.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/stags-reject-un-named-clubs-bid-for-green-3261652.aspx#QTrJTLc82CT7eIOB.99

“We obviously don’t want to lose Matt Green, unless there was a 'ridiculous' bid coming in then we obviously wouldn’t sell Matt.”

Although the gaffer refused to name the club who submitted the bid, he did confirm that it was a club ‘in a higher division’.

“I won’t put the club[‘s name] to it but it’s a team in a higher division than us; and like I say, it didn’t match our valuation of Matt.

“He’s obviously a key player for us and the bid would have to be ‘extreme’ for him to go. I mean everybody in the world has a price and obviously Matt’s 30 in January [but] he’s still in the peak of his career, he’s a valuable player for us so we’ll see how the next week goes.”

When asked, the manager wouldn’t put a price on the former Birmingham City man, but says he expects the frontman to continue to be as committed as ever to the club.

“It’s up to the powers that be to decide them kind of things (Green’s value) but in my eyes, he has been, and he is, and he will be a very strong and a very committed player to Mansfield Town and as far as I’m concerned, and speaking to the chairman, we don’t have to sell him. So it’s not something that we need to do and it’ll take an ‘extraordinary’ bid to shift our focus.

“If there is interest in Matt then the week will be a busy one. Obviously Matt, as well as the club, will have decisions to make but as it stands, Ma

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Stags turn down bid for goal ace Green, more expected
chad.co.uk

Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray revealed the club has turned down a bid from a higher division club for goal ace Matt Green.

Stags are fighting to keep hold of their top scorer as the August window deadline gets ever nearer and after today’s 2-0 defeat at Plymouth, Murray said: “There has been interest in Greeny and we have turned a bid down which we didn’t think was the right valuation for Matt.

“He is a big player for us and has been over the years and I think he will be for the future, so it would have to be an extraordinary bid to get him away from us - really big.

Read more at: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/stags-turn-down-bid-for-goal-ace-green-more-expected-1-8080223?

“We won’t need to sell. We want to be successful this year, we want to progress from where we were last year, and to do that you need to keep hold of your best players.

“We want to keep hold of Matt Green and we will do everything we can to do that.

“It’s coming to a point in his career now where he is still very fit, he’s 30 in January, he is at a good stage in his career and he’s hungry - so we don’t want to see him go.

“People like Greeny are hard to replace so, unless Gary Lineker popped up, it would take something out the blue to shift our mindset.

“As a football club we see Matt Green as not for sale as yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we got more bids before the deadline.”

Stags would not reveal who had made the bid, though it is rumoured to be Bradford City.

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Bradford City's Matt Green bid rejected by Mansfield
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 21/08/16 3:20pm
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11745/10546601/bradford-citys-matt-green-bid-rejected-by-mansfield?

Bradford City have had a bid rejected for Mansfield striker Matt Green.

The Bantams are keen to add another striker to their ranks before the transfer deadline and are keen on the 29-year-old Green, who has scored two in four League Two games so far this season.

Mansfield boss Adam Murray confirmed a bid was received from a higher division club, which Sky Sports News HQ has been told is Bradford, but it fell short of their valuation.

Murray said after the Stags lost 2-0 at Plymouth on Saturday: "We've had a bit of interest in Matt.

"The bid we received, officially, is not up to anywhere near what we would expect for someone of Matt Green's calibre.

"I won't put the club to it but it's a team in a higher division than us. We obviously don't want to lose Matt. Unless there was a ridiculous bid coming in then we obviously wouldn't sell him."

Green signed for Mansfield on a free transfer last summer after being released by Birmingham City.

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Derek Adams says Plymouth Argyle 'by far better team' against Mansfield Town
By Andy_Phillips, August 20, 2016, plymouthherald.co.uk

MANAGER Derek Adams believed Plymouth Argyle were 'by far the better side' in their 2-0 win over Mansfield Town on Saturday.

Graham Carey's first-half double saw Argyle get off to a quick start against an under-par Mansfield Town side.

The Pilgrims then defended doggedly in a scrappy second half to nonetheless delight their fans by recording their second successive win in League Two.

A clearly delighted Adams said his side were well worth their three points.

"Outstanding - both first half and second half," he said.

"A real passing performance second half, we had to defend a lot of high balls in both halves, we were by far the better side."

He continued: "Graham Carey was the standout performer in the first half, but there were other ones as well who joined him in play; the full backs, central midfield players, strikers, we had the defenders on the ball as well.

Read more at http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/derek-adams-says-plymouth-argyle-by-far-better-team-against-mansfield-town/story-29639156-detail/story.html?#TxTa8P4adfkGwBU3.99

"It was just an accomplished first-half performance, the way we took the ball and moved it and created openings.

"Second half it became a bit messy - they threw in a lot of seven foot players and we had to deal with that."

Adams said that the defensive display of his team in the second half showed another side to their game, with Mansfield bringing on Darius Henderson and CJ Hamilton and making it a much more physical game.

In response, Argyle's back four were resolute in their defending, with Sonny Bradley and Nauris Bulvitis not giving away anything.

"To play the way we did first half and second half you need to do that in this league," said Adams.

"There's teams that play football, there's teams that play the ball forward depending on what game they're playing.

"Mansfield can do both, but we dealt well with both sides of the game."

Adams was also pleased with the way his side dealt with some tough conditions at Home Park.

A strong wind was blowing in their faces in the first half, while there were also several heavy showers in the second half which turned the game into a battle against the elements as much as anything else.

"It looked that way," admitted Adams.

"I think both teams played better against the wind, it was quite windy out there,

"But to come away, win 2-0 against a team who were unbeaten with seven points before today, it's a very good win for us."

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Pulling the Strings
pafc.co.uk

DEREK Adams praised his side's ability to use plenty of strings from their proverbial bow, after Argyle put in a strong performance to beat Mansfield Town 2-0 at Home Park.

First came the flair, as two Graham Carey goals capped off a first half full of flowing moves and attacking intent. Man-of-the-match Carey's dangerous delivery from a free-kick evaded everyone and found the far corner on 19 minutes, before an outstanding individual goal from the Irishman five minutes later.

Then came the grittiness, fending off the expected, direct response from the Stags in the second half that Argyle resolutely saw off. Derek knows the importance of balancing qualities like that in a squad at this level, as doing so ensured a first home win of the campaign for the Greens.

"Outstanding, both the first half and the second half," said Adams in his side's performance. "The first half: a real passing performance. The second half: we had to defend a lot of high balls. In both halves, we were by far the better side.

"It was just an accomplished first-half performance; the way we took the ball and moved it and created openings. The second half became a bit messy. They threw in a lot of seven-foot players and we had to deal with that.

Read more at http://www.pafc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/pulling-the-strings-3261659.aspx#T5y7GwsxhDH8rMJm.99

"To play the way we did, in the first half and second half - you need to do that in this league. There's teams that play football, and there's teams that play the ball forward depending on what game they're playing. Mansfield can do both, and we dealt well with both sides of the game."

Putting a stuttering start to the 2016-17 season firmly behind them, the Greens battled the wind and rain at Home Park to record consecutive victories in the space of a week.

"I think both teams actually played better against the wind," said Adams. "It was quite windy out there, but to come away 2-0 [against] a team that were unbeaten on seven points - it's a very good win for us.

"We're just moving on from the first game of the season. We've come away here today with three points. We went away to Notts County on Tuesday and won the three points there, as well."

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Graham Carefree
pafc.co.uk

AFTER scoring both of Argyle's goals in their 2-0 victory over Mansfield, Graham Carey says that it was the most enjoyable game of football he has played so far this season.
Given a license by Derek Adams to roam, as long as he works hard, means that Argyle's number 10 can find space in behind the opposition and do the most damage he can.

"I got a lot of space," said Graham. "But I think it was down to the hold up of Jimmy (Spencer) and Jake (Jervis) as well and the quality of the passes forward. It made my job a lot easier because I could get the ball in the final third and run at players.

"I really enjoyed it. I think it was the most enjoyable bit of football I have played this season. I was a lot more free and a lot more focused on attacking and I felt a lot sharper as well. We have to get to know each other and how we play, but personally I have been quite disappointed with my performances so far this season. It was nice to get off the mark in terms of goals, as well.

Read more at http://www.pafc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/graham-carefree-3262512.aspx#tMJfp0mHi8vMzFGR.99

"The manager says go and find space. I am playing just off the striker, but if the space is not there then I need to move in between the lines of defence and midfield. I just went wherever the space was and I think the way we passed the ball and the way we got the ball into the final third today really suited the way we were playing. It is important to create chances but the manager gives us the freedom as long as we get back into shape when we lose the ball and work hard then he will give us that license."

Graham's first goal was from a free-kick that he won, getting tripped on the right flank. With his left foot, Graham whipped the ball into the box, but it evaded everyone and went straight in for the opener.

"It was kind of a cross," said Graham. "But if you keep it in between the two posts then there is every chance it can go in if no one gets a touch. So it was nice."

The next goal from Graham, however, had no luck attributed to it whatsoever. Argyle's number 10 drifted in from the right and flew past his man with a clever turn before poking past Brian Jensen in the Mansfield net.

"Before that I had a few runs at the full-back and I felt I had the beating of him,." said Graham. "I drifted out there a lot more in the first-half and I got the ball and once you back them into the box they cannot touch you, so it was a nice goal, and it was in front of the Devonport End as well.

"To get the second goal in the game was crucial before half-time, because they knew they had a big task on their hands in the second-half and it eased the pressure of us a little bit. It was an important time to get the second goal."

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