Archived News from June 2017
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EVANS PRESS CONF 30MAY
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twitter Mansfield Town FC @mansfieldtownfc
Gaffer Steve Evans has arrived to speak to the local media at a news conference at One Call Stadium. Updates to follow... SE: "I've had messages of condolences from managers in the Premier League down to non-league [about Matt Salmon]. He won't be forgotten." SE: "I think we know we're a couple short in very, very important areas of the team." SE: "I would say absolutely optimal signings would be three, but it might be two." SE: "I'm almost there now, ready for a break. If you're trying to bring in a player, they want to speak to the head coach or manager." SE: "I must admit, I've watched more clips of players and football in the last few weeks than I thought I could do!" SE: "There's a lot of teams that are still going to be major, major competition for us next year." SE: "The pre-season fixtures will be announced soon. There's three exciting fixtures at the One Call Stadium." --------------- Gaffer focussed on completing squad mansfieldtown.net After securing the acquisition of versatile midfielder Will Atkinson yesterday, Stags’ boss Steve Evans has earmarked a maximum of three more signings to finalise his squad for the 2017/18 season. Former Southend United midfielder Atkinson put pen-to-paper on a deal at One Call Stadium yesterday as the gaffer increased his summer signings tally to 11. And speaking at yesterday's news conference, he said: “We’re not far away now. The chairman always laughs and says we’re a couple short! I think we know we’re a couple short in very, very important areas of the team. “We’re trying desperately hard to make sure we get the right type and I’ve always said if the right type’s here now and we have to do it, I’m very confident we can get these things done. But I have to make sure we bring the right type in and it has to give us that balance. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/gaffer-focussed-on-completing-squad-3727187.aspx#GIrwcmMILr8al3Wb.99 “We’ve got a wonderful balance now throughout the squad and it’s no hidden secret that at both ends of the pitch we’ve got one more to add and there’ll always be room for another central midfield player. “So I’d say absolute optimum would be three additions from now, it could be two, but the maximum would be three and it would be in the spine of the team.” The former Leeds United manager has his remaining targets in mind and he is working as efficiently as possible to get them tied down to the club. “If it’s tomorrow it would be great, but the chances are it could be a week or two now they know who we want. We’re in a running battle with a number of other clubs for the two or three targets who we want. “We’ve done some wonderful business. We’re popping into June very shortly and we’ve done most of our business. “We’ve been able to do some good business, but we’re not going to talk them up. They’re good players that have come together and it’s our job as a coaching staff and management team to get them on the pitch and work with them and find out our best system and shape and team. We’ve got a plethora of options.” Shifting focus away from our transfer business, the manager says the Stags’ pre-season schedule will be revealed soon. “The pre-season friendlies will be announced soon, I think they’re just tying all the details up and confirming the dates. We’ve got three exciting fixtures here at the One Call Stadium. “I’ve seen fixtures that are attributed to the youth team and not us - the first team pre-season programme will come out. “We come in for two or three days’ testing at the university, the whole squad, and we’ll have a couple of football training days and then we’ll go to Malta for a week. “We’ll have a game or two over there and then we’ll come back to a real hot-bed of pre-season, some top, top class clubs here and one or two tasty games away from here that we’ll have to go and see the other side of the game and try and perform the same as we do here.” Supporters will be able to login to Stags PlayerHD later today to view the manager’s full news conference. ---------------------- No Stags move for Frecklington or Roberts chad.co.uk, by John Lomas Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans has distanced himself from rumours he was moving to sign midfield stars Lee Frecklington or Gary Roberts. The Stags have been linked with both Frecklington, who was Evans’ skipper at Rotherham, and ex-Chesterfield talent Roberts, now at Portsmouth. But Evans said: “We would take both tomorrow. Unfortunately we don’t pay what Lee Frecklington wants and we don’t pay what Gary Roberts wants. “They are both wonderful players. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/no-stags-move-for-frecklington-or-roberts-1-8571147 “Lee Frecklington I’d describe as one of my best ever signings in my career as a manager and I am sure he has a big part to play for the Millers in League One.” ---------------- Top class opposition at One Call for pre-season friendlies chad.co.uk, by John Lomas Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans said fans could look forward to some very attractive pre-season matches and he was already excited by the prospect of the announcement of the 2017/18 fixtures in three weeks. As enthusiastic as ever, the Stags boss said: “The pre-season friendlies will be announced soon. “They are just tying all the details up and confirming the dates. “But we have three exciting fixtures here at the One Call Stadium.” Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/top-class-opposition-at-one-call-for-pre-season-friendlies-1-8571568 Stags will return for pre-season on Thursday, 29th June and Evans said: “The whole squad will come back for two or three days testing at the university. “We’ll have a couple of football training days. Then we’ll go to Malta for a week, play a game or two over there, then come back into a real hotbed of pre-season with some top class clubs here and one or two tasty games away from here in which we’ll have to go and see the other side of the game and perform the same as we do here.” The week before on Wednesday, 21st June, the new fixtures will be released. “It’s always an exciting day for every football club,” he said. “They will all wake up on June 21st believing they’re going to have the season that sees them get promoted or be champions or whatever their ambitions are. “Given how tight it was last year, I don’t think there will be any club in League Two waking up thinking we can’t get involved in a promotion race.” ----------------- Stags jigsaw almost complete says Evans chad.co.uk, by John Lomas Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans said his summer jigsaw is almost complete. His rebuilding of the squad continued this week with the arrival of Southend United winger Will Atkinson for a second spell at the the club. That made it 11 new faces already this summer, replacing the 11 released, and Evans said two or three more would be perfect, including a keeper and a striker. “We are not far away now, though the chairman always laughs when I say that,” he smiled. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-jigsaw-almost-complete-says-evans-1-8571570 “I think we know we are a couple short in very important areas of the team. But we are trying desperately hard to make sure we get the right type. “We have a wonderful balance now throughout the squad. But it’s no secret that at both ends of the pitch we’ve got one more to add. And there will always be room for another central midfield player. “So it could be two more with the absolute optimal being three additions and down the spine of the team.” Evans is planning to take a few days break from this weekend and, while hoping to complete his signings before that, knows he may have to wait. He said: “If it’s tomorrow that would be great. But it may take a week or two. We know who we want, but we’re in a running battle with a number of other clubs for the two or three targets we want. “We’ve done some wonderful business. We are into June on Thursday and we’ve done most of our business. “I can remember the press smiling when I said I wanted my business done quickly as they are used to Mansfield Town getting it done in July and August.” -------------------- Stags boss set to recharge batteries chad.co.uk, by John Lomas After signing 11 players in 21 days, Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans admits he is ready for a few days off with his family this week. Evans has worked tirelessly to replace the 11 players he released at the end of the season and still wants another two or three to complete his new-look squad. But he said: “I am hoping to get a break shortly, maybe this weekend and into next week. It’s been non-stop and my staff have all been away on holiday. “But if you are trying to target a new player they’re wanting to speak to the head coach or manager. “It was Bank Holiday weekend for some, but it was really busy for me, especially with Will Atkinson. “I had to make two or three journeys down south to see not only him but his family and representatives.” He added: “Everybody in football needs a break. I heard Jose Mourinho talk about switching off from football. I am now getting to the stage of wanting five or six days. “You never totally switch off as you’re always aware of what’s going on. But it would be nice to enjoy some time with my family and get a break from the One Call Stadium. “As much as I love coming here, it’s been almost every day.” But Evans won’t be soaking up the sun for a fortnight. “Five or six days away is enough for me and I will be fresh and ready to hopefully just finalise the jigsaw if it’s not done before the end of the week,” he said. “I do like playing a game of golf and just switching off, being able to talk about things with my daughters and my family rather than always talking about players, systems and shapes. “I must admit I’ve watched more football clips of players in the last month than I thought I possibly could do. “You have to try to get your recruitment right.” It has been an intense three weeks of racing all over the country to nail down his targets, but Evans said: “I have a duty to the chairman and chief executive and a big duty to the Mansfield Town supporters to make sure that when they are going about their business in the summer that they have a manager totally focused on it. “They were absolutely wonderful to me from when I first arrived to the end of the season and I think they’ve been quietly satisfied with the signings we’ve made. “We’ll never really know the true picture of that until we start playing competitive games in August. But the signs are that we are going to be up there, as are other clubs.” Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-boss-set-to-recharge-batteries-1-8573368 ------------------ Stags plan to honour late physio Academy physio chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Tuesday 30 May 2017 Mansfield Town are making plans to honour the memory of physio Matt Salmon, who died of cancer this week, aged just 25. “The chairman and the chief executive have got some ideas.” said manager Steve Evans. “At an appropriate time when things are a bit more palatable I am sure they will speak to the family.” Read more at: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/stags-plan-to-honour-late-physio-1-8570247 He added: “It’s always a shock when someone’s life is taken away, especially one so young and one I’d always see with a smile. “He was a true professional. I don’t profess to have known him as best friends do. But as a colleague, he was someone who was supportive and someone who was absolutely outstanding in his knowledge of physiotherapy and medical science.” Among the tributes to Matt over the weekend, ex- Stags player Junior Daniel dedicated Blackpool’s play-off final win to him, while Notts County’s physio team won the League Two Sports Science and Medicine team of the year award and immediately gifted it to Mansfield in memory of Matt. Evans added: “It’s incredible. Football is a small world. I have had messages of condolence and support from managers from the Premier League all the way down to non-League.” “I get them because I am the head of the football side rather than the chairman or chief exec. “They are taken as given, with real warmth and real heartfelt thankyous. We will miss him being round and hopefully he won’t be forgotten for a long, long time.” -------------------- |
Latest | June 2017