Archived News from July 2018
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FLITCROFT ON DIAMOND,DIGBY,CAMERON PLUS FRIENDLIES
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17 July 2018
mostly quotes from twitter.com/mansfieldtownfc "The severity of the injury with Mirfin we probably won't have him until Christmas time but it was worthwhile getting him out there [Portugal]. Danny [Rose] works on his fitness in the mornings and is on the next phase of his recovery." "Zander's had a back injury since last season that's not healed, he's still not recovered and he could need surgery on it. It's bad news for Zander, he's seeing a specialist and getting a second opinion." "We've had Nathan Cameron training every day with us so we're assessing that situation. It has been a difficult pre-season so we're seeing how he responds to that environment." "A lot have clubs have done well with getting loan signings so there's always that option. We're looking at different avenues. We're being patient to make sure we get the right option." "Now we'll be knitting together the unit work and the team work. We'll be preparing the boys for that and we'll look at the Rotherham game as the real test before the season starts." "The emergence of Gibbens has surprised me. That's the benefit of going away to Portugal and spending that time together. That's been a real added bonus." "Yes [Danny Rose will play in pre-season]. Saturday is probably too soon for him so we'll be looking at next week I think. He'll need a week of pre-season under his belt." "Digby is back with the squad and back playing. He's remained super professional and until any deal is struck he's a Mansfield Town player." "Butcher is getting through the work and I saw a real positive side to him out in Portugal. Anderson caught a little injury in Portugal so he's been catching up a little bit." Full interview on iFollow today ------------------- Derby will be a fantastic test for us - Flitcroft mansfieldtown.net, 17 Jul 2017 Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft is eager for the challenges his squad will be up against in their four friendlies against Championship outfits, the first being tomorrow against Frank Lampard’s Derby County side. Stags will line up against Derby (Wednesday 18 July, 7.30pm kick-off), Sheffield United (Saturday 21 July, 3.00pm kick-off), Sheffield Wednesday (Tuesday 24 July, 7.30pm kick-off) and Rotherham United (Saturday 28 July, 3.00pm kick-off) for their pre-season fixtures, which all take place at One Call Stadium. Tickets for all four games are available to purchase from http://www.stagstickets.co.uk, with supporters also being able to buy tickets on the day of the game without being subject to a price increase. The Stags’ boss previewed Wednesday’s match against Derby in his news conference earlier today, detailing what he hopes to see from his squad against a side that reached the Championship play-offs in May. He also discussed the determination the Derby players will bring to Mansfield in a continued effort to get into the squad of their new manager Frank Lampard. "It’s going to be a fantastic game for us in terms of doing the right thing and making sure we’re on point," Flitcroft said. "It’s a massive stimulus for our players to play against such quality opposition in all the games coming up. "The stats always go up and they’re always north of where they are compared to the other games we’ve played by virtue of the fact that your stimulus’ are higher. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/july/flitcroft-conference-pre-derby/ "I think now we’ll be looking at more of the unit work and the teamwork. For the next three weeks, that’s what we’ll be doing. We got some good quality workout in Portugal doing that, but now it’s a different test with the four games we’ve got. "In Derby, you’ve got one of the contenders to get promoted next season by bringing Frank [Lampard] in and the excitement surrounding that. "Again, Frank has not dipped into the market so all their players have got an equal opportunity to start the season. "Against Notts County last week, they ran riot. You can feel that the Derby players feel they’ve got an important opportunity to get into Frank’s team." The Stags’ boss discussed the progress his squad has made as pre-season training comes to its halfway point, also giving updates on players recovering from injury. "The most important part of any preseason programme is getting your players through and getting them to as many sessions as you can through that six-week period. "I don’t design a programme for the weakest players," Flitcroft admitted. "I’ll always design it for the strongest players and we all catch up to that. With modern technology in fitness and diet and the different ways coaches are doing things, stats are going up all the time. "Being able to run and being dynamic and powerful in your running will serve us all season really well. "With the severity of his injury and where his injury is at, we probably won’t have Mirf [David Mirfin] until Christmas time, but he’s committing to everything. Him and Danny Rose were doing the five sessions every day out there. "Danny [Rose] is now on his next phase, which is on-the-field work. Everything he’s doing is field-based and he’s crossed over to our fitness coach, DT. He’s getting more and more field-based work in which is good. "Saturday is too soon for Danny to return,” the manager said. "We’re probably looking at the week after that. I think it’s going to be really important that he gets a full week of pre-season with us. As the lads have been doing sessions every day, Danny has been doing his pool and bag sessions. "We’ve got to make sure Danny gets all the work in that the other lads have done and he must cover that ground. He’s such an important player that we can’t take shortcuts in his rehabilitation, and then he needs his second phase of his fitness levels. "Zander [Diamond] has been seeing a specialist. He had a back injury from last season that’s not healed up and he’s still not recovered. He could need surgery on that injury so that’s one that we’re still assessing. It’s bad news for him." He also spoke on the progression of the former-Bury defender, Nathan Cameron, and the chances of his signing as Cameron has continued his training with the team. Additionally, the manager said his squad is nearing completion. Flitcroft is satisfied with the group of players brought in, adding that most holes in the squad have been filled. "We’ve had Nathan Cameron train every day with us and he has played in two and a half games, so we’re assessing that situation and seeing how he responds to the training programme. "Pre-season is tough, so we’re seeing how he responds in that environment. If we brought him in, he'd probably be the last one. "The market is freeing up a little bit from what it was a couple weeks ago. A lot of clubs have done well with the younger loan signings that you get from a Premiership or Championship club, so that option is out there. "We’re looking at different avenues but we’re being patient with it because you’ve got to get the right one. You don’t need much now to add to the squad, but it might just be that last piece that we do need. "We’re making sure we’ve got enough cover and balance in the squad, and that’s very important. We’ve got players that are flexible, so we are experimenting in this pre-season and making sure we’re getting the full potential of the squad at our disposal." iFollow Stags subscribers will be able to watch David Flitcroft's answers in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. -------------------- Exciting new Stags quintet settled in ahead of likely home debuts tonight chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft said his quintet of summer signings had quickly settled in ahead of likely home debuts for all in tonight’s friendly with Derby County (7.30). Otis Khan, Tyler Walker, Craig Davies, Matt Preston and Neil Bishop enjoyed last week’s Portugal training camp and Flitcroft said: “They have settled in really well, but it is an easy squad to fit into. “It is relaxed and a squad that is a similar age group who are into similar things. “I’ve watched it grow in Portugal and there’s nothing better than when you make a signing and then he has that opportunity to spend 24/7 with the others - that was vital.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/exciting-new-stags-quintet-settled-in-ahead-of-likely-home-debuts-tonight-1-9257529 On the individual players, he added: “Otis is just getting better and better. “His fitness is coming on - his body strength. He was a pocket rocket before we signed him but I am going to make him into an absolute machine. “Craig Davies has that personality to lead a line and he enjoys that responsibility. “Tyler Walker is pure quality. At times he has found it hard. Some days he has really got to the level, on other days he has looked tired and been finding himself. “It’s been brilliant watching him dig in and keep fighting to make the sessions - he’s not missed one yet. “Matty Preston just looks a different level. I have been so impressed with him and how he’s come in and structured the back line. “Neil Bishop goes about his work quietly and honestly, he just impresses me every day with how he is as a professional. “We knew when we signed him that to get to that age and play as many games as he has done, you’ve got to be incredibly professional. “When you actually see it day to day you understand exactly where he’s at.” ------------------ Match preview: Stags vs Derby County mansfieldtown.net, 17 Jul 2017 Stags welcome Frank Lampard's Derby County side to One Call Stadium tomorrow evening for our first home game of pre-season (7.30pm kick-off). Here's all you need to know ahead of the match... Stags' forward Danny Rose is likely to miss the game due to a toe problem he picked up towards the back end of last season. Manager David Flitcroft said the following in his news conference earlier today: "We’re probably looking at next week [for Rose return]. "I think it’s going to be really important that he gets a full week of pre-season with us. As the lads have been doing sessions every day, Danny has been doing his pool and bag sessions. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/july/match-preview-for-mansfield-town-vs-derby-county-on-18-jul-18/ "We’ve got to make sure Danny gets all the work in that the other lads have done and he must cover that ground. He’s such an important player that we can’t take shortcuts in his rehabilitation, and then he needs his second phase of his fitness levels." Two other omissions from Stags' squad will be defenders David Mirfin (knee) and Zander Diamond (back). Stags' boss Flitcroft revealed earlier that Diamond has been seeing a specialist for a back injury he picked up last season. Frank Lampard will have a full squad at his disposal ahead of tomorrow's game, and may use a completely different set of 11 players in each half as he did during his side's 4-1 victory over Notts County on Saturday. -------------------------- Cameron the final summer signing for Stags? chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 17 July 2018 Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft still believes Nathan Cameron could be the final piece in his jigsaw for the new season. Powerful former Bury centre half Cameron, 26, has been training with the Stags for a couple of weeks trying to prove to his former manager that he is over his injury problems. After five summer signings, Flitcroft said he was now probably just a centre half short and has been impressed with what he has seen of his old captain. “He is a potential signing, but we have to make sure we make the right decision,” he said. “Nathan was my skipper at Bury when we got promoted and he was an outstanding one. But he has since had his injury problems. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/cameron-the-final-summer-signing-for-stags-1-9255858 “Sometimes you can think about a player you had two years ago and those memories come flooding back. “But we are doing this in real time and measuring him on how he is performing now - and he is exceeding expectations where I thought he’d be at. He’s now done three or four more sessions than we thought he could have done. “He had an ankle injury towards the end of last season which saw him miss six weeks. “He came to us with that and in the Vitoria game last week he was smashed on that ankle after about 20 seconds. Their No.10 absolutely smoked him with a really robust tackle. But he came through that. So he’s had some good tests.” He added: “We have had Nathan training every day with us and he has played in two and a half games. “We are assessing the situation and seeing how Nathan responds to the tough training programme. It’s all about continual assessment. “It’s important my staff keep monitoring him and measuring if there are any changes to the injuries he’s had. It’s almost giving us an excessive medical on him. “We need to see if we’ve got the expertise to support Nathan. It’s given us great time to spend with him and see what he can do.” Although he has centre halves David Mirfin and Zander Diamond out injured, Flitcroft believes signing Cameron would be enough due to how well youngster Lewis Gibbens played at the Portugal training camp. “Nathan would probably be the last one,” said Fltcroft. “I think the emergence of Gibbo has surprised certainly me. That’s the benefit of us all going away to Portugal in such an intense atmosphere and spending that time with each other. “I remember his first two days in Portugal he looked like a fish out of water. “His mum came up to me on the trip and said he had rung and said ‘I was crap today mum’, then you just saw him grow from that moment. We supported him from that moment and he has been a real added bonus.” He added: “I am not too sure there will be much movement either way over the next two weeks. But you just never know. It’s always a domino effect. “We are making sure we have enough cover and balance in the squad. We have players that are flexible and we are experimenting in pre-season while there are no points to play for to see the full potential of the squad at our disposal.” If things do not work out with Cameron, Mansfield may move for a young loan defender from a big club. “We are looking at other options,” said Flitcroft. “Two weeks ago when Championship and Premier League clubs went away they took the full quota of players. Now they will start to allow some of the younger players to not train with the first team which frees up opportunities for loans. “A lot of clubs have done well with the younger loan signings from Championship and Premier League clubs, so that option is potentially out there. “We are looking across the board. There are not many free transfers available in terms of a centre half with experience. “We are looking down different avenues and we are very flexible with it and very patient. You have to get the right one. “But we don’t need to add much else to the squad - it might just be that last piece that we do need.” ---------------------- Digby move on hold as talks continue chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS A move away from Mansfield Town remains on hold for utility player Paul Digby. A club is interested in taking the transfer-listed player but boss David Flitcroft said: “It’s come to nothing at the minute - it’s still ongoing. “There is a League Two club that want him and we are just trying to strike a deal with them at the minute. “Paul didn’t come to Portugal as we thought that was imminent and it was nailed on. But it’s not been. “So he is back with the squad and playing in the games. He has remained super professional which I’d expect of any player. “Until a deal is struck he is a Mansfield Town player.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/digby-move-on-hold-as-talks-continue-1-9257664 --------------------- Christmas return target for Mirfin chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Centre half David Mirfin could be back with the Mansfield Town squad by Christmas. That is the hope of manager David Flitcroft as the 33-year-old battles back from an operation on a knee injury sustained in the Checkatrade Trophy defeat to Blackpool at the beginning of December. “Mirf came out with us to Portugal and got his training up from where it was,” said Flitcroft. “He’s done a lot of work through the summer, but the severity of the injury and where the injury is at, we probably won’t have Mirf until about Christmas time. That’s a realistic target for him. “But he is committed to everything. He was doing four or five sessions every day out there in Portugal, so it was really worthwhile getting him out there.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/christmas-return-target-for-mirfin-1-9258475 ---------------------- Devastated Diamond may need back operation chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Transfer-listed Mansfield Town’s skipper Zander Diamond’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse with the probability he will need back surgery. Diamond’s season was hampered by the back problem and he then found himself on the transfer list at the end of it. But any hopes of changing boss David Flitcroft’s mind in pre-season or impressing another club have been wrecked by the injury. “Zander has been to see a specialist about the back injury he had last season which has not healed,” said Flitcroft. "He had an injection in it last season, but has still not recovered. “He has now been told he could need surgery on the injury. “That is one we are still assessing and looking at and we’ll make sure with a second opinion. But it’s bad news for Zand. “We left him behind when we went to Portugal so he could get his medical attention back over here. “If there is something out there that can be done we’ll look into that.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/devastated-diamond-may-need-back-operation-1-9259872 --------------------- |
Latest | July 2018