Archived News from January 2019
|
WHITE INJURY CONFIRMED AS BROKEN LEG
|
 |
|
Defender will come back 'stronger than ever' - Futcher
mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 22 January 2019 Assistant manager Ben Futcher has backed Hayden White to return ‘stronger than ever,’ after it was confirmed in this morning’s news conference that the defender suffered a broken leg in Saturday’s victory over Colchester United. The weekend’s dramatic clash, in which the Stags overturned a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2, was marred by the nature of White’s injury, which occurred late in the game. Stags’ assistant boss conceded that losing the defender is a ‘massive blow,’ but says the club will support him with every step of his recovery. “Whitey has gone in for surgery this morning,” he said. “He’s fractured his tibia so it’s quite a bad one. He’ll start his recovery from this afternoon. “He has broken his leg. Everyone is going to support him and give him everything he needs. The squad have been rocked by it. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/january/futcher-pre-tranmere/ “It’s a massive blow to everyone. He’s been fantastic for us all season and covered a variety of different positions. “We just have to support him with every step of his recovery, and knowing Whitey, he’ll come back stronger than ever. “I think he’ll be out for the season. We’ll be hoping to get him back as quickly as he can in the summer so he’s ready to go next season. “We’re looking at options [to replace White]. [Losing him] is a big loss as he covers a range of different positions. “It’s a difficult market in January. Hayden has been fantastic so it is a big loss, but we are busy looking at what’s out there. “We’re aware of the loan situation [only being able to have five loanees in the matchday squad]. So we’re looking at free agents and players coming to the end of their contracts. “The right side [of defence] is an area that we are looking at potentially doing something if we can. On top of that, it will be dependent on the next ten days.” Futcher says that Saturday’s remarkable comeback epitomises the ‘unbelievable character and fight’ of the Mansfield players. “We’ve seen all season that the players have unbelievable character and fight,” he added. “They were disappointed with the first-half. “We always believed with the players that we have in the squad that we could score goals. The next goal at 2-0 is massive, and once we got it, the stadium just felt that the second [goal] was going to come. “The pride and desire they showed in the second-half, I thought we deserved it. We’ve only lost three games all season and the players take a lot of pride in that record. “We knew that if we could get back to the levels we have been at all season [in the second-half], there was every chance that we could go on and win it. “You saw in the second-half the fight, desire and quality they showed. It was fantastic, and the scenes at the end were brilliant.” Stags’ assistant manager also reflected on the season so far, and says that at times, Mansfield have played some ‘scintillating’ football. “I think it’s been a good season if you look at the consistent levels that the players have performed at. “Some of the football, with the way we’re trying to play, is never going to be easy to maintain it all the time. “The players have really bought into it and we have a lot of young players in the squad. I think at times, some of the football we’ve played has been scintillating. “You always strive for more and want better, but with 18 games to go we’re in a good position. The lads are full of confidence and the squad is strong. We’re in a good place. “Everyone wants to come in every day and the lads love training. Everyone loves being around the club and the fans are right behind us. “When you have young players playing well, clubs are going to have a look. We want to keep everyone here because we have a fantastic squad and the environment around the place is brilliant.” Yesterday, we were delighted to announce that the duo of Jordan Graham and Alistair Smith have both penned new 18-month deals with the club. Futcher credited the work of the Mansfield academy as the reason for the pair’s success. “With the two young lads [Jordan Graham and Alistair Smith] signing new contracts, it’s brilliant for the club and the whole town. “It shows the work that the academy has been doing behind the scenes, which maybe hasn’t had the recognition. “Jordan Graham has really got his head down and got himself fit. The first team lads love him and he has a big future in the game if he keeps working hard. “The young lads know they’re going to get a chance with the first team if they’re doing well. The rewards are there for them. “Alistair [recently] went out on loan [to Frickley] and did really well. He’s really developed and done well when he’s been with the first team. “The academy staff have put a lot of work into these boys, so it’s a reward for them as well. Hopefully we can keep bringing them [young players] through, so we’ll have some homegrown players for years to come in the Mansfield first team.” Next up for the Stags is a Sky Bet League Two clash at home against Tranmere Rovers, a club that Futcher says have had a ‘fantastic’ season. “They [Tranmere] have had a fantastic season. They came up last year from the conference and Micky Mellon [manager] has done a great job. “They’re fighting now for a play-off place in League Two and are a massive football club. They have a fantastic training ground and have a lot of experienced players. “It’s going to be a tough game but one we’re looking forward to. It’s the top teams that we want to play, as it always seems to bring the best out of us.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Ben Futcher’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. -------------------- Mansfield Town chasing versatile defender after Hayden White injury is confirmed as a broken leg chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 22 January 2019 Mansfield Town must try to bring in a versatile defender before the January transfer window closes after the club today confirmed Hayden White has a broken leg. White’s late injury marred the post-match celebrations after Stags’ remarkable fightback to win 3-2 at promotion rivals Colchester United on Saturday after trailing 2-0 at the break. Stags were already in the market for one more new face, but assistant boss Ben Futcher said this morning: “Things change weekly in football. We were not expecting this. “We are now going to have to have a look at what is out there as options down the right side. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-chasing-versatile-defender-after-hayden-white-injury-is-confirmed-as-a-broken-leg-1-9550670 “We are looking at different options and we will see where it takes us. It’s a difficult market in January. “Hayden is a big loss with covering a number of positions. He has played centre half, right back, and right wing back.” With the maximum five loan players allowed in a matchday squad already at the club, Stags will not be looking to add another. “We are aware of the loan situation,” said Futcher. “So we are looking at free agents, players that are coming to the end of their contracts in the summer and permanents. “We will scour the market and hopefully we will find someone that fits the bill.” Futcher said the club may still add a further new face. “It will be very much dependant on how the next 10 days go,” he said. “We will look at the squad balance, what we’ve got and what we might need, and make a calculated decision.” White’s injury turned out to be every bit as bad as the club had feared. “He has gone in for his operation this morning. He has fractured his tibia, so it’s quite a bad one,” said Futcher. “This morning was the quickest we could get him in and he starts his recovery from this afternoon. “It was a clean break so it is quite a straightforward operation. There are no complications at the minute from what I am told. “We are all supporting him, doing everything he needs. “The squad have been rocked by it but he’s in the best place. “It’s a massive blow to us and to Hayden himself. Everyone is gutted for him. No one wants to see that.” Futcher added: “He has been fantastic for us all season and he’s covered a variety of positions. He’s been a massive part of what we’ve been doing. “We just have to crack on and help him every step of the way on his recovery. Knowing Whitey he will come back stronger and fitter than ever. “He is a fantastic character and he will come bouncing back. “We hope to get him back as quick as we can in the summer and he will be raring to go next season.” ------------------ ‘Scintillating’ Mansfield Town can get even better believes assistant boss Ben Futcher chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town assistant boss Ben Futcher believes Stags have produced some ‘scintillating football’ this season, but believes they can get better still. With Stags in the top three with just 18 games left, Futcher said: “It’s been a good season when you look at the consistency levels the players have shown to only lose three games. “Some of the football and the way we try to play, it’s not easy to maintain all the time. But we try to do things right and the players have really bought into it. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/scintillating-mansfield-town-can-get-even-better-believes-assistant-boss-ben-futcher-1-9553663?fbclid=IwAR3oOclKhn49RNHCbHmO4kcnKyXzNxpGy-qVzLvO8TUhp7gb41eYj6PKU94 “We have a lot of young players in the squad when you look through it, so they have shown bravery to try to play the right way. “At times some of the football we have played has been scintillating. “You always strive for more - you always want more and you always want better. But with 18 games to go we are in a good position. “We just have to keep working hard and keep improving.” Futcher said Mansfield Town was a great place to go into work right now. “The lads are full of confidence and the squad is strong, so we are in a good place,” he said. “It’s a fantastic feeling. Everyone wants to come in every day. The lads love training and everyone loves being around the club. “At home games you can feel the fans are right behind you with the atmosphere. “And we have just signed two of our young lads on new pro contracts which is brilliant for the whole town. It shows the work the academy is doing and it shows the pathway.” ---------------- Time running out for Mansfield Town to pursuade surplus pair to move on chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Time is running out for Mansfield Town to persuade surplus pair Paul Anderson and Omari Sterling-James to find new clubs before the January transfer window closes. The duo have been told they are not in manager David Flitcroft’s plans and would be better off leaving to find regular game time elsewhere, though both are entitled to see their contracts out until the summer. “We are where we were with them,” said assistant manager Ben Futcher. “The manager told them they are free to go and get some football elsewhere. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/time-running-out-for-mansfield-town-to-pursuade-surplus-pair-to-move-on-1-9553559?fbclid=IwAR1M97dqm9OOFcs3VX6pQR3Z9JPvcYeXob-uFS0tFWvyq22C9MyQOyOtAiw “I know Greg (Abbott, football operations manager) is pushing it and trying to help them every way he can to get some games. “But sometimes the ball is in the player’s court and whether they want to go and play. “It’s not always as easy as you think just getting a club interested. The players sometimes have to make a decision as well.” ---------------------------------- Mansfield Town ‘have unbelievable character and fight,’ says Ben Futcher chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town take on two promotion rivals in four days, assistant boss Ben Futcher said big games tend to bring out the best of the Stags. Tranmere Rovers visit on Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Forest Green and Futcher said: “Tranmere is a fantastic game. “We want to play these top teams as these big games always seem to bring the best out of us. We are looking forward to it.” On Rovers’ season so far, he said: “They are a fantastic team. They came up last year from the Conference. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-have-unbelievable-character-and-fight-says-ben-futcher-1-9556249 “Micky Mellon has done a great job since he took over there. He got his promotion and they are now fighting for a play-off place in League Two. “I think they will be expected to push on for those but it’s going to be tough. “But they are a massive football club in this division. They have a fantastic training ground and a lot of experienced players. “We know it’s going to be a really tough game, but it’s one we’re looking forward to.” Stags will have to keep 20-goal James Norwood quiet, Futcher saying: “They have the top scorer in the division - we are aware of that. But we will just worry about ourselves. “If we can produce the form we are capable of then we are a match for anyone as we’ve proven all season. “We have seen all season, the players have got unbelievable character and fight.” Last weekend typified that spirit as Stags came from 2-0 down at promotion rivals Colchester United to win 3-2. Futcher said: “They were disappointed first half. There wasn’t loads in the game but we gave away two soft goals, which is unlike us. ‘Different feeling around Mansfield Town this season,’ says promotion hungry defender “But we always believe the players we have in the squad can score goals and we knew the next goal at 2-0 down was massive. “Once we’d got it, everyone in the stadium felt a second was going to come. Our fans were fantastic. When it did the belief in the players was unbelievable. “With the pride and desire they showed they deserved the win. They’ve only lost three games all season and they take a lot of pride in that record and their defensive record.” ----------------------- Stags are a ‘family’ - captain mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 24 January 2019 Stags’ skipper Krystian Pearce has said that the ‘family-like’ nature of the Mansfield squad has attributed to the amber and blue keeping the best defensive record in Sky Bet League Two. The commanding centre-back explained that the defenders in the Stags’ squad complement each other well, and labelled the off-the-pitch relationship of the players as a huge positive. The defender added that the injury to Hayden White is a ‘big loss’ to the team, after the versatile wing-back suffered a broken leg in Saturday’s comeback victory over Colchester. “All of us [Stags’ defenders] enjoy defending,” said Pearce. “We’re organised and because we’re close off the pitch, it helps. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/january/pearce-pre-tranmere/?fbclid=IwAR1suS48qUG0CiJ6ZqRBeQf_v5mAuZ7BqZsJhYasHjL4es_jKfaXGrOHFlk “All of us add something different to the back-three or back-five. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we all try to help each other out. “I was devastated for [White]. Obviously he’s a big loss to the team, and we’re close off the pitch as well. It’s a major loss for us. “I think he’s coming in today. He seems in good spirits. Everyone will try to keep him in high spirits, and he’ll be back before you know it. “It’s a tight-knit group which is almost like a family at times, so we try to have each other’s backs at all times.” Pearce reflected on Saturday’s victory over Colchester, and applauded the ‘character’ that the Stags showed to overturn a 2-0 deficit. “I think it has got to be up there with the best comebacks that I’ve been involved in,” he added. “We were disappointed to go two goals down but the boys showed great character to come back and get the three points. “Our decision-making as a unit wasn’t right [in the first-half]. We got punished with a couple of poor goals, and we pride ourselves on clean sheets so it was disappointing to concede two. “This has been a good season so far and hopefully this is the season where we finally get it over the line. “Every point matters and every point is important to us so three is massive. “We’re very tough to beat at home, but since I’ve been here [2015], our away record is what’s let us down at times, so I know how important it is to go to places like Colchester and get three points. “But we’ve only lost one away from home [this season], so obviously we’re definitely hard to beat.” The defender also explained that as captain, he tries to lead by example with his performances. “I try to make sure that I’m consistent and help the team in every way I can. As captain I try to lead by example. “I try to make sure everyone’s focused and make sure everything is organised [as captain]. I try to lead by example. “I’ve been happy with my form, but I do feel like I could be better in a few games. I’m always critical of myself, so I feel like there’s more to come.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Krystian Pearce’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ------------------- Let’s win promotion for Hayden White say devastated Mansfield Town teammates chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 January 2019 Mansfield Town defenders say they were ‘devastated’ and ‘gutted’ to see fellow defender Hayden White’s season end early with a broken leg in last weekend’s win at Colchester. The players now want to get promotion for their injured teammate. White suffered the break in stoppage time at the end at Colchester and now faces a race against time to be fit for pre-season. Skipper and close friend Krystian Pearce said: “I was devastated. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/let-s-win-promotion-for-hayden-white-say-devastated-mansfield-town-teammates-1-9555397?fbclid=IwAR3k6a24hdpHAYfzxF4WHA96kISnFA07N7DUy0oIm-rVFiv7rCN5HtKvXl8 “He is obviously a big loss to the team and a key part of what we have been doing this year. “We are close off the pitch as well - it’s a major loss for us. “I think he’s coming in today and he seems in good spirits. “We are a tight-knit group - it’s almost like a family at times. We try to have each other’s back at all times. “Everyone at the club is trying to keep him in high spirits and he will be back before you know it.” Mal Benning added: “It’s a massive blow to be fair as Hayden has been unbelievable for us at right back, right wing back and centre half. “I am gutted for him but hopefully he will have a speedy recovery and be back stronger than ever. “It’s not easy to take for him but he just wants the squad to get promoted as much now as he did before. “It’s heartbreaking for us, so hopefully we will get promoted for him.” ----------------- My best ever comeback was statement of intent to the league says Mansfield Town skipper Krystian Pearce chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 January 2019 Mansfield Town captain Krystian Pearce said last weekend’s stirring win at promotion rivals Colchester United was one of the best fightbacks he has ever been involved in during his career. Stags were 2-0 down at the break, but hit back hard to win 3-2 and spark wild scenes of celebration at the end for a result that Pearce felt sent out a statement of intent to the rest of the division. “I think that has to be up there with the best comeback I have been involved in,” said Pearce. “Obviously it was disappointing going 2-0 down but the boys showed a lot of character to come back and get the three points. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/my-best-ever-comeback-was-statement-of-intent-to-the-league-says-mansfield-town-skipper-krystian-pearce-1-9555446 “Our decision-making as a unit wasn’t right in the first half and we got punished with a couple of poor goals. “We pride ourselves on clean sheets so we were very disappointed to concede two. “But we knew it was one of our biggest games of the season so the importance of the game helped to spur us on to the win.” Pearce added: “It’s been a good season so far and I think this is the season when we finally get over the line, so every point matters and to get three is massive. “Colchester are a good side who will be up there at the end of the season, so it was important we sent out a statement to the rest of the league that we’re here to stay. “Since I have been here our away record has let us down at times. So I know how important it is to go to places like Colchester and get three points. “We are hard to beat at home and away this season.” Overall the big centre half has been happy with his form and delighted to skipper the side. He said: “As captain I try to lead by example and I have been happy with my form. It’s been a big honour to be club captain. “I still think I could be better in a few games. But I am always critical of myself. I think there is still more to come.” ------------------ Defender applauds ‘great’ special ticket offer mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 24 January 2019 Wing-back Mal Benning has praised our ‘Under-18s Go Free’ offer for the home match against Macclesfield Town on Saturday 02 February, adding that the extra support generated will spur the Stags on in the hotly-awaited clash. The special offer - put in place by chairman John Radford and chief executive Carolyn Radford - was announced earlier this week, with tickets available to collect now from the Mansfield Town ticket office. The 25-year-old praised the support of the Mansfield faithful this season, and says that the extra numbers brought in by the ‘great offer’ could make the ‘difference’ in the game. Find out how you can claim FREE tickets for the game here. “I think it [under-18s go free] is a really good offer to be fair,” explained the defender. “Credit to the chairman and the CEO, to bring in under-18s for free is a great offer for them to come and watch us play. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/january/mal-pre-tranmere/?fbclid=IwAR1rGUbC35TNWQcXAK2xWPutY5MSJ6JbwVqJidQhyY8C5DEM-gxdqJ2l1wE “At home, if it’s a tight game, the crowd makes all the difference and gives you that extra push as players to go and get the win. “It [support] has been very good [this season]. They’ve stuck with us through the period of drawing we had at the start of the season and now we’re rewarding them with the style of football we’re playing and results. “They’ve [fans] been very good to us this season and to come all that way to Colchester, it was superb to share the victory with them.” Benning added that there is a ‘genuine’ feeling of togetherness in Stags’ ‘tight-knit’ squad, and believes that the success on the pitch this season has been born from the relationship shared between the Mansfield players. The 25-year-old - who is currently Stags’ longest serving current player - reflected on seasons gone by in north Nottinghamshire, explaining that there is a ‘different feeling’ to this term compared to recent campaigns. “The first season [that I was at Mansfield] we were in and around the play-offs, and even last season we were in and around the play-offs quite a bit,” he said in a news conference this morning. “Now we’re in the top three, so there’s a different feeling. In the game on Saturday [against Colchester] in seasons gone by, you’d think at 2-0 down we wouldn’t come back. “But there’s a different feeling and a different bit of quality this year. You can really see that, so hopefully it will be a good season. “Everyone talks about the togetherness of the squad, but this year you can actually feel it. The way the gaffer’s brought in the new signings, he’s thought about it and they’ve gelled well. “As a squad, we’re very tight-knit. Everyone says that, but it’s genuine this year. Hopefully that adds to it [season] and hopefully we can push on. “I like to be consistent whenever I play and hopefully I can continue that for the rest of the season. Hopefully that can help the team get promoted.” Once again reflecting on the remarkable comeback victory against Colchester, Benning added that the ‘class’ from Stags’ January additions made a huge impact in the match. “The gaffer and Futch [assistant manager Ben Futcher] weren’t very impressed so we had a few stern words at half-time. “We just knew if we could get the first goal in the second-half, we could get the momentum to go and win it. “We saw the class from the new signings, with Granty [Jorge Grant] and Nicky [Ajose], with the part they played. It was good all round. “We had two losses on the bounce, which we didn’t want. The way we’ve reacted from them has been superb. “You saw what they [new signings] could do when we turned it around at Colchester after half-time, so it’s been good. “We’re a very welcoming squad. They’ve been welcomed openly by everyone here.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Mal Benning’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ------------------------- Mansfield Town star Mal Benning praises club offer to allow U18s in free chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 January 2019 Mansfield Town star Mal Benning was full of praise for the club’s generous offer of free admission for U18s for next week’s home clash with Macclesfield Town. Benning said it was great news to the players that the increasingly bigger home attendance would be swelled even further as it really makes a difference on the pitch. “It’s a really good offer and credit to the chairman and CEO,” he said. “It’s a great chance for U18s to come down and watch us play at home and bring more fans in for the game. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-star-mal-benning-praises-club-offer-to-allow-u18s-in-free-1-9555103?fbclid=IwAR2Gb5x81fqb3siozocgUDyWNoZq4aahl9bSz2cAJCa_Oo_ojR5UgQ14vNg “A big crowd makes such a difference, especially at home if it’s a tight game and we are on top. “The crowd gives you that extra push on the pitch to perhaps go and get that winner or preserve a lead. The more fans the better. “The support has been very good. They stuck with us through the ‘drawing period’ we had at the start of the season and obviously we are now rewarding them with the style of football we are playing and the results. Hopefully that can continue.” Benning and the players celebrated wildly with the Stags’ following after Saturday’s 3-2 comeback win at Colchester where Benning said their support was key. “For them to go all that way to Colchester it was superb to share the victory with them,” he said. ------------------- ‘Different feeling around Mansfield Town this season,’ says promotion hungry defender chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town defender Mal Benning believes the Stags can go all the way this season and finally gain promotion. One of the club’s longest-serving players, Benning has twice been involved in ‘nearly’ campaigns under the two previous managers. But he says the feeling around the club is very different this time around under David Flitcroft and the increase in quality and confidence is very apparent. “The first season I was here we were in and around the play-offs quite a bit. And last season we were up there in the play-offs quite a bit too,” he said. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/different-feeling-around-mansfield-town-this-season-says-promotion-hungry-defender-1-9556241 “But now we are in the top three it’s a different feeling. “In games like Saturday at Colchester in seasons gone by, at 2-0 down we would not have come back. “It’s a different feeling and a different quality this year. You can really tell that, so hopefully it’s going to be a good season. “People talk about the togetherness of the squad. But this year you can actually feel it. “The gaffer has thought about the new signings and they have all gelled quite well. “So, as a squad, we are very tight knit. I know everyone says that, but this is genuine this year as you can probably tell. “There is a good feeling around the club at the moment and a positive one. “We are sitting up there at the moment but we can’t rest on our laurels. We just have to keep going and hope we can finish in that top three.” Stags underlined that current confidence by coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at promotion rivals Colchester last weekend. Let’s win promotion for Hayden White say devastated Mansfield Town teammates Benning said: “The win meant a lot as it kept us in the top three. Hopefully it can spur us on to keep going. “There were a few stern words at half-time. It wasn’t the gaffer losing it but more him asking why were we going to let such a good opportunity go and could we do more to turn the game around? “We just knew if we could get the first goal in the second half we’d have the momentum to go on and win it. “We had two losses on the bounce, which we didn’t want, but the way we’ve reacted has been superb.” This Saturday Stags host a visit from play-off chasing Tranmere Rovers, who boast the division’s top scorer in 20-goal James Norwood, and Benning is expecting a bruising afternoon. “Whenever I do check the scores he (Norwood) always seems to be on the scoresheet, but our back three are probably the best back three in the league so hopefully we can keep him quiet,” he said. “From the game earlier on in the season I am expecting a physical test to be fair. “I think they can play a bit of football when they want to, but they are a physical side and in your faces, so we will be prepared for that.” --------------------- |
Latest | January 2019