Archived News from April 2019
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STEVENAGE PREVIEWS
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Fans have played ‘massive part’ in our season - manager
mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 25 April 2019 Manager David Flitcroft says he is ‘looking forward’ to being back in front of the ‘amazing’ Stags’ faithful, as we aim for our highest home attendance of the season on Saturday with our ‘Under-18s Go Free’ special offer. We welcome play-off-chasing Stevenage to One Call Stadium on Saturday, for the final home match of this thrilling Sky Bet League Two campaign. The Mansfield chief says that the supporters have played a ‘massive part’ in the Stags’ season so far, adding that he ‘can’t ask for any more’ from the amber and blue army. “The chairman and Carolyn have put the [under-18s go free] offer on to get the stadium packed. When it’s been packed, we’ve not disappointed,” said the manager. “We’ve had three offers on, and the lads have performed. Against Lincoln, one of our biggest crowds of the season, we were excellent. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/april/gaffer-pre-stevenage/ “Our supporters have played their part, and have given everything. We’re looking forward to getting back to the One Call. “When we talk about consistency, our support has been amazing. Away from home, I can’t tell you how disappointed I’ve been when we’ve not turned up, but our supporters have. “They [supporters] have played their part this season, and will continue to play their part until the end of the season. “They’ve been supportive, and that’s been unconditional. The support that came down to Exeter was phenomenal. “They’ve been a massive part of it. I get what our supporters are about. They epitomise drive and commitment. They’ve been vocal and raucous - everything that you want from your crowd. I can’t ask for any more.” The boss has asked for his players to be ‘calm’ in Saturday’s big match against the Boro, while also referring to Stags’ impressive home record this season - the joint-best in the division alongside Bury - ahead of the weekend’s game. “The games get bigger as the season goes on,” he added. “The moments get bigger and everything is under the microscope. “It [Stevenage at home] is a big game and one that we’re looking forward to. It was up to me as a leader to get them back on track [after Oldham]. “That fight, spirit and never-say-die attitude is something that you nurture in a squad, and I saw evidence of that against Oldham. “When you come out of that on the other side, you look at the next opportunity. We see the Stevenage game as that next opportunity. “It’s about accepting the defeat, understanding why we got beat and coming up with solutions for this Saturday. “All of these games come down to staying absolutely focused and on task. It’s an opportunity for us to get 50 points at home [this season]. We’ve been phenomenal at home. “For the players, it’s about staying calm. Promotion and relegation is designed over 46 games. Staying together is one thing that this group has done brilliantly all season. “This group has maintained that focus, and from a position where we’ve been wrote off, they’ve bounced back. They’ve been brave and courageous. “It’s now about that mental approach, and a lot is riding on it [Saturday’s match] for Stevenage. Everything the players do will have to be calm and considered.” David Flitcroft says that his charges will only focus on what they can influence as we approach the final two matches of the season, starting with Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two encounter. “The scores from other games might change how Stevenage come at us in a certain period of the second-half. “Until you’re in that moment, all you can do is plan for the starting 11, what game-changers we have on the sidelines, and how we plan for if we need to change shape. “The players have been in the zone for 22 games at home this season. Even when we’ve not got the win, we’ve still played the right way. That focus doesn’t change. “It all comes down to what we need to do. What the MK Dons match gives us is another chance after Saturday. “There is so much to play for this weekend. But if you get fixated on that, it takes you away from the focus. “What’s going on elsewhere, we’re not in control of. We have to concentrate on what we need to make happen.” The Stags have today trained at Loughborough University’s Holywell Sports Complex, and the manager described the reasons for doing so. “We came [to Loughborough University] a couple of weeks ago for a day of training,” he explained. “We were working on 11 versus 11, so it was important that we had the right size training pitch. (*) “I spoke to the chairman on it, and he backed us on coming here [Loughborough]. He invested in us coming here and whatever we needed. “It epitomises professionalism. A grass pitch is a fundamental. There has been a lot of good work on the training ground. “This gives a different stimulus and a different environment. The players commit to it, and that’s excellent. Everything I’ve asked them to do, they’ve committed to.” Ahead of the meeting with Stevenage, the Stags’ boss provided a quick update on his squad. “We’re in good nick. Turns [Ben Turner] trained with us the other day, so he’s back in contention. “Otis [Khan] is doing some field-based training today, so hopefully we might have him back for the weekend. “Jimmy Knowles has come back into the fold after coming through a groin injury that he picked up. We’re getting over the injuries and are in a good place.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. --------------- (*) David Flitcroft told iFollow Stags: "We've only got a three-quarter (-size training) pitch at the One Call, and it's not in good nick." ---------------- David Flitcroft urges his Mansfield Town players to stay calm as promotion race intensifies chad.co.uk Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft has told his players to remain calm as the pressure intensifies ahead of their penultimate game of the season. Third-placed Stags bring the curtain down on their 2018/19 League Two home campaign on Saturday when play-off chasing Stevenage arrive at the One Call Stadium. And Flitcroft is under no illusions towards the significance of the encounter, with promotion hopes on the line. He said: “The games get bigger as the season progresses. Moments get bigger, missed opportunities get bigger and everything is under the microscope. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/david-flitcroft-urges-his-mansfield-town-players-to-stay-calm-as-promotion-race-intensifies-1-9733250?fbclid=IwAR0QON3CejxBJdCs8McVnnYTrd2m6UOCSE3W61zzNYtvbsqslgysNXtR8KQ “There’s no way we play these games down with so much riding on them - it’s a big game and one we’re looking forward to. “After the Oldham game we almost went through a grieving process as a group. “Players and staff were back in yesterday (Wednesday) and it was up to me as the leader, as the manager, to get them back on to firm ground. “All the emotions you feel, the questions and unanswered questions, you have all that playing on your mind. “But when you come out of that you start looking for answers and what the next challenge is, the next opportunity. “The Stevenage game is our next opportunity and we’re going to embrace it.” Mansfield boast the second best home record in the division this season, two goals behind Bury, with 47 points to their name from 22 games. They will be looking to reach 50 on Saturday. “All these games come down to application, focus and staying in the moment,” said Flitcroft. “It’s an opportunity to get 50 points at home and it’s vitally important we stick to what we’ve been doing well.” And added: “The players need to stay calm. “Promotion and relegation is designed over 46 games. “You can have lucky cup games but in a promotion season you have the highs and lows. “We’ve bounced back from the lows this season. “We need to stay together - that’s one thing that this group has done brilliantly all season. “Football and life mirror each other - you don’t always get it your own way - but when you get there, those trials and tribulations make you who you are and shape who you want to become. “This group has maintained that focus. They’ve bounced back, been courageous and brave. “This team have shown consistency.” ------------------ Goalkeeper targets home points haul mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 25 April 2019 Stags’ goalkeeper Conrad Logan says that Mansfield are targeting 50 points achieved at home this term, as we approach the season’s final game at One Call Stadium, against Stevenage on Saturday. The Stags currently boast the joint-best home form in Sky Bet League Two - along with second-placed Bury - having accumulated 47 points from 22 games, with 14 wins, five draws and three losses. Logan says that the Stags ‘take pride’ in their impressive home form. “It [home record] has been brilliant,” said the shot-stopper. “We’ve had 47 points so far at home this season, which is a great total. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/april/logan-pre-stevenage/ “It’s something that everyone at the club prides themselves on. We want to finish that off in the best way and get to that 50 mark. “It’s just about having confidence when you’re at home. When you start off the season like we did against Newport [3-0 win], it was a really strong performance. “You have to make your home ground a fortress in any league, no matter what you’re doing. Once you get those first couple of wins on the board early in the season, confidence is high and everyone looks forward to it [home games].” With the Stags sitting in the automatic promotion spots with two games remaining in the Sky Bet League Two campaign, Logan explained the positives of having destiny ‘in your own hands.’ “I know it’s [MK Dons game] only next week, but it’s a million miles away,” he added. “A lot can happen on Saturday, and by five o’clock, there could have been a lot of twists and turns. “If we do our job, it doesn’t really matter what happens elsewhere. We’re fully focused on doing our job. “Hopefully, everything will then take care of itself on the final day. The good thing is, it’s in our hands. “We’re the team that’s in third - if we win our two games, we’ll be promoted. When it’s in your hands, then it’s a lot better. “When you have to start worrying about what is happening elsewhere, you can maybe take your eye off the ball, as such. “When it’s in your own hands, you can have a 100 percent focus on what you’re doing.” The 33-year-old is expecting a tough game at One Call Stadium on Saturday, with Stevenage currently unbeaten in their last six away games and in the hunt for a play-off spot. “Just the same as we’ve been doing all season [will get us over the line]. We’ll need to bring what we’ve brought to the table all season and not rest on our laurels. “It was a spirited comeback [against Oldham], considering the situation. But it’s gone now, there are a lot of games that have gone this season and mean nothing. “All that we can do now is focus on what’s coming up and look forward to Saturday and trying to get those three points. “The race for seventh position, there are a lot of teams looking for that. No-one is going to come to our ground and roll over. They’ll [Stevenage] come here full throttle, and we know that. “That will probably make for a good game, because both teams have something to play for.” Logan says that the Stags currently boast the best defensive record in Sky Bet League Two because of a team-wide effort on the pitch. “It’s not just what we do defensively. What we do further up the pitch takes a bit of pressure off the lads at the back. “We’re mostly a high-pressing team, and if we can cut things out at source, then it helps the lads at the back. “When they do get through, the lads have been resilient and strong all season. It’s been a good tally of clean sheets, and hopefully we can add to it in the next couple of games. “I would have liked to play more games, but it doesn’t really matter at this stage. At the moment, I’m in the team, and I’m fully focused on getting promoted and getting over the line.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Logan’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. -------------------- Conrad Logan wants Mansfield Town to stay calm and keep doing what they have been doing against Stevenage Borough chad.co.uk, by STEPHEN THIRKILL, Thursday 25 April 2019 Goalkeeper Conrad Logan says Mansfield Town must keep their cool calm during the crunch promotion clash with Stevenage this weekend. Stags could be all but mathematically promoted if they beat play-off chasing Borough and MK Dons are beaten at Colchester. It would leave David Flitcroft’s men needing only to avoid a heavy defeat on the last day of the season at MK Dons to ensure League One football next campaign. But the experienced Logan insists Mansfield must maintain their focus and not get carried away. “We can build the Stevenage game up as much as we want, but for players it is just another game and three points on offer, there has been three points on offer for 44 other games,” he said. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/conrad-logan-wants-mansfield-town-to-stay-calm-and-keep-doing-what-they-have-been-doing-against-stevenage-borough-1-9732851 “For the club and the fans they will build it up, we have just go to be calm and do what we have done for the last 44 games. “The big thing is that is it in our hands, I have been at teams where we have been relying on other teams on the last day and I have also been in squads where it has been in our own hands and we have done the job - and that is what we are looking to do. “We are revved up and ready to go and the focus is all on Saturday. “We have to keep doing what we have been doing, we don’t need to do anything different. “We are where we are on merit and we deserve to be there. Our home form has been fantastic and we will look to bring that through on Saturday. “We are only really looking forward to that game because that is our next game and the most important one.” And for Logan, having their promotion fate in their own hands is the crucial factor. “It is very exciting in the dressing room, we are in a great position and everything is in our hands,” he said. “We are excited and looking forward to Saturday and hopefully getting three points. “We would have taken this position at the start of the season, this is a tough league and it is 46 hard games and you get what you deserve at the end of the season. “We have put a lot of hard work in to it and we are looking for automatic promotion. “We would rather be where Lincoln are in we could, but it is in our hands.” -------------------------- Conrad Logan praises John and Carolyn Radford for their efforts to boost Mansfield Town's crowds chad.co.uk, by STEPHEN THIRKILL, Thursday 25 April 2019 Mansfield Town keeper Conrad Logan has praised John and Carolyn Radford their latest free ticket offer. The ticket deal will see U18's watch Stags' vital promotion clash with Stevenage for free and is expecting to see a big crowd pack into the One Call Stadium at the weekend. And Logan says the Radford's deserve plenty of credit for ensuring a bumper crowd will road Mansfield on. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/conrad-logan-praises-john-and-carolyn-radford-for-their-efforts-to-boost-mansfield-town-s-crowds-1-9732890 “The chairman and chief executive have been fantastic in putting on the ticket offers this season," he said. “Any time they have had initiative on, the fans have come in their numbers and it really helps us. "All season we have been getting good crowds and when you are on the pitch and it’s not going the right way, they can drive you over the line and keep you going. “If you are an away player, it can be an intimidating place at the One Call when it is in full flow. It is a brilliant offer” -------------------- Defensive unity is the key to Mansfield Town's brilliant defensive record chad.co.uk Conrad Logan believes unity on and off the field has been key to Mansfield Town's brilliant defensive season. Stags boast the best defence in League Two having conceded just 38 goals in 44 matches. And the goalkeeper believes it is all thanks to the togetherness of the players. “There is a good connection between the lads on and off the pitch," he said. "They complement each other well, we have got a bit of everything - we have got strength, power, we have people that are good on the ball, we have got pace. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/defensive-unity-is-the-key-to-mansfield-town-s-brilliant-defensive-record-1-9733187 “We have put together a really good defensive unit that can bring everything to the table." And he admitted their defensive record is one the players take great pride in. “It has been fantastic, the manager has played the three centre halves at the back and the stats show how well it has worked," he added. "The boys have taken great pride in keeping clean sheets and not conceding. “No matter what goalkeeper has been behind them, they have kept it going. The defenders deserve full credit for that, they have really committed to what the manager has asked of them and we have looked really solid. ------------------- Unity can see us complete our promotion mission says Mansfield Town chairman John Radford chad.co.uk Mansfield Town chairman John Radford called for unity among fans and players to complete the promotion job as Stags prepare for the crucial visit of Stevenage on Saturday. Stags are still in the top three automatic promotion places with just two games to go and Radford has written in Saturday’s match programme: “There is little requirement for any final rallying cry as I know how much this means to all of us inside the stadium. “Let us all play our part today, again, for what hopefully will be the final home game of this captivating season. “We will back our manager, staff and players like we have done all season: with encouragement and a raucous vocal support from the stands. “One person alone cannot achieve success in a team sport. It is a collective effort. Without unity we have nothing. “Together, let’s finish the job we started.” He continued: “We have all played a big part in contributing to the team’s high-riding position. “The management team have recruited diligently and have prepared this team well, starting with the foundations built in pre-season and the week which the players spent together in Portugal. “Our players have performed in a consistent fashion during large spells during this season and there have been a number of outstanding performers. “Our staff have again gone above and beyond the call of duty in enhancing every department of our club. “I am immensely proud of how we are progressing as a club and this opportunity, at this stage of the season, is exciting for everyone who has the Amber & Blue at heart.” ------------------------- |
Latest | April 2019