Archived News from July 2019
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GLOVER PREVIEWS NOTTM.FOR.U23 GAME /TRIALISTS NEWS
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‘Stake a claim’ over next two matches, says assistant manager
mansfieldtown.net, Monday 22 July 2019 Assistant manager Lee Glover has encouraged the Stags to ‘stake a claim’ for a place in the team in Mansfield’s final two pre-season clashes, before the Sky Bet League Two season begins on Saturday 03 August. The amber and blue will face Nottingham Forest under-23s and Rangers under-23s at One Call Stadium on Tuesday night (7.45pm) and Saturday afternoon (1pm), respectively. The assistant boss says he challenges the Stags to ‘make sure’ they are in the team for the first match of the 2019-20 campaign away to Newport. “They [Nottingham Forest under-23s] will come and try to play football,” he began. “It will be a high energy game, because they make up with effort for what they might not have in experience. “I always say that we’ll focus on ourselves first. We want to see if we can create chances, go forward and be a threat, but obviously defensively be right. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/july/lee-glover-pre-forest-u23/ “We’ll be working on us today and making sure that we perform how we want to. “For me, that’s the same message going into every game. We want to look after ourselves and try and get ourselves right first. “We’ll look at the opponents and work on what they do, but in the main we’ll make sure we’re right and playing how we want to play. “We’re building up for Newport and these games are the games where people need to stake a claim - that’s what we’re trying to reinforce with the group. “You want to do what’s best for you, and that’s to get in the team. That’s what we’re saying to them: make sure you’re in the team.” Reflecting on Saturday’s encouraging 2-2 draw with Championship side Hull City, the assistant manager says that the Stags ‘finished the game really strongly,’ while also praising the performance of attacking midfielder Otis Khan. “I thought we finished the [Hull] game really strongly. In the first-half we could’ve passed the ball better. “In the second-half - I know we had a bad start - but the lads showed a lot of character, got on the ball and played well. “We created some chances, and you could see the response from the crowd because the lads were having a go. We played some good football and it was nice to see. “I think he [Khan] was excellent on Saturday. We asked him if he can drift into pockets and pick up possession, and we want to encourage him to do that. “We want to encourage him even when he makes mistakes, because he can create stuff, and we have players ahead of him that can score goals. He looks sharp, and we want to develop that.” Lee Glover also revealed that the Stags are no longer pursuing the three trialists who featured in last Wednesday’s defeat to Blackburn Rovers, but added that Mansfield are still actively looking to get deals over the line. “We’re no longer pursuing them [three trialists who featured against Blackburn]. They were unlucky, particularly the right-back, who did very well. “We want to try and improve it [squad], but we thought at this time they weren’t right for us. “We’re trying to work on a few things - we don’t want to say too much before we get anything over the line. “We’re always looking to improve the squad and the chairman [John Radford] has been great by backing us. “We might get something over the line this week, but it has to be the right person to improve the squad. We don’t want to bring in fillers, we want to bring in players that will improve the team. “We have a trialist in today [Monday], so we’ll just see how he goes. “There are loads of players [available] and the wage demands are getting a bit more realistic as we approach the start of the season. “There are a whole host of players out of contracts looking for clubs, and we are a very attractive club. We’re in a good position. “There is enough in the building here to win a game of football, and that’s what we want.” The assistant boss also provided updates on midfielder Willem Tomlinson and goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik, who are recovering from their respective injuries. “I think he [Tomlinson] might be back quicker [than four weeks]. He’s a young lad who responds to treatment. “We were disappointed because Will was looking really good in pre-season. We were liking the way he was shaping up, but these things happen and it gives opportunities for other players to stake a claim. “Bobby [Olejnik] is coming on great [with his recovery], he’s around it and we just have to take our time with it.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Lee Glover’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ----------------- Mansfield Town expect ‘high energy’ test from Nottingham Forest’s stars of the future chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 22 July 2019 Mansfield Town expect a ‘high energy’ contest tomorrow night when they come up against Nottingham Forest’s stars of the future in the penultimate pre-season friendly at the One Call Stadium (7.45). A game that was originally to have featured Forest’s first team will now see the Reds send their U23s instead. But Stags’ assistant boss Lee Glover said: “Forest will come here and try to play football. “I think it will be a high energy game as, with the U23s, what they lack in experience they will make up for in effort. That will be good for us and stress us a little bit. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-expect-high-energy-test-from-nottingham-forest-s-stars-of-the-future-1-9891160 “But we are looking at us first and foremost and we want us to try to put on a performance. Can we dictate the play? Can we create chances? Can we be a threat going forward, while defensively making sure we are right? “That’s what we’ll be working on with the boys today and making sure we perform how we want to.” He added: “I think there was a sense of disappointment when we were told it was now the U23s. “But it will still be a good test and, coming off the back of two really good games with Blackburn and Hull, pre-season, as it’s panned out, has not been bad at all.” ---------------- Mansfield Town to look at new trialist but show door to last week’s trio chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 22 July 2019 Mansfield Town may have a new trialist on show for tomorrow’s home friendly with Nottingham Forest U23s if he impresses in training today. But the three trialists from last week, believed to be Jak Hickman, Arthur Gnahoua and Jose Baxter, have all been told they won’t be offered a deal and have left the club. “We are no longer pursuing them,” said assistant manager Lee Glover. “They were unlucky, Jak Hickman in particular at right back did very well. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-to-look-at-new-trialist-but-show-door-to-last-week-s-trio-1-9891168 “But we are looking in the building, we want to try to improve it, and we just thought at this time it wasn’t right for us.” Glover said progress was being made on other irons in the fire. “We are trying to work on a couple of things,” he said. “We don’t want to say too much until we get it over the line. But we are always looking to improve the squad. The chairman has been great in his backing of us. “We might get something over the line this week. But it’s got to be the right person who will improve the squad. We don’t want to bring in fillers or a body. We want to make sure it’s someone who can affect the team. “We do have another trialist in today and we’re just going to see how he goes and work from there.” ------------------- Mansfield Town home in on transfer targets as wage demands drop chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 22 July 2019 Mansfield Town hope to have a fifth summer signing secured this week as the new season nears and wage demands drop. Stags have already added four new faces to their squad but continue to look for cover at right back as well as an attacking midfielder. Assistant boss Lee Glover said: “We are trying to work on a couple of things. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-home-in-on-transfer-targets-as-wage-demands-drop-1-9892010?fbclid=IwAR1bRprCkIMlDOXYvVbyWRo98eGhFVdKNxRuuV-HQro7i6ugxcCKrRIhZiU “We don’t want to say too much until we get it over the line. But we are always looking to improve the squad. The chairman has been great in his backing of us. “We might get something over the line this week. But it’s got to be the right person who will improve the squad. “We don’t want to bring in fillers or a body. We want to make sure it’s someone who can affect the team.” He added: “To be brutally honest you get that many players thrown at you, it’s difficult as all of them are decent players and have a pedigree. “But you’ve got to balance it and the gaffer, myself and the rest of the staff have to decide who would be best to come into the building and fit into what we want to do and fit in with the team. “There are loads of players now and I think the wage demands are more realistic now as it gets nearer the season whereas a couple of weeks ago they were probably throwing extra money on it. Hopefully the ball will now be more in our court.” However, if no signings could be concluded Glover is adamant Stags already have a talented squad that can make an impact. “I think we definitely have enough in the building to win a game of football now anyway,” he said. ------------------- Last chance to win Mansfield Town starting places as Glasgow Rangers come to the One Call Stadium chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town have a final chance to win a starting place for the new season when Glasgow Rangers U23s visit the One Call Stadium on Saturday. Stags’ original home friendly with Stockport County was cancelled on police advice, but Rangers have stepped in to play Stags for a second time after a game in Portugal earlier this summer. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/last-chance-to-win-mansfield-town-starting-places-as-glasgow-rangers-come-to-the-one-call-stadium-1-9896583 “We are building up for Newport and these are the games where people need to stake a claim. That’s what we are trying to reinforce with the group,” said assistant boss Lee Glover. “We are all about the group but within that group the players are self-employed. And if you’re self-employed you want to do the best for you - and that’s get in the team. “That’s what we are saying to them - make sure you are in the team. “Players like to say other things but ultimately it’s down to the player himself whether he gets in the team or not. If he does the business he gets in and, if he keeps doing it, he stays in. That’s what we want to create here.” Despite it only being their U23s, Rangers have a fervent following and Stags expect an influx of supporters. “We’ve not had big gates with pre-season friendlies so far,” said Glover. “But you’d expect one for Rangers as even their U23s and youth teams have quite a large following. Hopefully we will get at least a couple of thousand in.” He added: “It probably won’t be our starting XI at Newport this Saturday. The gaffer will probably sleep on it and then decide what he wants to do. “We can play with a four at the back, we can play with a three, so we have very good options in the building. “We went with a four on Saturday and they did very, very well, and we went with a three against Blackburn and Forest and did well too.” ---------------------- Could Mansfield Town pick up a gem from friendlies? chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town could pick up a gem after this week’s home friendlies with Forest U23s and Glasgow Rangers U23s. Both visiting clubs have a wealth of young talent and with relations between the clubs excellent, Stags assistant boss Lee Glover said: “If someone becomes available who fits the bill then we’d look to do something. The chairman has been very very helpful with stuff so far. “Obviously we’ve got a link with Forest and now we’ve got a link with Rangers. “Being a Rangers supporter it would be nice to get a couple of tickets! We want to get the best players we can and some of the young lads that are around and about at Forest and at Rangers, as well as Derby and other local clubs round here, if we could do a bit of business with them then maybe something could happen. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/could-mansfield-town-pick-up-a-gem-from-friendlies-1-9896592 “But there is a whole host of players now out of contract looking for clubs and we are a very attractive club to a lot of them. So we are in a good position.” ---------------------- Hopes high that Mansfield midfielder Willem Tomlinson’s injury will heal quicker than expected chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town are hoping midfielder Willem Tomlinson could be back quicker than the anticipated month out after he damaged knee ligaments in last week’s friendly with his former club Blackburn Rovers. Tomlinson had come on as a half-time substitute but had to go off after a crunching tackle saw him unable to run off the pain. A scan revealed slight ligament damage and he was expected to be missing for a month, but assistant boss Lee Glover said: “I think he might be back quicker than that. He’s a young lad who responds to treatment. “We were disappointed as Will was looking very, very good in pre-season. We were liking the way he was shaping up. But these things happen. “We have other players in the squad and it’s an opportunity for other players to stake a claim.” --------------------- Mansfield Town midfielder Otis Khan desperate to prove a point this season chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town midfielder Otis Khan is starting to look like he has regained his sharpness and hunger from the start of last season. The 23-year-old lost his place through injury after a great start to last season and failed to break his way back in again. But he has caught the eye in pre-season and assistant manager lee Glover said: “I think he was excellent on Saturday. “We are talking about him not staying wide. Can he drift into pockets and get on the ball? https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-midfielder-otis-khan-desperate-to-prove-a-point-this-season-1-9897796 “That’s what he wants to do and that’s what we’ve got to encourage him to do. “We have to encourage him, even when he makes mistakes, to keep having the ball and keep it as he can create stuff and we’ve got players ahead of him that we think will score goals. “He’s looking sharp and we want to develop that.” Khan joined Stags from Yeovil Town last summer for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be as much as £120,000 ---------------------- |
Latest | July 2019