Archived News from October 2019
|
GLOVER AND COOK PREVIEW WALSALL
|
 |
|
We’re becoming more consistent - assistant
mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 24 October 2019 After a recent increase in ‘performance levels,’ assistant manager Lee Glover has stressed the importance of ‘consistency’ if the Stags are to collect points in their upcoming matches. The amber and blue found themselves with two wins and one draw ahead of Tuesday evening’s defeat to Salford City at One Call Stadium, a game in which they recorded 20 more shots than the opposition and held 70 percent possession. Lee says that if Mansfield carry that level of performance into their remaining games this term, they will record victories more often than not. “I’ve found that the league is very up and down,” he told iFollow Stags. “The teams at the top have shown quality and we believe we have people in the building that can do that. “Early on in the season we haven’t been consistent enough, but I believe over the last five or six weeks, training and games have been better. read more at https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/october/glover-pre-walsall/ “We have shown consistency and looked how we want to look, and we need to maintain that. “You’re searching for the consistency that you want to see, as you know it will get results. Recently we have shown more consistency, but early on in the season we didn’t know quite what we were going to get. “Was that the hangover from the play-offs last year? I’m not sure. But I have seen a more positive impact on the group over the last five or six weeks. “This consistency needs to be day-in, day-out in training as the games will become easier and the level of performance will become higher. “I think we need to keep the performance level like we played on Tuesday [against Salford], then I have no doubts that we will win more than we lose. “Some of the performances and individual performances, you can see them developing.” Reflecting on Tuesday night’s loss to Salford, the assistant boss says the Stags ‘let themselves down in both boxes’ following a positive display. “If you look at the chances we created [against Salford], we’d have taken it before a ball was kicked. There was a good level of performance from the lads, but we let ourselves down in both boxes. “We were very much in the ascendancy and with the overall performance, we should have at least taken something from the game. “The best managers and coaches I’ve worked with, they’ve always said put performance over results, which sounds a bit crazy. But what they mean is that, if you perform at a [high] level consistently, you win games. “Football is a cruel game, as in you can perform well and not get what you deserve. On Tuesday night, a lot of the fans applauded the fans off the pitch because of the work rate and the endeavour they showed. “I sit here disappointed that we lost, but buoyed by the way we played. I know that if we can continue that, we’ll win games.” Lee Glover also looked ahead to Mansfield’s next test, away to Walsall on Saturday, adding: “I know they [Walsall] have got some good players and are probably searching for some consistency, like ourselves. “They’re a club that came down and made a lot of changes. We’ve watched them and will get a plan ready to go there. “They look to play football - it’s a nice tight ground which I think will suit us and the surface looks good to play on. “We’ll treat them with respect, but we’ll go there looking to be positive and trying to dominate possession. We want to go there and really get after the game and put in a good performance.” There were also injury updates on midfielder Jacob Mellis, striker Danny Rose and wing-back Hayden White. “I think Mells [Jacob Mellis] will train this week and will come into consideration [for Saturday] for the manager [John Dempster]. “Jacob is obviously a very good player and is someone who can unlock doors, so it will be good to have him back. “Danny [Rose, below] is improving and signs are positives, so we’re hoping it won’t be that [five weeks out] now. The medical team have reported this morning that he is a lot further on than they expected him to be. “We want Danny back because he’s had a great start to the season. He’s very much a fans’ favourite and is great to have around the group. We’re looking forward to him coming back. “I wouldn’t be able to put a timeframe on it [Rose return] - that will be in the hands of the medical department. “That’s also the case with Hayden White, who had to take some painkillers to play at Grimsby. He was in a bit of pain that day and that’s the sort of attitude we want, people who are going to push themselves for the club. “He is a situation where we have had to leave him for a while to get pain-free from his injury, which is taking a little while to settle down. “White just has a little bit of pain around the fracture site [from last season’s injury]. That’s settling down a lot but we’re just waiting to see what the medical team say about it. “We want him now to have a period of time where he can settle it [injury] down and get pain-free.” Lee Glover also spoke of long-term absentees Craig Davies (below) and Jordan Graham, confirming that both strikers have returned to training after significant spells on the sidelines. “Both of them [Graham and Davies] have been back in training. Jordan is doing the full training and Davo is doing little bits. “We have to be careful with them and bring them on slowly. But it’s good to have them around the group. “The reserve game on Tuesday [against Peterborough] will be too soon for him [Davies]. Davo in training, the little bits he’s done, he looks like he will be a very good addition when he’s fit. “Very much the word from the medical department is ‘let’s have him on a slow burner’ because we don’t want to rush him back. We’re looking forward to getting him fit.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Lee Glover’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ---------------- Keep performances high and the rewards will come says Mansfield Town assistant boss Lee Glover chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 October 2019 Mansfield Town need to concentrate on consistent performances and their rewards will come believes assistant manager Lee Glover ahead of Saturday’s game at Walsall. Despite dominating Tuesday night’s home clash with Salford, Stags lost 2-1, but Glover said: “The best managers and coaches I have worked with over my career have always said put performance over the result. It sounds a bit crazy but what they mean is if you perform at a level consistently you win games. “Football is a cruel game as in you can perform very, very well and not get what you deserve. “But if you do that consistently over a period of time you will pick up points and we are going to be saying that to the lads.” He added: “If you look at the chances created on Tuesday, we’d have taken that before a ball was kicked. “It was a good level of performance from the lads, fantastic, though we probably let ourselves down in both boxes to be brutally honest. “With the chances we had, 20-odd shots at goal, and not keeping a clean sheet - those two parts were poor. But the rest of it, collectively, was very positive. “We should have taken something from the game, even a win. “On Tuesday night a lot of the fans applauded the boys off because they liked the endeavour and the work rate they put in, and the way they played. “We’re not daft, we know we need to be putting points alongside these performances. But if we can keep these levels of performance we will win games.” Stags have reached the start of the second third of the campaign and Glover said: “This league is very up and down but the teams at the top have shown a little bit of quality. “Watching the games back, at certain times they can just turn the game. We believe we have people here in the building that can do that. “In the early part of the season we were not consistent enough. But I believe for the last five or six weeks going back to the Scunthorpe game, training and games have been better. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/keep-performances-high-and-the-rewards-will-come-says-mansfield-town-assistant-boss-lee-glover-1-10067666 “We have shown a bit more consistency and looked a bit more like we want to look. We now need to try to maintain that. “Early on in the season we didn’t quite know what we were going to get. Was that the hangover from the play-offs last year? I’m not sure “But I have seen a more positive impact on the group over the last five or six weeks. “Sitting here after a defeat I feel disappointed with the loss but buoyed by the way we played.” Saturday’s opponents Walsall were relegated last season and sit one place and two points behind the Stags in 19th. “I have watched some clips of their games and know they’ve got some good players,” said Glover. “They are probably searching for some consistency like ourselves. “They are a club that came down and made a lot of changes. They are probably in a bit of an unknown period for players and staff, getting to now each other with the new regime coming in. All of that may be having an effect. “We will get a plan ready to go there, but our focus will be very much on us. “They took a couple of players in from Bristol Rovers, the manager’s old club, and they look to play football. “It’s a nice, tight ground, which I think will suit us, and the surface is quite good to play on.” Glover continued: “They will be hoping for the top half of the table and I think their management team will believe they can go on a run and push towards the play-offs. “We will treat them with respect. We know we go there in a period when their results have not been great. “We want to go there and try to dominate possession and do all the things we do in training and in some games recently. We want to get after the game and put on a really good performance.” --------------------- Praise for Hayden White going through the pain barrier for Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 October 2019 Mansfield Town defender Hayden White has been going through the pain barrier for the club this season and a late decision will be taken on his inclusion in the squad for Saturday’s trip to Walsall. White is back available after suspension but assistant boss Lee Glover said White is still suffering from the broken leg he sustained last season. “Hayden had to take some painkillers at Grimsby as he played in a bit of pain that day,” said Glover. “That’s the sort of attitude we want - people that are going to push themselves for the club and the supporters. read more at https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/praise-for-hayden-white-going-through-the-pain-barrier-for-mansfield-town-1-10067523 “We have had to leave him to get pain-free from his injury, which is taking a little while to settle down. “But we appreciate the efforts he has made - that attitude of ‘I’m going to give it a go’ and playing through the pain through the pain for the team. We have a few lads in the building that have got that attitude which is great to see. “I think supporters appreciate it and as we as staff are really appreciative of what Hayden and other lads have done. “He is in great spirits. He still has a little bit of pain around the fracture site. But that’s settling down a lot.” Now Stags will wait to see how is is for the Walsall trip. “We’re now waiting to see what the medical department say about the fracture,” said Glover. “We do want to settle it down and give him a period of time where he can actually get pain-free. “But I think it’s right to mention what he is actually putting his body through for the club.” Midfielder Jacob Mellis will also have a late test on his hamstring with Glover adding: “He’s a very good player - he is a technician who can unlock doors and it would be good to have him back.” -------------------- Danny Rose making progress but Craig Davies won’t be risked - latest from the Mansfield Town treatment room chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Long term injured Mansfield Town striker Craig Davies will not be risked in next week’s reserve game. Davies is almost back to full training now, but the club are taking their time with him after earlier setbacks. “There is a reserve game on Tuesday which will be too soon for him,” said assistant boss Lee Glover. “In the bits of training he has done, Davo looks like he could be a very good addition when he gets fit. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/danny-rose-making-progress-but-craig-davies-won-t-be-risked-latest-from-the-mansfield-town-treatment-room-1-10069198 “I’ve known him at his other clubs. “But the word from the medical department is let’s have him on a slow burner as we don;t want to push him too quickly. He’s had a couple of lapses. “He is a good personality to have around and we’re looking forward to getting him fit. It’s about getting fit and staying fit. Then they can play for a longer period and sustainable which gets the best out of them and they can affect the group.” While top scorer Danny Rose appears to be making a quicker-than-expected return from injury. Rose was ruled out for up to six weeks after turning an ankle in training late last week but is responding well. “Danny is actually improving and the signs are positive. So we’re hoping it won’t be that long now,” said Glover. “The physio department reported this morning that he’s a lot further on than they expected him to be. “We want Danny back. He’s had a great start to the season and he’s a talisman for us in some of the games. “He is very much a fans’ favourite and great to have around the group. He is an energiser in the group and works hard in training. We’re looking forward to him coming back. -------------------- Forest Green melee was just ‘handbags’ insists Mansfield Town assistant boss Lee Glover after FA charge chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 October 2019 Mansfield Town assistant boss Lee Glover insisted the melee at the end of last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Forest Green was nothing more than ‘handbags’ and was surprised the two clubs were in hot water with the FA. The clubs have until 6pm tomorrow to answer the charge that they failed to ‘ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour’. But Glover said: “It was handbags. It was nothing really - let’s not over-react here. “There were no punches being thrown or people trying to get other people in headlocks. Let’s play this down. read more at https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/forest-green-melee-was-just-handbags-insists-mansfield-town-assistant-boss-lee-glover-after-fa-charge-1-10067513 “Some lads had a word at the end of the game. We’d come back from two down and Forest Green would have been annoyed. “The adrenalin was pumping as their lads know they had conceded from a winning position.” He continued: “People get wound up. But I did not see any major violence, there certainly wasn’t an affray. “There was a bit of a melee but nothing that I thought either club would be in trouble over. “I see things go on on the pitch and things get blown up very quickly now. “But they are human. They are emotional and there is a reaction. “There might have been a difference of opinion. But the lads all shook hands in the tunnel, smiled and said fair enough. We all understand as we’ve all been there.” --------------------- Mansfield Town’s Andy Cook told to relax ahead of Walsall return chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town striker Andy Cook will be told not to treat his return to Walsall any differently to other games when he returns to Bescot Stadium tomorrow. Cook was the Saddlers’ 18-goal star as they were relegated last season and, after suffering an early season injury, has only just won a place in Mansfield’s League Two starting line-up this week in perfect time to face his former club. But Stags assistant boss Lee Glover said: “Sometimes you can build up the game a little bit too much. I will be saying to Andy to just be relaxed about things. “He did very well on Tuesday and he got two goals at Forest Green. He’s had an indifferent start owing to injuries. But now he’s shown a bit of fitness and a bit of form. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-s-andy-cook-told-to-relax-ahead-of-walsall-return-1-10069051 “I think our fans will appreciate the work he does. He’s a big lad who puts himself about and they will like seeing that aspect of his game. “He just needs to keep himself and his emotions under control and focus on the game and his performance, trying to get into positions to score as he can finish. It’s good to have him back.” Cook has had to wait patiently for his first league start, but scoring twice as a sub and having top scorer Danny Rose out injured has been the perfect storm for him. “Football gives you chances like that,” said Glover. “I’ve had it said to me ‘just bide your time - it’s going to happen. But you think ‘when is it going to happen’. “This is a prime example. Danny gets injured, Cooky gets in, gets two goals, plays again on Tuesday and does well again, the keeper making a good save from him. So all those things are positive for him. “It’s disappointing when people get injured but we have a squad of players good enough to go in there and stake a claim, and if they do well then they play.” He added: “He looks like he is fit now. He did his pre-season and then picked up an injury which puts you back to square one. But he’s been champing at the bit and he’s not got those goals which will give him a massive boost. “He got 18 goals for Walsall in League One last year and I think he can do the same here. We believe in him and, if we get the right service to him, he can be a major threat.” ---------------------- Striker speaks ahead of return to former club mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 24 October 2019 Mansfield Town striker Andy Cook is focused solely on taking all three points from Saturday’s visit to Walsall despite his previous connections with the Stags’ opponents. The 29-year-old spent last campaign with the Saddlers, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions. He is hoping to replicate this form with the Stags after opening his account with a double in last Saturday’s draw at Forest Green Rovers. “I know game time hasn’t come as much as I hoped but of course, when I’m playing I want to take my chances [because] that’ll keep me in the team so I’m setting [goal] targets for the end of the season. “Obviously my time at Walsall didn’t end the way I wanted it to with getting relegated but personally, I scored 18 goals, so I was happy with that. It’d be great to do that again here,” said the frontman. read more at https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/october/cook-pre-walsall/ On Tuesday, Cook made his first Sky Bet League Two start for the amber and blue but was left ‘disappointed’ as they fell to a 2-1 loss at the hands of Salford City. “It was a frustrating one. We had chances to win the game but didn’t take them, as a team we’ve got to improve on that. [We’ve also] got to defend better and stop conceding sloppy goals - if we cut that out we’ll win [more] games. “Obviously we were disappointed with the result but the way we played we did quite well, there’s no point beating ourselves up, [we have to] move forward and focus on Saturday.” He went on to speak about the importance of match fitness after completing what was his first full 90 minutes in Mansfield colours. “[Playing the full match against Salford] was massive. I’ve played in a few reserve games and the [Leasing.com Trophy] game against Crewe, I just need to keep my fitness up so I can keep lasting games. “It’s only one game, I need to get a run of games going to get my match fitness back up. I’m doing extra in training to keep my fitness up but it’s not the same as [what you get from] matches.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Andy's interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. -------------------- Mansfield Town striker Andy Cook expecting stick from fans on Walsall return chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 24 October 2019 Andy Cook expects some stick from Walsall fans on his return to the Bescot Stadium with new club Mansfield Town on Saturday. The big striker has just managed to battle his way into the Stags side after a summer switch, having scored 18 goals in Walsall’s relegation season last time around. “Obviously my time at Walsall did not end the way I wanted it to end with relegation,” said Cook. “But personally I scored 18 goals in all competitions, so I was quite happy with that, though not to get relegated. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-striker-andy-cook-expecting-stick-from-fans-on-walsall-return-1-10067672 “Nailed-on I will get some boos from the crowd. I got some abuse on Twitter when I left. Some of them liked me, but some of them didn’t. You get that everywhere - it’s part and parcel. “When we played Tranmere with Walsall in the cup last year they were great with me. But when I left Barrow and went to Tranmere, they weren’t so good. “Some players see these games at old clubs differently. But I will just be treating it as another game. I want to go there and get the three points.” Cook is hoping he can now go on to equal or better last season’s tally. “I know game time has not come as much as I wanted it to. But when I am playing I want to take my chances which could keep me in the team so I set the same targets,” he said. Cook knows the change of playing staff under new boss Darrell Clarke will mean he will know few faces at his old club. “Walsall had a big clear-out but I think there’s still a couple of players I know there,” he said. ------------------ Best yet to come, says Mansfield Town’s Andy Cook chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS After finally making his first League Two start for Mansfield Town, summer signing Andy Cook believes the fans will now get to see the best of him if he can get a run in the side. Cook, who heads back to Walsall with the Stags tomorrow after signing from the West Midlands club in the summer, has had to bide his time after an early injury set him back. But two goals as a sub at Forest Green and a first full 90 minutes in midweek against Salford have the big striker looking optimistically to the future. “I thought I did all right for my first game since signing. It was good to get it under my belt and hopefully there’s many more to come,” he smiled. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/best-yet-to-come-says-mansfield-town-s-andy-cook-1-10069058 “It was massive for me to play the 90 minutes on Tuesday. I have played in a few reserve games and the game against Crewe the other week, and I just need to keep building my fitness up so I can keep lasting games. “It’s only one game. I need to get a run of games going to get my match fitness back. I am doing extra in training to keep my fitness up but it’s not the same as match fitness. “I can do it in training but after playing 90 minutes my body hurt and was aching a bit. I just need to get used to that feeling again.” On his early season injury, he added: “It’s been frustrating. It was in my first game and my first start in the cup and I’ve landed on my knee. But you just have to keep your head and keep going. “For me this style is easy to play in once I am in there. They are a great set of lads and we can push on.” Cook is enjoying his new partnership with Nicky Maynard, saying: “He is a good player to play with. He has great experience and is a great finisher. He has played in the Premier League and he’s someone I like to look up to and play off him.” On his first full League Two game for Stags on Tuesday, which ended in a 2-1 defeat to Salford, he added: “It was frustrating - we had chances to win the game and we didn’t take them. “As a team we’ve got to improve on that and defend better with the sloppy goals. If we can cut that out we will start winning games. We played quite well so there’s no point in beating ourselves up - we just move on to Saturday.” Cook went over near the end in the box to no avail, but said: “It was a stonewall penalty. I was 100 per cent expecting the whistle. “He pushed me two-handed in the back when I went up. I am centre forward and I am not going to go down when we are losing the game and there is a chance to get the equaliser. “He’d been giving them all over the pitch but he’s not given it in the box.” ---------------------- Darrell Clarke on Andy Cook: https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/walsall-fc/2019/10/25/walsall-v-mansfield-darrell-clarke-looking-for-win-over-home-town-club/ The visitors are expected to start with a player that Walsall fans will be familiar with. Striker Andy Cook was Walsall’s top goalscorer when they were relegated from League One last season. But after only spending a year at the club, he moved to Mansfield in the summer. Despite coming up against former team-mates, Clarke says his players shouldn’t need any extra motivation heading into the fixture. “He didn’t want to be at the club,” Clarke added. “We know his strengths and his weaknesses. “I’m sure he’ll be looking to get one over because by all accounts, the conversations I had with him, he got a bit of stick while he was here. “That’s why he didn’t want to be here. “We’ll have to deal with that and hopefully we can keep him quiet. “They (the players) shouldn’t need the fire. “There’s obviously a bit of history. “A player that was top goalscorer in a relegated team, didn’t want to be here. “There’ll probably be a bit of animosity with the fans towards him. “I’m sure he won’t get too much of a welcome. “He’ll handle that no doubt, he’s an experienced player. “My job as manager, if he plays, is to try to keep him quiet and make sure he doesn’t make an impact. “Which is tough, because on his day he’s a 20-goal goalscorer.” ------------------- Clarke: "We expect a stern test" saddlers.co.uk, Thursday 24 October 2019 Walsall boss Darrell Clarke is expecting a stern test from Mansfield Town this weekend. The Saddlers will be looking to end a run of four successive defeats against a Stags side who sit just one place above Walsall in 18th. Clarke has called on his players to find their form on Saturday against a Mansfield side he feels will pose a threat. “We expect a stern test,” said Clarke. “They played very well against Salford in mid-week. "Had most of the territory, most of the possession but they were beaten, and that can happen in this league. read more at https://www.saddlers.co.uk/news/2019/october/clarke-we-expect-a-stern-test/ "If you look at most games and most teams, even the games we've played, they could have quite easily gone in our favour. "We have to turn it around as a group, that's what you have to do. "Slow building blocks and keep working away. “You certainly want players to be finding their form because we have got good players at the football club that are not producing what they can do.” Mansfield is a club that Clarke knows well. He spent six years as a player at Field Mill but insists he is fully focused on securing three points against his former side. "It’s my hometown team, I've got family there, I played for them, used to go to the games with my granddad,” Clarke recalled. "It's a result that I've always looked for but I'll be looking to beat them, that's for sure. "They'll know that about me. "We just want to change that momentum swing, which isn't going to be easy." ---------------------- Walsall boss Darrell Clarke threatens to transfer list 'weak minded' players expressandstar.com, By Liam Keen The 41-year-old saw his side slump to a fourth defeat in a row on Tuesday night, losing 2-0 away at struggling Oldham. The Saddlers saw the biggest turnover of players in the EFL in the summer, with 22 leaving the club and 16 joining. But in his latest warning to his players, Clarke says he is set to move players on if there isn't an improvement before the transfer window opens, including some players he brought in this year. “I have some weak minded players at the minute, they won’t be at the club long," he said. “Not with me, not the way I work. “We’ll keep working with them and when we can freshen up we’ll freshen it up. “They have a lot to prove, a hell of a lot to prove. read more at https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/walsall-fc/2019/10/24/walsall-boss-darrell-clarke-threatens-to-transfer-list-weak-minded-players/ “I don’t think it’s a strong division so that make’s my players even weaker because we’re poor. “It’s a case of changing personnel, they have 10/11 games in the league before the window opens and they’ll be gone. “They’ll be on the transfer list and that’s whether I’ve signed them in the summer or not. “I need a lot more but I take full responsibility for where we’re at. “I’ve been a successful manager but I’m having a terrible run. “I know what it takes to be a successful team and I’ll take the hit, some of my signings haven’t worked. “They haven’t been good enough, I’ll take that. “We had the biggest turnaround in the EFL, my top goal scorer wanted to leave, my captain wanted to leave, my other scorer wanted to leave. “They have 10/11 games for them to show me something different otherwise I’ll be moving them on. “Put them on the list and some other manager can deal with them because I’m not having it. “I go away weekends, I don’t sleep after Saturday, I won’t sleep tonight. “Because I care, I want to do well for the football club." Mat Sadler was sent off in the Oldham loss for a deliberate handball, to stop an attacker from racing through on goal. And while Clarke agreed with the decision, he felt Adebayo should have been awarded a penalty in the first half. The striker went down after trying to cut onto his left foot and evade the defender as he went through on goal. “The referee has made two big calls, obviously Sadler’s is a sending off, but it’s a blatant penalty as well, which we’re disappointed in," Clarke added. “Adebayo gets on the inside of him, catches him, it’s a penalty all day. “We can’t go over that, it’s not good enough. “The fans know it’s not good enough, we have to do more. “We have to stick together. “What can go wrong, is going wrong. “We have injuries galore, sending offs, suspensions. “We have to get on with it. “Take the stick, which is thoroughly deserved. "The only way you turn it around is by winning football matches." -------------------- Darrell Clarke: Shape up, or go and stack supermarket shelves, says Walsall boss https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50181835?fbclid=IwAR2TMP65-Rw17d4nmpkaRHk2l_Z8NFDaZSMaFCBtwWUxHsE-PoRkKXE4lT4 Walsall manager Darrell Clarke has told his under-performing players that if they cannot handle criticism, they should not be professional footballers. After a poor start following his appointment in May, four straight wins for Clarke looked to have things round. But four subsequent defeats have now plunged Walsall back to 19th in the League Two table. "My players are fully behind what we're trying to do here. But they've got to be better," Clarke told BBC WM. "Everybody at the football club's got to be a lot better. If they can't handle that, they'll be on their way." The 41-year-old continued: "I'm not going to cuddle them. They know that. I'm not a cuddling manager. "If they want me to put an arm round them and say everything's going to be OK, I think we need to get another manager in." Walsall face fellow strugglers Mansfield Town at home on Saturday and Clarke wants his players to toughen up. "The players go on Twitter. They read newspaper articles. The criticism is already out there," he said. "If they can't handle criticism from a manager when things aren't going well, if they're going to struggle in the modern world on confidence, if they can't handle the criticism, then they shouldn't be footballers. "They should go and stack shelves at Asda. Soft players don't win you promotions." ------------------------- |
Latest | October 2019