Archived News from November 2019
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MACCLESFIELD PREVIEWS
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Confidence high in Stags’ squad - assistant manager
mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 14 November 2019 Assistant manager Lee Glover says there is plenty of ‘positive energy’ within the Stags’ camp after the amber and blue progressed to the next stages of the Emirates FA Cup and Leasing.com Trophy this week. Mansfield recorded a 1-0 victory over Chorley at One Call Stadium on Saturday, progressing to the second round of the FA Cup, then later advanced to the knockout stages of the Leasing.com Trophy with a 2-1 victory away at Burton Albion on Tuesday evening. Speaking at Thursday morning’s news conference at The RH Academy - the club’s training facility - Stags’ assistant boss discussed the confidence-building week so far. “We were very happy to progress in both competitions [Emirates FA Cup and Leasing.com Trophy],” he told iFollow Stags. “It was always going to be a difficult game [against Chorley]. “The non-league sides now, a lot of them are full-time. It was a difficult game and I thought the lads applied themselves really well. “We didn’t get an early goal, but we stuck at it, got the win and got in the hat for the next round, which is very important. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/november/glover-pre-macclesfield/ “Against Burton we made a few changes. We shuffled the pack and it was great to get through with a great performance on the night. “There’s a bit of confidence in the camp, which victories help with. We’ve been encouraged by the way we’ve moved the ball and we are creating chances. A clean sheet is obviously something that we’d like more often. “There has been an upturn over the last six or seven weeks in our performance levels and we’ve picked up some points. There is a good feel about the group. “There is a lot of positive energy around the group and we think people are hitting form and performance levels are good. Me and the gaffer [John Dempster] have to enhance that and push it forward. “We’re trying to encourage competition for places and with performances like that [against Burton], the whole group can see that if people don’t do the business, there’s other people waiting who can step in. “Individually there were some very good performances and that gives the gaffer a bit of a headache - but a nice one.” Ahead of Mansfield’s trip to face Macclesfield in Sky Bet League Two on Saturday, Lee offered sympathy towards the Silkmen’s current predicament, but ensured that the Stags are fully focused on achieving victory in Cheshire. “It’s a terrible situation for the club and the players [at Macclesfield],” he added. “We’re just thankful for the owners that we have here that we don’t have to go through that. “I can imagine it’s very difficult for all the staff at a football club when they’re not getting paid. “There will be people working in the background of that club that aren’t getting paid - it’s a very difficult situation for everyone. “I have massive respect and empathy for what they’re trying to do. But with it [football] being a ruthless business, we just want to go there and win, shake their hand afterwards and wish them all the best. “We can’t affect what’s going on at that club - we can only focus on ourselves. We’ve won a couple of games on the bounce and we want to go for three. “Being brutally honest and with all due respect, it doesn’t matter what side they [Macclesfield] play because we need to get ourselves right. “We’ll make sure that everyone knows their roles and that we are going there to try and get a win. We’re not going there sympathetic to the predicament they’re in, that comes after the game at five o’clock. “We need to try to look after ourselves and go there to get a positive result. It’s just totally about us.” The assistant manager revealed that the Stags will have an almost fully fit squad available for Saturday’s match, which could include captain Krystian Pearce (below). However, the game will likely come too soon for wing-back Hayden White. “I think he [Krystian Pearce] will train today,” said Glover. “He’s been back doing a bit and he’s looking like he could come into contention [for Macclesfield game]. “I think it [game] will do [come too soon for Hayden White]. He [White] has had a couple of days running to see how the injury reacts. “Hopefully it’s calm and he can continue progressing - but he’s another one that we’d like to get fit. “There are a couple of lads [with slight knocks] but there’s nothing too major at the moment. We just have to be careful with them, but I don’t think there are any doubts. We’ll have pretty much a full squad for Saturday. “We should have a lot of bodies to choose from. Hopefully the lads will come through the next couple of days so we have a nice squad [for Macclesfield].” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Lee’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ---------------------- Sympathy on hold until after the game says Mansfield Town assistant boss Lee Glover as he remembers his own wages nightmare as a Macclesfield Town player chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 14 November 2019 Lee Glover knows only too well the agony that Macclesfield Town are currently going through with unpaid wages, having suffered the same when he was a player at the Moss Rose. But Mansfield Town’s assistant manager said all thoughts of sympathy and empathy would be left until after the game as Stags try to make it three wins in eight days. Last weekend the senior pros at Macclesfield went on strike and they had to play youngsters, but with plans in place to get some money to the staff this week, the side that lost 3-1 at Shrewsbury on Wednesday had senior players returning. “Something has been put into place for their wages as they played a different side last night to their cup game with more of the senior pros back,” said Glover. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/sympathy-on-hold-until-after-the-game-says-mansfield-town-assistant-boss-lee-glover-as-he-remembers-his-own-wages-nightmare-as-a-macclesfield-town-player-1-10104285 “But it’s a terrible situation for the club and the players and we are just thankful for the owners we’ve got here that we don’t have to go through that rigmarole.” Glover sympathised with the plight of Macc boss Daryl McMahon, saying: “I have massive empathy with him as he’s trying to pick a side, but some of his senior pros wouldn’t play because they were not insured. “I used to work at that club and there are people in the background not getting paid who are very loyal. It’s a very difficult situation for everyone, so empathy and massive respect for what they are trying to do. “We’re looking forward to the game and, this being a ruthless business, we just want to go there and win. Then we will shake their hand afterwards and say all the best for what’s coming down the track. But we have to be ruthless and look after ourselves.” Glover added: “Their manager has done a fantastic job and picked up some good wins. Even when the lads were not being paid he used a siege mentality, which can make it a very hard game. “But time runs out on that when your mortgage is building up and your bills are not being paid. “Now they’re being paid they might have all their senior pros back. But we can’t affect what is going on there, only ourselves. We have won a couple of games on the bounce so can we go three now? “No matter who we play let’s try to make it three and do the best for us. “To be brutally honest I couldn’t care less what side they play, with all due respect to them. They will be like a wounded animal. So we just need to be professional, get ourselves right and not worry about other people. “Everyone will know their roles and we are going there to get a win, not sympathetic and feeling sorry for their predicament. That comes after at 5pm when, hopefully, we’ve won.” Glover has first hand knowledge of how things can be at Macclesfield, saying: “I know what it’s like. “I have been in the predicament of not getting paid, actually at Macclesfield, and we ended up beating Forest Green on penalties which got us a game with West Ham in the next round. “It was put to us after the game, if we hadn’t got through the club was in serious financial difficulties. Obviously getting through and getting a live game against West Ham put us on an even keel again.” ------------------------ Selection headache for manager John Dempster as Mansfield Town players shine in cup victories chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 14 November 2019 With so many players performing so well in the midweek Leasing.com Trophy win at Burton Albion, Mansfield Town manager John Dempster faces some real selection headaches for Saturday’s game at crisis club Macclesfield Town. Stags made eight changes from the first choice XI that beat Chorley in the FA Cup on Saturday and assistant boss Lee Glover said: “The win at Burton showed our strength in depth. “The players who came in are champing at the bit to get into the team and we are trying to encourage competition for places. “With performances like that the whole group can see that if people don’t do the business there are other people who can step in. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/selection-headache-for-manager-john-dempster-as-mansfield-town-players-shine-in-cup-victories-1-10104275 “It gives the gaffer a bit of a headache, but a nice one. That’s what we want. “There seems to be a bit of confidence in the camp at the moment which victories help. We are moving the ball quite well and creating chances.” That competition for places could intensify if skipper and centre half Krystian Pearce has shaken off his injury. “Krystian will train today but with all the bad weather it’s what facility we can use to train on,” said Glover. “He’s been back and done a bit of physical work and he looks like he could come into contention.” However, fellow defender Hayden White could be a week or two yet. “Hayden has had a couple of days running and we have to see how the injury reacts. Hopefully it’s calm and he can progress again,” said Glover. “We have one or two other wear and tear niggles we have to be careful, especially when the ground gets heavy, that it doesn’t lead into something else.” ------------------------- Mansfield Town assistant manager Lee Glover hopes cup runs will boost league form chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 14 November 2019 Mansfield Town’s season could be boosted by a good cup run, believes assistant boss Lee Glover. The Stags progressed in both the FA Cup and the Leasing.com Trophy inside four days this week and Glover said that success could rub off on their League Two form. “We are very happy to progress in both competitions,” he said. “I have been involved in cup runs at some of the clubs I’ve been at and they’re always great for the fans. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-assistant-manager-lee-glover-hopes-cup-runs-will-boost-league-form-1-10104914 “Cup runs can galvanise the whole squad and a cup run and good league form go hand in hand as, if you get a good draw, everyone wants to play. “You have to perform to stay in the side so they have a motivational factor as well.” Stags finally saw off non-league Chorley 1-0 with a late goal on Saturday and Glover said: “In the FA Cup it was always going to be a difficult game. “I can remember struggling against a non-league side when I was at Peterborough, but we eventually got a good draw. “Last season I was at Doncaster and we drew 2-2 with Chorley and it was us that wanted the final whistle as we were going to get knocked out if the game went on any longer. There was a chance of us being a cup upset. “But eventually we got through in the replay. “They are difficult games and all in all I thought the lads applied themselves very well. We didn’t get an early goal but we stuck at it and got into the hat for the next round, which is very important.” Stags made eight changes at Burton Albion on Tuesday in the Leasing.com Trophymand again prevailed with a 2-1 success. “We made a few changes at Burton and shuffled the pack and it was a great performance on the night,” Glover added. --------------------- Dempster pre Macclesfield: chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Wednesday 13 November 2019 Stags head to Macclesfield on Saturday unaware if the Silkmen will play a first team or, if they are still on strike over unpaid wages, a team of youngsters and college players. The club’s financial problems continue and last weekend they named six starters and seven subs from Macclesfield College’s affiliated team and lost 4-0 at home to non-league Kingstonian. “We won’t be taking any kind of interest in what’s going on at Macclesfield. “We will just be preparing for another tough fixture, as it always is at League Two level,” said Dempster. “When you look at the bigger picture, of course you don’t want to see clubs like Macclesfield, who have been around for years and years, in financial difficulty. “But, from a professional point of view, we’ll be approaching it like any game, regardless of the team they put out.” -------------------- Defender sets sights on third successive win mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 14 November 2019 Mansfield Town defender Ryan Sweeney hopes to conclude a perfect week with a third successive victory as the Stags travel to Macclesfield Town on Saturday. Prior to this weekend’s meeting with the Silkmen, the amber and blue have won each of their last two matches, beating Chorley and Burton Albion in cup competitions, with Sweeney scoring his second of the season against the latter. On adding to his tally at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday, the 23-year-old said: “It’s always nice to score; now I’ve got a couple of goals in the last few games. Before the first one [against Colchester United] I hadn’t scored in nearly a year so it’s funny to see two goals come in such quick concession.” Then, analysing the two cup victories, he added: “We managed to get through the FA Cup game against Chorley which was really positive and then obviously Tuesday was one where we wanted to progress, we knew we had to go to Burton and win the game. “The lads put in a really good, solid performance especially the young lads stepping in - I thought Clarkey [James Clarke] and Ali [Alistair Smith] in particular were brilliant. It was a really positive way to start the week and hopefully we can take that into Saturday.” Despite the positives of two successive wins, central defender Sweeney believes there is still plenty of room for improvement for the Stags, especially at the back. He said: “It’s been disappointing, especially when you look at last season - our defensive record was so good. We haven’t really had a proper, settled backline via suspensions, injuries and what not so I think once we get a solid defensive line and a solid unit there it’ll be something to build on for the rest of the season. “We’ve played a four a bit more in recent weeks - it’s something you’ve got to be adaptable to because we’ve got the players and personnel to change formation from a three to a four. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/november/sweeney-pre-macclesfield/ “We’ve got good players and the club and it’s just about showing that on a matchday and then hopefully we can improve that defensive record and get some clean sheets,” added the former Republic of Ireland youth international. Mansfield currently boast the fifth strongest away record in the league with Sweeney attributing this to some of the attacking talent and pace the Stags possess on the counter. “We’re always a team that want to play on the front foot whether that’s home or away. I think we’ve got some great players to use if we choose to play on the counter attack - CJ [Hamilton] has got the pace to work people, Otis [Khan] as well. “We have a game plan for each game and we try to implement that to the best of our ability. At the end of the day it’s a game of football whether it’s home or away. For some reason this season we seemed to have picked up a lot more points on the road than we have at home.” The centre-half also believes that despite the Stags’ away form and Macclesfield’s off-field problems, Mansfield must not underestimate their upcoming opponents. “Saturday’s going to be a tough game, obviously the problems down at Macclesfield have been quite well documented. “It can be a difficult one - you’ve seen it with Bury last season, you can sort of galvanise a club and a squad when things like that happen. They fielded quite a young, inexperienced team last week against Kingstonian but we’re expecting a really difficult game down there and it’s one that we’re going to try and win.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Ryan’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ---------------------- Mansfield Town defender Ryan Sweeney can’t explain why results are better away from home chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 14 November 2019 As Mansfield Town aim for a third win in a row in the second of four away games in succession at Macclesfield tomorrow, defender Ryan Sweeney said it was a mystery why Stags have been unable to match their fine away record at home, where results have been poor. “It’s quite hard to put a finger on it as I don’t think we set up too differently away from home,” he said. “We’re always a team that want to play on the front foot, whether that’s home or away. “I think we’ve got some great players to use if we choose to play on the counter attack - CJ (Hamilton) has got the pace to work people, Otis (Khan) as well. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-defender-ryan-sweeney-can-t-explain-why-results-are-better-away-from-home-1-10104932 “We have a game plan for each game and we try to implement that to the best of our ability. We have the quality in the dressing room to be able to change formations too.” Sweeney added: “At the end of the day it’s a game of football whether it’s home or away. “For some reason this season we seemed to have picked up a lot more points on the road than we have at home. “We are not a million miles off it. It’s just about eradicating little things in the game like individual mistakes, and working from a solid base, I think it will give us a good foundation for the rest of the season. “We have scored a lot of goals this season but conceded too many, so that’s something we are working on in training.” One of the biggest differences from last season is that Stags are conceding more goals and Sweeney said: “It’s been disappointing, especially when you look at last season - our defensive record was so good. “But we haven’t really had a proper, settled backline throughout the season via suspensions, injuries and what not, so I think once we get a solid defensive line and a solid unit there it’ll be something to build on for the rest of the season. “We’ve played a four a bit more in recent weeks - it’s something you’ve got to be adaptable to because we’ve got the players and personnel to change formation from a three to a four. “We’ve got good players and the club and it’s just about showing that on a matchday and then hopefully we can improve that defensive record and get some clean sheets.” At the other end, Sweeney was the matchwinner at Burton on Tuesday and smiled: “It’s always nice to score; now I’ve got a couple of goals in the last few games. Before the first one (against Colchester United) I hadn’t scored in nearly a year so it’s funny to see two goals come in such quick concession. “We managed to get through the FA Cup game against Chorley, which was really positive, and then obviously Tuesday was one where we wanted to progress. We knew we had to go to Burton and win the game. “The lads put in a really good, solid performance, especially the young lads stepping in - I thought Clarkey (James Clarke) and Ali (Alistair Smith) in particular were brilliant. It was a really positive way to start the week and hopefully we can take that into Saturday.” ----------------------- Defender Ryan Sweeney wants Mansfield Town to transfer cup form into the league chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 14 November 2019 Ryan Sweeney is hoping Mansfield Town’s cup successes this week will see confidence and form carry over into League Two action when they travel to Macclesfield Town tomorrow. The Stags were beaten at home by Colchester two Saturdays ago, but since then have made it into round two of the FA Cup and the second round of the Leasing.com Trophy with wins over Chorley and Burton Albion inside four days. “The last league game was a really disappointing one against Colchester. So the back to back cup games were massive,” said the big defender, who bagged the winner at Burton. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/defender-ryan-sweeney-wants-mansfield-town-to-transfer-cup-form-into-the-league-1-10104943 “It’s been a really good week and the way we’ve defended has been pleasing. “We’ve had two really good cup games and hopefully we can take that into Saturday and start climbing that league table.” Macclesfield have had major financial issues and players’ wages were not paid again last month. “Saturday’s going to be a tough game, obviously the problems down at Macclesfield have been quite well documented,” said Sweeney. “The situation is not ideal for Macclesfield. It’s horrible for all the players and staff to be involved in it. It’s not nice at all. “But we expect a really tough game. You saw last season - it’s not an easy place to go, and they were struggling last season. “Now they’ve found a bit of form. And it’s quite a tight ground. “It can be a difficult one - you’ve seen it with Bury last season, you can sort of galvanise a club and a squad when things like that happen. “Last season they get on top of you early, they put balls down the channels, they put it on you and pick up second balls. “They fielded quite a young team last week against Kingstonian but I think they had their players back in the other night. So we’re expecting a really difficult game down there and it’s one where we’re going to try to get on the front foot and win.” ---------------------- |
Latest | November 2019