Archived News from January 2018
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CARDIFF REPLAY PREVIEWS
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Gaffer calls on Town to roar Stags on against Bluebirds
mansfieldtown.net, Monday 15 January 2018 Stags' boss Steve Evans wants One Call Stadium to be 'rocking and rolling' for the visit of Championship outfit Cardiff City in tomorrow night's Emirates FA Cup third round replay (7.45pm kick-off). There are less than 250 tickets remaining for the replay, with Premier League leaders Manchester City awaiting the winners in the fourth round. Supporters can snap up the remaining tickets by visiting our ticket office on Quarry Lane, calling us on 01623 482 482 or heading to http://www.stagstickets.co.uk. There will be no tickets available on the day of the game, apart from ambulant disabled and wheelchair user tickets. Tickets are available in person or via telephone until 5.00pm today, or until midnight online. And the gaffer, who took then-non-league side Crawley Town to the fifth round of the FA Cup during the 2010-11 season, has encouraged the Town to secure the remaining tickets to make One Call Stadium a cauldron of Stags' support tomorrow night. "We're going to be backed by a fantastic support, as we normally are here at the One Call Stadium," the Stags' chief said. "I think it's going to be the best attendance in the home end for any game this season so that's a fantastic response from the Mansfield public. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/january/evans-15-jan/ "Come on - if your granny's not been out for a while, bring her here. I'm sure she's got Mansfield right through the middle of her, or [bring] your grandad. "Let's have a sell-out in the home end. Let's make sure there's not a spare seat in the home end. Let the kids have a late day to school. Not because we need 200 tickets sold, but because we need the stadium rocking and rolling. "Every throw-in, every decision, let's appeal for it, let's contest it, not just myself and the assistant manager. Let's have everybody behind the team, trying to get a positive result." Although the prize for the victors is huge, the gaffer has insisted that his squad are approaching the tie with the Bluebirds with the same professionalism as any other game. "I think it's (the mood around camp) the same as every other week, we try to keep it very much the same. We're fairly relaxed and looking forward to it. "We all understand clearly what the prize could be if we win but let's put this into perspective, this Cardiff side beat Sunderland 4-0 on Sunday, they're better than us so that's the size of our task tomorrow night, but we're going to do our best. "This is a Cardiff side who I think are third in the Championship, they're having a great season under Neil Warnock. They spent good money in the summer attracting good players, they've got a fantastic manager, I can't say that enough times. "We've got an opportunity to beat a Championship club and progress to what would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of us. "You look at the quality that Neil's got, they'll be ready for us but we'll be ready for them too. We have to give it our best and that's on and off the pitch; win together or don't win together. It's a cup tie, there's no coming back." Centre-half David Mirfin is the only definite absentee for the Stags as he continues his rehabilitation from knee surgery, whilst frontman Kane Hemmings could be involved depending on how he trains today. "We're good. Kane (Hemmings) has a chance of being fit but we'll leave that to tomorrow. Other than Kane, we've got everybody available." Supporters can login to iFollow Stags to view the manager's full news conference. ------------------------- Steve Evans said in the interview on iFollow Stags: "We're trying to make things happen. Carolyn is working on them. There's one or two clubs who have board meetings or director meetings to decide if they want to sell us their player." -------------------- Evans stays patient over targets as window reaches halfway point chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 15 January 2018 Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans is playing the patience game with his January transfer targets as the window reached the halfway point this week. Evans missed out on his former Rotherham star Lee Frecklington last week but, with last night’s big FA Cup replay with Cardiff City to focus on, further moves have been put on hold until today. “We are trying to make things happen,” he said. “I had three or four hours with our chief executive Carolyn Radford on Sunday and she has been fantastic “When I left her I said I don’t want any more updates until after we play Cardiff as my focus had to be Cardiff City. Our supporters would expect and demand that.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/evans-stays-patient-over-targets-as-window-reaches-halfway-point-1-8959226 Evans continued to stress it won’t be the end of the world if no new players come in. “I have always said that if we don’t add to our squad, which I think we will, we’ve got a brilliant dressing room with brilliant players,” he said. “Joel Byrom is back available and he is like a new signing for us. He’s more not available than available for us this season. “It’s the same with Zander Diamond.” However, Evans remains optimistic of new faces - possibly even in time to face visiting Cheltenham Town on Saturday. “Carolyn has made some calls and put some things to people. We are at the hands of other clubs and agents now,” he said. “She is getting close. I think there are one or two clubs with board meetings to decide whether they want to sell us a player. “If we get as far as talking to the player we’re confident they will come. “We hope something happens before the weekend but it wouldn’t surprise me if we still here on deadline day night.” He added: “The window isn’t closed until it’s closed and we want to try to do some business. You know me - I’d rather do it early. “But I am not going to sign players who don’t add to or help the group in some way. We know who we want. “We could have signed lots of players since the window opened. “My phone has been inundated with agents and clubs, the same with my email. But I’m not going to do it unless we all sit there as a staff and agree that guy can help us.” Evans was disappointed not to lure Frecklington to Mansfield last week, withdrawing an offer to buy him once he was convinced Frecklington was going to end up at promotion rivals Lincoln. “Lee wanted to play for his home town club,” he said. “Why did I pull the deal? Because I got the feeling that Lee wanted to play there. “I respect that. Lee started at Lincoln and I think that was always where he was going to end up. He’s at the age where this might be his last club. “His agent probably got us involved to get him a deal there. “I am not so sure Lincoln will be doing as many deals as they thought they would after they signed ‘Frecks because of the cost of it. But he’s a wonderful lad and a wonderful player.” ------------------- FA CUP: Evans’ battle cry as Cardiff replay heads for a home sell-out chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 15 January 2018 With home tickets heading for a sell-out, Stags boss Steve Evans has called on the Mansfield public to create a hostile cup atmosphere as Championship high-flyers Cardiff City come to town tomorrow night for the mouthwatering FA Cup third round replay. With a home tie with Premier League leaders Manchester City at stake, interest in the all-ticket tie has been huge with just 250 tickets left for the home stands as of 2pm today. Stags go into the replay as massive underdogs, despite their 0-0 draw at Cardiff and a run of only one loss in 20 games. “Everyone is relaxed and looking forward to it. We all understand clearly what the prize could be if we win,” said manager Evans. “But, let’s put this into perspective. This Cardiff side beat Sunderland 4-0 on Saturday. “If Chris Coleman phones me up and offers me every one of those Sunderland players, they can play for me straight away - they are better than us. That’s the size of the task we face. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/fa-cup-evans-battle-cry-as-cardiff-replay-heads-for-a-home-sell-out-1-8958863 “But we are going to do our best. And we will be backed by a fantastic support as we normally are here at the One Call Stadium. “It is going to be the best attendance in the home end for any game this season which is a fantastic response from the Mansfield public. “There’s only two hundred or so tickets left. So if your granny’s not been out for a while, come on, bring her here. I am sure she’s got Mansfield right through the middle of her!” Evans continued: “Let’s have a sell-out in the home end. It’s not going to be a sell-out in the away end as it’s a long way to come for Cardiff supporters in midweek against a club a couple of leagues below you. I understand that. “But let’s make sure there’s not a spare seat in the home end. Let’s have the kids with a late day to school. Come on parents - get them out here! “It’s not because we need 200 tickets sold. It’s because we want the stadium rocking and rolling and a really hostile, nasty cup atmosphere. Let’s give Warnock and his troops that when they arrive though, I repeat, in a sporting fashion. “Every throw-in on the halfway line, every corner, every decision, let’s appeal for it, let’s contest it. Not just myself and the assistant manager. “I know the players will appeal. Let’s have everyone behind us trying to get a positive result.” Mansfield are under no illusions how good their opponents are, currently chasing hard for a Premier League place. “This is a game against a Cardiff side who are third in the Championship and are having a great season under Neil Warnock,” said Evans. “He’s paid good money in the summer and attracted good players. “The job was not half-done by bringing Cardiff back to the One Call Stadium. It’s just an opportunity to beat a Championship club and progress to what would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of us. “It’s a huge challenge. You look at the quality Neil has got. “Sunderland may not be the best team in the Championship. “But they are all Championship players and some of them have played in the Premier League. But they got taken apart on Saturday. “I think he will make one or two changes from that team at the very most, if that. They will be ready for us. But we’ll be ready for them too. “We have to give it our best on and off the pitch. We’ll win together or won’t win together. It’s a cup tie so there’s no coming back. “I don’t have to think about if we’re going to get effort, passion and desire - that should already be in the bag. “We need a little bit more care and composure when we get the ball which I thought we lacked a little at Cardiff. The players also need self-belief that they can win. “We have some really talented players. When they get the ball at their feet they can give Championship players a problem.” Evans stressed that most cup upsets came at the first time of asking rather than in a replay. “Statistics tell you that you normally get one bite at the apple to beat the big boys,” he said. “I have been fortunate if you look back at my cup runs ,we have normally done it in the first game. “It’s more difficult when it becomes a second attempt. The higher placed team with the better players have another opportunity to look at you. “But it’s not impossible You check the results and there are still some replay wins. “By the biggest odds possible Cardiff are the favourites.” He added: “We can pull it off. But we need Cardiff to not be at their level best. “I am being quite frank. If Cardiff turn up and they are at their level best and at it then they will win. “It doesn’t matter if we turn up at our level best. But if we are not at our level best we give ourselves no hope of progressing. “It’s going to take our best performance since I came here, and probably a long time before it, to go through. It has all the hallmarks of a fantastic evening.” Mansfield striker Kane Hemmings is back in training after a minor hamstring injury and Evans said: “Kane has a chance. We’ll leave that until tomorrow.” All tickets bought in person at the ground or over the phone must be purchased by 5pm today (Monday). Any remaining tickets can be bought online until midnight after which only disabled tickets can be purchased right up until kick-off. ----------------------- Cheltenham Town away was like "someone let a stink bomb off in class" says Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans Evans eyeing revenge at Field Mill 15 JAN 2018 http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cheltenham-town-away-like-someone-1067736 Steve Evans says his Mansfield Town side have a settle to score after their performance at Cheltenham Town earlier in the season. Second half goals from Brian Graham, Joe Morrell and Dannny Wright secured a 3-0 win for the Robins on September 26. Evans was sent to the stands by referee Brett Huxtable after half-time, having been warned about his conduct in the technical area as early as the eighth minute. The sides meet again at Field Mill on Saturday, with Mansfield seventh in the table and Cheltenham 16th. “I can remember being at school when someone let a stink bomb off in class," Evans said. "We were hanging out the window. That's what Cheltenham away was like! “I get sent off, then the fourth official got found out not to be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “We have a score to settle with our performance, not with Cheltenham who I thought were terrific on the night. “I thought their players passed and moved it around and Gary (Johnson) got a really good performance - probably one of their best I would think. “We'll need to be at our best. Two weeks ago it was Colchester at home to Cheltenham and we're all thinking if Colchester win they'll bounce into the top three. "But Cheltenham went there and won 4-1. That's how tough League Two is." ----------------------- Pearce insists Stags are confident ahead of Bluebirds clash mansfieldtown.net, Monday 15 January 2018 Commanding defender Krystian Pearce believes Stags are capable of beating Championship opponents Cardiff City in their Emirates FA Cup third round replay tomorrow night and setting up a mouth-watering tie with Manchester City. Premier League leaders Manchester City await the winners of tomorrow night's tie in the fourth round and supporters have until 5pm today to purchase their tickets in person or via telephone (01623 482 482) or until midnight from http://www.stagstickets.co.uk. With around 200 seats available for tomorrow's match, Pearce has emphasised just how significant a role the fans will play in the tie. "The fans are going to be massive for us; I think they'll give us a big lift, so the more the merrier," Pearce said. "I think confidence is high. I think we all know we are capable of beating them. I think maybe we should have nicked it at their place but I'm confident we will do enough to get the win here. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/january/pearce-insists-stags-are-confident-ahead-of-bluebirds-clash/ "It's taken time for us to start gelling but I think we're starting to gel now, I think we've got more of a settled team now and I think we're starting to look a threat to the league." Former Torquay United man Pearce has been standing in as captain for the injured Zander Diamond recently and feels honoured to lead the Stags out on a matchday. "It's a personal honour for me to be the stand-in captain so long may it continue. I think I've been doing well, hopefully I can improve on my performances and keep getting better with each game." When questioned about the style of play the Stags could adopt against the Bluebirds, Pearce gave his ideas on how to beat such strong opposition in Cardiff City. "I think we'll aim to hit them on the counter attack. We also need to try and stay solid and compact." ----------------------- https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2018/january/match-preview-for-mansfield-town-vs-cardiff-city-on-16-jan-18/ Speaking after City's 4-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon, Neil Warnock revealed that he's looking forward to Tuesday evening's encounter. “We want to win the tie," said the City boss. "We had very few options in the first game, and the team we went with was the strongest I could have picked in the circumstances. “We know - even with a full team - that Mansfield are quite capable of beating us so it’ll be a tough game. The atmosphere will be very good, it’ll be a full house and I’ve had some great battles up there.” ------------------- |
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