Archived News from February 2021
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CLOUGH PREVIEWS BOLTON AND DEADLINE DAY
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We want to continue winning streak - manager
mansfieldtown.net, Monday 1st February 2021 Boss Nigel Clough has challenged his players to ‘pick up where they left off’ in tomorrow’s match against Bolton Wanderers, with the Stags aiming for six successive wins in Sky Bet League Two. The amber and blue have endured an enforced break ahead of Tuesday’s clash at One Call Stadium, with their last two matches - Bolton at home and Walsall away - being postponed due to frozen and waterlogged pitches, respectively. The manager, speaking ahead of the rearranged match with Ian Evatt’s side, wants to see his men continue to create chances, as they have done so well in the recent run of victories. “Bolton deserved it [beating Leyton Orient on Saturday]. They created the better chances and the better opportunities throughout the game,” he told iFollow Stags. “I think they’ll come with a bit more confidence than last week. They have a good selection of players that have played at a higher level. They have quality all over the pitch. “The game will be about us trying to pick it up again - I didn’t think we were brilliant at Southend, but that’s the only time we’ve played in about two or three weeks now, which is the only concern. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/february/nigel-clough-pre-bolton/ “If we can pick it up where we left off, we want to keep winning and want to keep creating chances. But that’s more difficult when you have these enforced gaps.” Speaking on the morning of deadline day of the January transfer window, the boss spoke of any potential activity that could occur before the 11pm deadline. “I think there could be two or three coming in, and maybe a similar number going out,” he added. “There might be one going out later in the week - Aaron O’Driscoll has a chance of going out into the Conference on loan. “There are a couple of lads in a similar situation. We have everybody fit, so it’s so difficult to get people in [the team]. “We have a settled 12 or 13 outfield players at the moment, and it’s difficult for players to break into that. “Some lads are happy - not in the wrong way - to stay and take their chances. If there are a couple of knocks and they get their opportunity, they can take their chance. But we understand fully if players come to us and want the chance of starting. “I think ideally [we want to strengthen the forward positions]. I think if a defender goes out we might try to get another in as cover. “But forward positions mainly, having lost Cooky. One area we’re very happy with is central midfield. “We play with a three in there and to have those four that we have - Stephen Quinn, George Lapslie, George Maris, and Ollie Clarke - I think we’re delighted with those four.” The Stags were set to face Walsall away on Saturday, but the game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. With Mansfield in such fine form in Sky Bet League Two, the boss says the recent postponements are ‘frustrating.’ “I think to have two games cancelled on the spin is very frustrating - especially when you’re in a good run of form and have everyone fit. “Sometimes they [postponements] can be good timing and you can use them to get people out of the treatment room, but we didn’t need that. “We have everybody fit and we’re playing well. We’re winning games and want to play every week. “But we did see photos of Walsall’s pitch and we do understand that with the water on the pitch, there was no way that we could play. Sometimes the weather just defeats you. “Darrell Clarke [Walsall manager] gave us an early heads up on the Saturday morning, so we were able to schedule a training session for that morning. “It was important, as we hadn’t done too much after the cancellation on Tuesday [Bolton] - we had a good session on Wednesday but then you’re preparing for Saturday, so you don’t do much on the Friday.” The boss also discussed striker Andy Cook’s recent loan move to Bradford City, adding: “Andy [Cook] wanted to have a go at starting, and really it was a case of Jordan Bowery, Jamie Reid and Harry Charsley having played so well. “It was going to be difficult for people to come in and start. Cooky wanted to play some football and we can perfectly understand that. “Cooky has done well for us since the time that we’ve come in, and he has an opportunity there [Bradford] and we wish him all the best.” Ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Bolton Wanderers, Nigel Clough revealed that skipper Ollie Clarke is available for the game. “Ollie [Clarke] is available - he had a really good training session on Saturday with the rest of the lads. “So he’ll certainly be back in the [matchday] 18 [for the Bolton game].” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow. -------------------------- Nigel Clough told iFollow Stags: "There might be one or two going out later in the week, Aaron O'Driscoll has got a chance of going out on loan. "Corey O'Keeffe has been frustrated in the last few weeks, he hasn't started many games, so if there's anything out there for him, then we would bring somebody in to cover." --------------------- Nigel Clough on postponement at Walsall and the qualities Bolton Wanderers will bring to Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, By Stephen Thirkill, Monday 1st February 2021 Mansfield saw their weekend visit to Walsall called off due to a waterlogged pitch, just days after the original midweek home match against Bolton also fell foul of the weather. It comes at the worst possible time for on-song Stags after five EFL wins on the bounce. “Looking at the pictures there was no way the Walsall game could have been played on that surface, so it is frustrating,” he said. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/nigel-clough-potsponement-walsall-and-qualities-bolton-wanderers-will-bring-mansfield-town-3119736 “Every time we talk at the moment it seems to be after a postponed game. It is just a bit concerning that we haven’t played many games in the last three weeks. “You have a backlog of games to fit in now and the players are chomping at the bit. “I don’t mind if you have two or three called off over the course of the season, but to have two or three in such a short space of time does disrupt the schedule. “We don’t know what the weather is going to be like in the next month or two or what part COVID will play. You can’t really afford for any more to be called off.” Stags hope to make it six wins in a row when they face Bolton at home tomorrow night. But Clough believes it could be a different Wanderers side, to what Mansfield would originally have faced, following their weekend win over Leyton Orient. “The win over Orient will have given them confidence,” added Clough. “They had gone six games without a win so we would ideally have liked to have played them last week when they were in that run. “They had a deserved victory and it will be a different Bolton coming here. "We have not played many minutes recently need to get back into the grove. Not playing for so long can go two ways. We didn’t start very well against Southend after a big gap in games and we need to start better against Bolton. "It can be hard to get back into the grove because your preparation is about the games and then they get called off on the day, so you are always playing catch up. Clough is also all too aware of the qualities that the visitors will boast around their team. “They have a lot of experience in the team, people who have played at the highest level,” added Clough. “Sprinkled throughout their team they have some very good players.” ----------------------- |
Latest | February 2021