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Archived News from June 2004

CURLE OPTIMISTIC FOR NEW SEASON
29th June 2004 13:20


From mansfieldtown.net

Curle on the fixtures

Stags Boss Keith Curle believes that this could be the best season Mansfield Town has ever had.

"When I first took over the role as manager I identified certain changes that I felt needed to be made to enable this club to progress. That unfortunately meant letting players go and upsetting a few people along the way. This is the part of the job that most managers including myself hate, but, it is important if you are to succeed as a manager and as a football club.

"These changes were made and, well the season's results speak for themselves. This period also gives me an opportunity to make some changes which I believe will see a great season possibly the best that this football club has seen – ever. There comes a time in a players career when they need to seek new challenges to help them progress individually and that is the case with the players that were released this season. It enables them to find clubs that can offer them competitive first team football and allows us to bring in other more experienced players to bolster our squad – who are also looking for new challenges.

"I think that this coupled with this seasons division will prove to be a very exciting season and an even better finish with a lot more teams been involved in the final shake down. It will be quite difficult to separate the clubs at the top of table this season and I believe the twenty or so point defecit that occurred last time will not be as much this year. You have clubs like Bristol Rovers and new comers Chester City spending a lot of money to ensure they, especially in Chester's case, retain league Status. Grimsby will be looking to re-align themselves making for a real close campaign" he said.

The preparations for the Stags start on 1st July, again in conjunction with West Notts College. The players will be reporting for duty and undergoing physical and mental preparation as they did last year. 'The proof of the pudding' came at the end of last season when Mansfield Town finished one of the fittest and mentally strong teams in the division. Curle explains the process:

"We get the players to take a series of tests and monitor their personal reactions then a specific program of exercise and diet requirements was drawn up for the individuals. The players were then called in again mid season and again at the end of the season to compare readings and in all instances there was a marked improvement in both mental agility and physical performance." He explained.

 

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