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Archived News from April 2009

HOLDSWORTH, D`LARYEA AND DEAN SAUNDERS REACTION
8th April 2009 21:37


David Holdsworth reaction from BBC Radio Nottingham , plus Wrexham scorer Obi Anoruo from Radio Wales here

Jon D'Laryea video interview here

David Holdsworth video interview here

StagsWorld Sunday Supplement here.

David Holdsworth is interviewed by Colin Hazelden after the game at Wrexham

Jon D'Laryea is interviewed by Colin Hazelden after the game at Wrexham
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Dean Saunders reaction
wrexhamafc.co.uk

"We started the game brightly and I tried to put out a team that would give us a solid performance, because most of all I want us to be a hardworking side," he said.

"I want players on the pitch who give it what they can, but obviously I had to take into account that we had played on Thursday.

"Some of the lads needed a bit of a breather, Silvio actually.

"We started the game well and Silvio got some early crosses in, which is just what I asked him to do.

"One of them caused a bit of panic and the referee gave us a penalty, handball I think!

"I was surprised to see Obi get up and step forward to take it, but for a 17-year-old he did great.

"He's got that goalscoring instinct and alright he blew up a little in the second half, when he hurt his knee, but that's two goals in two games for him.

"He kept his nerve and slotted the penalty away.

"Then to score straight afterwards with a great goal from Crofty, which has been coming for a while, was just what we needed.

"It was a great header and has been coming for a while, as he's put a few just the wrong side of the post recently.

"There was a great save from Gunnar in the second half, and they had a goal disallowed earlier for offside, but he's only had one save to make all day.

"It's been the same in recent months, but then we would have put in a short back pass or let a man run from a corner - and that was the difference today from Thursday, we didn't make that stupid mistake!

"We now have a new league table of six games left and if we can finish top of that, then we have a chance.

"If we are capable of going three games without a win, then all the teams above us are definitely capable of doing the same thing - as I believe we have better players than most teams.

"It's just not gone for us in the last couple of weeks, Marc getting injured and then Matt Jansen, plus you add in those silly mistakes and 93rd minute goals conceded, which have just happened at the wrong time.

"We went four and a half months with just the one defeat, things were going great, but I said there would be a slap in the face around the corner!

"I just hope we have now come out the other side of it and we can string another three or four wins together, and hopefully we come to the final day of the season and we need a win to get into the play-offs, which is probably the best we can hope for.

"It's amazing how your confidence does come back when your leading by a couple of goals.

"Not sure how many chances we missed against Salisbury at 1-0, which would have made them edgy and panicky trying to get back into the game.

"Today, you could see the boost in confidence that the second goal gave us and we saw the game out well.

"I sent on Nathan Fairhurst to try and stop Mat Somner getting into our box. You are a little concerned that you might be inviting pressure onto you - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

"Nathan going in their made us a little more solid, while the centre backs didn't give away any ridiculous fouls today."

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Furious Holdsworth slams 'inept' Stags
Evening Post

FURIOUS David Holdsworth blasted his Mansfield players for their 'inept' display after a fourth away defeat on the trot at Wrexham.
The Stags never got going and were beaten by two first half goals from Obi Anoruo and Andy Crofts.
The closest the visitors came was a Scott Garner goal disallowed for offside and a drive from substitute Louis Briscoe that brought a fine save out of Wrexham keeper Gunnar Nielsen.
"It was an inept performance, extremely poor, and I apologise to our fans who travelled because they deserve better than that," said Holdsworth.
"I am not accepting a performance like that from a side of mine and the players are aware of it.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3D0000b139f7f5f6ff00000000/AAMSZ%3D452x118/POS%3D/SITE%3DTHISISNOTT/AREA%3DFOOTBALL/SUBAREA%3D/ARTICLE%3D874057/acc_random%3D2484490564/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D_top%3E%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//iad.anm.co.uk/house/1x1.gif%22%20alt%3D%22Click%20here%21%22%20border%3D0%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E"I will put it right because this is a football club used to going away and getting beaten – and that's not what I'm about.
"The players have played 4-3-3 before and they know what they are doing with it, but when they team was not working (they went back to 4-4-2 after 30 minutes) I had to change it.
"You have to win the first ball and Duffs (Rob Duffy) didn't do that all. Their centre forward dominated our two centre backs and the midfield was hopeless.
"It is criticism the players have to take on the chin and if they aren't prepared to do that, that's tough."
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CHAD:
Raging Holdsworth apologises to fans after Wrexham capitulation
CHAD
By John Lomas
A FURIOUS Stags boss David Holdsworth apologised to the 166 travelling fans for his side's 'inept' display in a tame 2-0 surrender at Wrexham on Saturday.
Bristling with rage, he laid into his players and warned that those out of contract in the summer were helping him make easy decisions on their futures.

"That was an inept performance and I would like to apologise to all our fans who travelled down here," he said.

"I won't accept a performance like that from a side I have prepared. But I will put it right.

"Our supporters deserve better than that. It is a trait at this football club that you go away and lose but that's not what I am about.

"I am finding it very hard to stand here and keep my composure because I care about this football club. I am embarrassed.

"Going away should mean you roll your sleeves up even more, especially against a club that has aspirations of playing at a higher level.

"Rob Duffy didn't win the first ball at all today, their centre forwards dominated our central defenders and the midfield were hopeless.

"This is criticism they have to take on the chin. If they don't like it then tough!

"The only positive was the contributions of Louis Briscoe and Aaron O'Connor, who at least showed a bit of aggression and caused them a few problems when they came on.

"I was upset with my so called leaders in my pack and experienced players out there today."

He went on: "There are players out there that have their futures on the line and if they play like that they won't have a future with this club or me. I have some big decisions to make and they are making them easy for me.

"I will bring players to this football club who have that aggression, nastiness, and desire to win."

Stags fell behind to a disputed penalty, given when the ball hit Scott Garner's hand.

Holdsworth said: "I thought the penalty was a cheap one in my eyes. It was a rubbish decision which I told the referee.

"I stayed sat down in the second half as I felt I was going to get into trouble with the referee and had to be professional as I am representing this football club like my players were."

He added: "We have a fair amount of injuries now which is going to cause me problems as I want to make changes for Tuesday which I may not be able to.

"No-one has a divine right to place and if any of those players today asked me why they had been dropped on Tuesday I have got a very easy answer.

"A lot of those players will go on the list if they don't turn up on Tuesday and give me a different performance. I will have them all in tomorrow morning to re-evalute things.

"I won't rush into anything. They have six more games to show me if they have a good pair of gonads or not!"

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Evening Post:
D'Laryea: Stags have no excuses
Monday, April 06, 2009, 08:00Comment on this story

MANSFIELD skipper Jonathan D'Laryea admitted some of the players were ashamed by their performances at Wrexham.
The former Manchester City trainee D'Laryea says he and the rest of the side know they have to improve.
"The lads are gutted with how they played. A lot of us are embarrassed," he said. "When you have been beaten 2-0 after being outplayed by a better team you can accept it more.
"But when you have just been out-fought then there are really no excuses.
"The resolve wasn't there after we went 1-0 down. We should have had the mentality to push on and fight our way back."
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3D0000b139f7f5f6ff00000000/AAMSZ%3D452x118/POS%3D/SITE%3DTHISISNOTT/AREA%3DFOOTBALL/SUBAREA%3D/ARTICLE%3D874516/acc_random%3D682315468/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D_top%3E%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//iad.anm.co.uk/house/1x1.gif%22%20alt%3D%22Click%20here%21%22%20border%3D0%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3ED'Laryea was disappointed the Stags conceded another two goals on their travels.
He said: "It's hard to put your finger on why we played so poorly. It just seemed that some of the players, myself included, were not at it and didn't give 100%.


Angry Holdsworth delivers warning to Stags players
Monday, April 06, 2009, 08:00Comment on this story

ANGRY David Holdsworth today warned his out-of-contract Mansfield Town players they will be out of the door if he sees a repeat of their 'embarrassing' display at Wrexham between now and the end of the season.
The Stags manager was fuming at the way his side slipped to their fourth defeat on the spin away from Field Mill.
And he says things must improve in the last six games of the season if current squad members want to stick around – starting at home to Ebbsfleet tomorrow night.
"That is the worst we have played since I have been here – embarrassing – and I won't accept it," said Holdsworth.
"If the players play like that again, they won't play another game for me in a million years.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3D0000b139f7f5f6ff00000000/AAMSZ%3D452x118/POS%3D/SITE%3DTHISISNOTT/AREA%3DFOOTBALL/SUBAREA%3D/ARTICLE%3D874888/acc_random%3D1974133043/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D_top%3E%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//iad.anm.co.uk/house/1x1.gif%22%20alt%3D%22Click%20here%21%22%20border%3D0%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E"There are people who may think they can roll up and play willy-nilly, but those days are gone.
"Players have futures on the line and if they play like that they will not have a future with David Holdsworth or Mansfield Town.
"I have big decisions to make but with that they are making it easy. It was not good enough and the players have been made aware of it.
"At least we have another game tomorrow and there is a chance for them to put up a different performance."
Holdsworth felt it was harsh to award a penalty against Scott Garner for handball, allowing Obi Anoruo to score from the spot.
But he was frustrated by the Stags' reaction to that setback. Andy Crofts added a second goal to compete Mansfield's misery.
Holdsworth added: ""It is a different mentality for away matches. Over the course of the season you need to be hard to beat and we weren't.
"I'm disappointed with some of the so-called experienced players. If you go 1-0 down, although it was a poor decision in my eyes because it was not deliberate, you have to move on.
"But we gave away the ball cheaply, didn't win the first ball. It was only when Aaron O'Connor and Louis Briscoe came on near the end that we caused a threat. I thought they were the only positives.
"I will bring players in who have aggression and desire to win. I do not give a monkey's about playing away, you just have to roll your sleeves up, especially when you're going to a club who want to move up to the next level."
Mansfield took 156 fans with them to the Racecourse Ground and Holdsworth added: "It was poor on the field and I apologise to them.
"I'm angry because I care about this football club, the staff and the fans. I've got a lot of thinking to do.
"I need to make changes to the side but with the amount of players injured, I may be unable to make them."


 

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