Archived News from December 2014
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KEEPER WORRIES EASE
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video interview with Adam Murray http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net/latest-news/article/4360052 -------------- Boss hopeful over keepers’ fitness mansfieldtown.net, 11th December 2014 Murray hoping Studer and Evtimov will be fit for visit of Cheltenham Town. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/boss-hopeful-over-keepers-fitness-2137702.aspx#Ryd5mRLbFUEsIxZi.99 Manager Adam Murray is hoping that both Dimitar Evtimov and Sascha Studer will be fit for Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two home match with Cheltenham Town. Studer, 23, played through the pain barrier in last weekend’s FA Cup second round tie with Cambridge United, whilst Evtimov has been struggling of late with a chest infection. “Dimi is fine and he’s been back in training this week,” added Murray. “He’s got over his illness which he had which was quite serious. He had a chest infection and was struggling breathing and got rushed into hospital. “Sascha’s had this week to recover with his thigh [injury]. He’ll have a scan over the next few days to see where we are, but he’s feeling positive so that’s good news. “I’m hoping both will be fit for Saturday.” In other news, Martin Riley has a tight hamstring and hasn’t trained this week, so the 27-year-old could also be a doubt for our next game. The ex-Wrexham centre-back may be replaced in the starting xi by John Dempster, who has returned to training following his recent spell on the sidelines through injury. Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, our new boss continued: “I went to watch Cheltenham last Sunday and this will be a tough game. We’re both fighting for points at the minute and they’ve obviously got a new manager in Paul Buckle, who’s gone in and he’s experienced at what he does, so he’ll have them ready for coming here. “But for me, we need to make this place a fortress now. It’s up to the boys to take on board what we’ve given them and put in place this week, and we need to play on the front foot. “We need to create a tempo and it’s alright us asking for the fans to make the ground buoyant and lively, but we’ve got to give them something to do that. That’ll be the aim for Saturday.” --------------- Keeper worries ease for Stags chad.co.uk, 11 December 2014 Mansfield Town’s goalkeeping worries have eased ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Cheltenham Town with Forest loanee Dimitar Evtimov having recovered from a nasty chest injection and Sasha Studer’s thigh injury much-improved.?“Sascha has had the week to get a bit more recovery in his thigh. And Dimitar has got over his illness which was quite serious,” said boss Adam Murray. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/keeper-worries-ease-for-stags-1-6999755#.VImdmtJ0ZXI.twitter “Sascha will have another scan in the next day or two to see where we are but, hopefully he will be fit. He is feeling positive “Dimitar had a chest infection and he had trouble breathing so was rushed to hospital. He had a bit of an episode but he is fine now and back in training. “So, if Sasha misses out, we know we have a capable replacement in Dimitar.” Another doubt remains centre half and skipper Martin Riley. “Riles has a tight hamstring and has not trained all week. We will have a look at him tomorrow morning,” said Murray. “But we do have good options back there. Luke Waterfall has not yet had the chance to show what he’s all about - he is a bit more of a no-nonsense defender. It think it will be horses for courses and we have John Dempster coming back and Ritchie Sutton, who can shift over one. They are all good players.” With advance tickets priced only £7 Stags are expecting a bumper crowd for what will be Murray’s first game in full-time charge as Mansfield Town boss. He is hoping the fans will make plenty of noise and get behind his side as they try to play the attractive football the supporters were clamouring for under previous boss Paul Cox. However, he warned the change will bring the odd mistake along the way like the one made by Simon Heslop which cost Stags a goal at Cambridge last weekend. “We have to balance our long term goal with preparing to go out and get three points,” said Murray. “We had a debrief on Monday but I didn’t really put the blame on Simon. The way we are going about things, the lads around him needed to give him more options. “They knew Sascha’s thigh was tight and we didn’t have to use him as much as we might. It was just one of those things. It’s a learning curve. “You have to take some blows on the chin, keep getting up and the end product will be okay. “I am not saying that overnight we will become a poor man’s Barcelona. We need to understand the league we are in and aim to be getting the three points. “Everyone understands we are going from one extreme to another and there will be mistakes. But I am not so naïve as to think people will be happy if we are not picking up points. The bottom line for me, as when I was a player, is winning.” On Cheltenham, he added: “I watched them on Sunday and know it will be a tough game. Both clubs are fighting for points. They have a new manager in Paul Buckle and he is experienced at what he does and they will be ready. “But we need to make this a fortress. It’s up to the boys to start on the front foot and play at a tempo. “It’s all very well asking the fans to come along on Saturday and be buoyant and lively but we have to give them something to do that.” Murray’s appointment at the age of 33 last week makes him the youngest manager in the Football League, but he said: “I have texts from couple of managers this week saying I don’t look like I am the youngest, but I think that’s down to a lack of sleep. “Being a manager is a different kind of intensity, a mental focus. I woke up on Sunday and I felt like I’d been playing I was that tired. It is a new path with lots of different things to deal with.” Murray is also having to deal with the transition of leaving the dressing room as skipper to becoming the manager and finds some players are calling him gaffer while others have stuck with Muzza. “It’s a bit of a mixture really, but I have no ego,” he smiled. “I have been in the trenches with them and I know them all inside out. As long as there is a mutual respect that’s fine. “Everyone has a clean slate to prove they are worth wearing a Mansfield shirt. There is a transfer window coming up and if we need to bring one or two in we will.” Murray is hopeful he will get striker Alex Fisher back from his collarbone injury next month and things he will fit perfectly into his new passing style of play. “Alex has started running and he’s getting a bit more movement in the shoulder,” he said. “Hopefully it will be quite a quick recovery and we will get him in action back early to mid January. “He has got a brain and knows how to manipulate that final third of the pitch and get in the right areas to score goals. He will fit right into the picture once he’s fit.” ------------------ Taylor pleased by new tactics mansfieldtown.net, 11th December 2014 Experienced winger pleased with new ‘attack-minded’ style. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/taylor-delighted-by-new-tactics-2137605.aspx#KkWIG05v1TvVvbEM.99 Winger Rob Taylor has praised new boss Adam Murray and believes our new formation and tactics will have positive effects for the team in the long-term. The 29-year-old, who joined us on a free transfer in the summer, has been utilised on the left-hand side of a four-man midfield in recent games and has flourished in the role - contributing some key assists. “[The new formation] has benefitted me and I think in the long-term it’s going to benefit the whole club,” said the ex-Port Vale man. “’Muz’ (Adam Murray, manager) has been here for a long time so he knows the club like the back of his hand. He’s probably had ideas in the back of his head on how he’s wanted to change stuff and he’s able to implement them now, so the transition should be fairly smooth. “He’s gone to an attacking formation and he wants the boys to play [football]. That’s how I want to play I can play at left-back, but I prefer going forward. With the old manager I don’t think I was utilised properly, so that’s a massive benefit [of the new formation] for me.” He continued: “I’ve played at wing-back before and done quite well, but that’s been in a side which likes to keep the ball and play further up the pitch. I think we’ve been quite defensive-minded and almost ended up just playing five at the back, which isn’t how to get the best out of me. “So it’s been great. I’ve managed to get a few assists in the last couple of games and hopefully people can see what I’m about in terms of going forward.” Our team will be hoping to make it two wins in as many games at One Call Stadium when they entertain Cheltenham Town on Saturday. The Robins have lost five out of their last six league games and Taylor is eager to help us get another three points on Saturday: “We’re still down in the bottom half of the league and although a good cup run is good for the fans and the club financially, the most important thing is the league. “So we’ll be looking to get back to winning ways and pick up three points. I’ve always thought Cheltenham are a good side and they like to play football, but they’ve lost a lot of players over the past few years and changed their manager. “They’re struggling at the moment, but they’ll be difficult. It’s a hard league to get points, but if we stick to our game-plan then we should be okay.” ------------------- New lease of life for Stags winger Taylor chad.co.uk Adam Murray’s appointment as Mansfield Town manager has given winger Rob Taylor a new lease of life. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/video-new-lease-of-life-for-stags-winger-taylor-1-7000015 Previous boss Paul Cox, with his more direct style, rarely used Taylor as an out-and-out winger, preferring to use him occasionally at left wing back. But with Murray electing to go with proper wingers, Taylor said ahead of Saturday’s visit of Cheltenham Town, that the chance of boss has been a breath of fresh air. “It has benefited me and in the long term it’s going to benefit the club,” he said. “Muzza has been here a long time so he knows the club like the back of his hand. He has probably had ideas at the back of his head how he wanted to change stuff. Now he is able to implement them. “He wants us to play more attractive football and that’s how we want to play. “I can play left back but I prefer to be going forward. Under the old manager I don’t think I was utilised properly. “I have played wing back before and done quite well. But we were quite defensive-minded and it was almost like playing five at the back. That’s not the way to get the best out of me. I wasn’t given a fair chance and now I hope people can now see what I am all about. “I think the old school way of getting crosses into the box is still the best way. “We have been chuffed to bits with the management change and the style he is going with. “I don’t think any fans want to see long ball football so they will be delighted with the change.” He added: “The boys are enjoying their football in training and on a Saturday. That’s the best way to get results when they are enjoying it. “It is still early days yet and we are working on shape and strategy. But each week we hope to get stronger and better. “I was at Vale since I turned pro, about six years, so coming here was a weird one. At the start of the season I thought I was doing well and then for one reason and another I got ill and wasn’t happy with my performances and can only blame myself for that. It didn’t quite work out. “Luckily for me the change of manager has come at the right time with the transfer window coming up. It’s been a breath of fresh air for me and now I am looking forward to holding my position down.” ----------------------------------- Heslop holds up his hands for Stags error chad.co.uk Simon Heslop held up his hands for the mistake that cost Mansfield Town a goal at Cambridge in last weekend’s 2-2 FA Cup draw. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/heslop-holds-up-his-hands-for-stags-error-1-6999999 But ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Cheltenham, the midfielder said all the players were enjoying life under new manager Adam Murray?Heslop said: “It was a pretty even game, but we were really disappointed to concede late on, especially that close to winning. But, looking back, it was probably a fair result in the end. “The first goal was my mistake. It one one of those things. No one means to make a mistake, but it should have gone back to Sasha (Studer) looking back. “We are trying to get the ball down a bit more than we did under the previous manager and that’s there for all to see. But it’s all about making decisions - and that wasn’t one of my best decisions. “He has his own ideas and all the lads are working really hard to take them on board and fit as much as we can in training sessions. We are looking to implement his ideas as soon as we can. “I like to play. I like to get on the ball and pass it. I think most footballers like to do that. The lads are enjoying the new ideas put to us and I think fans will see that on Saturday. Everyone has bought into the new regime. “There is still a long way to go in the season and we will take it game by game. Everyone is looking forward to Saturday.” He added: “I have had a couple of niggling injuries so it’s been a bit of a stop-start season. But in the last four or five games I have just started to find a bit of fitness and I hope I can now get to the peak of my fitness and stay in the team. “Before the Plymouth game I had only trained on the Friday. So it was great to get through 90 minutes personally. Now it’s just about topping it up.” Tickets for tomorrow’s game are just £7 in advance so the players are hoping for a noisy backing. “It does make a big difference as a player if the fans are getting behind you,” he said. “We have a cup replay coming up on Tuesday as well and it will be great if the atmosphere is rocking. “I know a lot of fans were showing unrest with the old manager so this has given them a bit of relief. You could feel a change in the atmosphere.” ---------------- |
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