Archived News from December 2019
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DEMPSTER AND MACDONALD PREVIEW CHELTENHAM&DECEMBER
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Boss previews ‘massive’ December
mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 05 December 2019 Mansfield Town boss John Dempster delivered his thoughts on a ‘huge’ December for the Stags in Thursday morning’s news conference at The RH Academy. The amber and blue face five sides with aspirations of a top-seven finish in Sky Bet League Two this month, starting with Saturday’s match against Cheltenham Town at One Call Stadium. The boss says that despite recent results, he still holds belief in himself and the squad’s capabilities ahead of crucial upcoming fixtures. “We have a massive month ahead of us, a huge month,” he told iFollow Stags. “We don’t want the gap getting any bigger. Looking at the games this month, we need at least eight or nine points, at least. “The good thing about playing the teams above you is that you can reduce that gap. “When you’re not getting the results, even though I’ve been in the business for 20 years, it’s not until you’re in the hotseat that you feel that pressure. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/december/gaffer-pre-cheltenham/ “I’m a young manager who has been given an unbelievable opportunity, which I’ve earned. I’ve never been as determined to make this happen. “But in the real world, there have been managers losing their jobs in similar positions who have perhaps not had the same financial backing, so I feel the pressure, there’s no doubt about that. “My plan is to be successful here and the chairman [John Radford] has put faith in me. I intend to pay him back and that needs to happen quickly. “I’m confident. I believe in myself and I believe in the players. Things need to change, there’s no doubt about that, but a couple of wins can make things look very different.” The manager also spoke of Saturday’s big match at home to Cheltenham, adding: “It’s going to be a really intense atmosphere on Saturday. I hope the supporters get behind the team. “We feel that we have a good opportunity to win a football match on Saturday, and that will be made easier if the supporters are behind the players. “We need to get the fans off their feet. We’ll be attacking the game because we need three points, and that’s not going to change throughout the month. “Those supporters that aren’t behind me, I understand that, but the players need them. Saturday is a brilliant opportunity for us. “Cheltenham are a well-balanced side. Their starting XI is a very good one and they have goals in their team. “He [Michael Duff, Cheltenham manager] has had time to build the squad he’s got there.” Reflecting on his time so far as manager of Mansfield, John Dempster spoke of the ‘pressure’ of the role, but affirmed that he will continue to ‘give his all’ for the club. “There have been some dark times [as manager] - my lowest points in my 20 years in football have come during this time as manager,” he said. “I feel the pressure - when I hear the negativity and the moans, it frustrates me, but that’s because I care. “I obviously know the academy inside out and I’m learning every day. I want these players to do well and be successful. “I’ll give it my all forever - I always have. I’ll always give my all for Mansfield Town. Where we’ve fallen short at the moment is results, I haven’t been good enough as a manager and the players haven’t been good enough individually. “But the big emphasis is on bravery now and stepping up. People that care are saddened and we need to change that quickly - so this month is massive. “I won’t hide away from the fact that the pressure is on and December will be key to my future but the future of the football club.” There was also an injury update on wing-back Kellan Gordon (below), who is expected to miss at least six weeks of action with a back problem. “It’s not good news on Kellan [Gordon]. He’s got a serious back problem - he had a scan and he’ll be out for six to eight weeks. “There will be a period of four weeks where he’ll have to rest up and make sure there’s no further damage done. “I think it’s important we emphasise how well Kellan has done as he’s still a young player. In terms of the different options we have, Hayden White will hopefully be back soon, he’ll be back in training next week at some point. “Clarkey [James Clarke] did well the other night [against Port Vale] and CJ [Hamilton] has played at right wing-back for the club and has done well.” The boss continued his update on Stags’ recent absentees, adding: “KP [Krystian Pearce] has had the flu, so he hasn’t been training, but we’re hoping he’ll be back in contention for Saturday. He’s not training today, but hopefully he’ll be back training tomorrow. “Danny Rose is back training today, which is a plus. He hasn’t trained in a few weeks so hopefully he comes through training. He’ll be in contention for a place in the squad - if he was named on the bench we’d be delighted as he’d be a brilliant addition to the squad. “Craig Davies needs more game time, but he’s getting closer. He’ll feature in the next reserves game - it’s been brilliant to have him back with the lads. He’s someone I’d describe as a leader.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the boss’ interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ---------------------- Make-or-break December for Mansfield Town and future of boss John Dempster chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 05 December 2019 John Dempster has acknowledged December will be make-or-break for his career as Mansfield Town manager and the side's promotion hopes. Saturday's visit of Cheltenham Town is the first of five games against sides in the play-offs battle and he said: “This month is massive and I won't hide away from the fact the pressure is on. “December will be key to not only my future but also the future of the club. That's how big it is. “Over the last month I have spoken to the chairman once or twice a week. He is a very experienced man so I will always take his advice on dealing with the pressure and different scenarios. “He has emphasised his faith in me so that gives me confidence, but equally he has been realistic with me as well and it's clear results need to change or there will be bigger changes. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/make-or-break-december-for-mansfield-town-and-future-of-boss-john-dempster-1-10139210 “So far I have not been enough as a manager and the players have not been good enough individually. “But we have come through a lot worse as a football club and I have come through worse as a person. “The emphasis now is on bravery and stepping up. This is a really tough time for the football club. People that care are saddened and depressed and we need to change that quick. “These are challenging times. We can't hide away from that. “But, when you're asking your players to be courageous and brave and play with an intensity no matter what the situation, myself as manager and staff members need to do the same.” This is Dempster's first role as a senior club's manager and he admitted it had been a tough baptism off fire since his summer appointment. “There have been some dark times. My lowest points in my 20 years in professional football have come in this reign as manager,” he said. “I carry the can. When I hear the negativity and the moans it frustrates me, but that is because I care. “I want these players to do well and be successful. It hasn't happened thus far. But I will give it my all forever. “It's really tough and when you're not getting the results you delve even deeper into everything you do.” Already the job has given him a massive insight into his own previous managers. “Even though I have been in the business for 20 years and you think you've seen everything, it's not until you're in the hot seat that you feel that pressure and understand why your previous managers have perhaps acted in a certain way,” he said. “I used to look at my former managers and think 'what's up with him? Is he all right? Why is he so stressed?' “It's clear to me now though. “I am a young manager who has been given an unbelievable opportunity, which I have earned, and I have never been more determined to make this happen. “In the real world there are people that are losing their jobs in higher divisions than me or in our division in a similar position to us who maybe have not had as much financial backing with the size and depth of the squad we've got.” Dempster added: “I do feel the pressure. But in the 36 years I have been on the earth I have generally done quite well at whatever I have applied myself to. “That's not being arrogant or big-headed. That's a fact. “My plan is to be successful here. The chairman has put faith in me. He is a very experienced businessman who has also been in football a long time as well and I intend to repay him. “That needs to happen quickly in this next short period otherwise, let's be realistic, there will be changes. “I am confident. I believe in myself and I believe in this group of players. “Things need to change in terms of form but a couple of wins can make things very different.” Whether he finally gains success or gets the sack, Dempster said he owed everything to Mansfield Town. “My loyalty to this football club has been repaid already,” he said. “The chairman and the board have been unbelievable to me. So whatever happens going forward, there will be no bitterness from me. “I am owed nothing by this football club, I owe it all to them. And that's what makes it tougher when you are going through these dark times and you want to get results. I do have sleepless nights over it.” ---------------------- High-flying Cheltenham will give suffering Mansfield Town a big test on Saturday chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 05 December 2019 Cheltenham Town arrives at the One Call Stadium on Saturday enjoying an unexpectedly excellent season so far ahead of their clash with Mansfield Town. The campaign so far as definitely exceeded expectations, sitting fifth after having struggled for much of last term. Boss Michael Duff has turned things around and continued the improvement shown during the second half of the last campaign. “They are a well balanced side and their starting XI is a very good one,” said Stags boss John Dempster. “They've got goals in their team and play a formation they never really go away from. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/high-flying-cheltenham-will-give-suffering-mansfield-town-a-big-test-on-saturday-1-10139567 “They have some experience at the back and a very good young manager who has been at it a season and a bit. “They have got it right at this moment in time with the finances they've got. They have been very clever in the transfer market over a period of time and they have built a good team there. “He (Duff) would rather have a player in his side working his socks off than a talented player that's not putting it in which I completely agree with. But, make no mistake, they do play some great football at times. “They will be coming to frustrate though and hope the crowd turn early as that's what opposition do, even though it doesn't sound very nice.” Cheltenham's success this season appears to be down to Duff getting more out of players who were maybe underperforming, or not being used in the right roles and also adding some quality, particularly with his four loan signings. Jacob Greaves, Max Sheaf, Jake Doyle-Hayes and Gavin Reilly. The summer was not a complete overhaul by any means, but there was some astute business conducted and the squad is miles ahead of where it was this time last year, both in terms of organisation and morale. Duff was already a popular figure from his playing days and, while fans had to wait a while for his first win as boss, he has done a fine job so far in what is his first senior job. He took over what was a bit of a mess and has since introduced an attractive brand of football. He is said to react to the players properly and the spirit in the camp is excellent, with the players responding well to his coaching and man management methods, suggesting he will manage at a higher level at some stage. Welsh attacking central midfield Ryan Broom has been in fine form since the start of the season. He is being tracked by several higher level clubs and Cheltenham could face a battle to keep him in January. He has energy in abundance and real quality on the ball. At the back, left sided central defender Jacob Greaves, on loan from Hull, at only 19, appears to have a bright future. Composed on the ball, with a cultured left foot, he has handled the physical side of League Two extremely well so far. Squad-wise for Saturday, vastly experienced striker Luke Varney is recovering from a routine 'clear out' knee operation and is likely to be out for another two or three weeks. Reuben Reid, Cheltenham's other experienced front man, suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's FA Cup second round defeat by Port Vale so he will also miss out. Striker Tahvon Campbell and left wing-back Josh Debayo are working their way back from long-term knee and groin injuries respectively while midfielder Conor Thomas is out for around a month with a torn calf. ------------------------- Double cup heartbreak, but league glory remains Mansfield Town priority chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town boss John Dempster said he was gutted to be out of two cup competitions inside four days but that League Two success was always the main priority. An FA Cup exit at Shrewsbury last Saturday was followed by a Leasing.Com Trophy defeat at Port Vale on Tuesday and he said: “The emphasis now is purely on the league, which is what we will be judged on. “It was a massive disappointment and frustration to go out of the FA Cup because of the financial gain it could bring the club. “It was similar with the Leasing.com Trophy, though the rewards are not as high. But it was an opportunity to go and play at Wembley in five games times. “But there are no distractions now and no excuses. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/double-cup-heartbreak-but-league-glory-remains-mansfield-town-priority-1-10139745 “Our main aim has always been making our way up that league table and the next five or six games are going to be crucial to that.” ----------------------- John Dempster sets December points target for Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS John Dempster has targeted a minimum of eight or nine points from December's five tough games to keep Mansfield Town in with a chance of joining the race for play-off places. Dempster is under huge pressure to turn fortunes around with Stags 15th and 10 points from the play-off places ahead of Saturday's visit of Cheltenham “We don't want that gap getting any bigger, that's for sure,” he said. “Although we haven't played 20 games yet, we can allow that gap to get any bigger. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/john-dempster-sets-december-points-target-for-mansfield-town-1-10139772 “Looking at the games this month we need at least eight or nine points. “The good thing about playing the teams above you is you can start to lessen that gap, which is the main aim for this next month and going into the New Year.” Next weekend Stags head to Crewe before home games with Northampton and Port Vale followed by a trip to Bradford City. --------------------- Mansfield Town set to freshen squad up in January chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town will definitely freshen up the squad in the January transfer window. Despite good strength in depth, Stags have under-performed so far and boss John Dempster said: “There needs to be changes. “This month is a brilliant one as it will be great viewing to see what players want to be here. “If there are any players that don't want to be - and I have not had that conversation with any - then they need to be putting themselves in the shop window this December to make a move in January. “I don't think it will be major surgery for us but I think to freshen it up would help the group as well.” https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-set-to-freshen-squad-up-in-january-1-10139808 Stags should get the boost of striker Craig Davis returning from fitness in January as well after he has upped his fitness with a few reserve outings. ---------------------- Another injury blow for Mansfield Town as Kellan Gordon faces lay-off chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 05 December 2019 Mansfield Town suffered another major blow today when Kellan Gordon was ruled out for a couple of months with a serious back injury. The 21-year-old summer signing has impressed at right wing back this season, but a scan has revealed his recent pain is coming from an injured disc. As the struggling Stags prepared for Saturday's massive home game with Cheltenham Town, manager John Dempster said: “It's not good news on Kellan - he's got a serious back problem. “He had a scan a couple of days ago and he will be out for at least six to eight weeks. “There's a period of four weeks where he just has to rest up to make sure there is no further damage done - he' got a disc problem in his back https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/another-injury-blow-for-mansfield-town-as-kellan-gordon-faces-lay-off-1-10138997 “It's important we emphasise how well Kellan has done. He's still a very, very young player who has come in from Derby County. “We swam the ocean to get him because there was a number of teams that wanted to bring him into their football clubs. He's done great.” Dempster must now look at options for Gordon's position on Saturday with CJ Hamilton and young James Clarke among them. “Injuries are never nice for the individual or team, but we are fortunate to have strength in depth in our squad and there are no excuses. Whatever happens we need to be able to deal with it,” he said. “We do have options, but I want to keep my cards close to my chest with Saturday in mind. “Hayden White will be back soon hopefully. We hope he will be back training with the team at some point next week. That will be a massive plus. “Clarkey did well the other night and whenever he's been called upon he's been brilliant. “We have other options - CJ has played right wing back and done well at times.” Skipper Krystian Pearce missed Tuesday's game at Port Vale with illness and is again a major doubt for Saturday. “KP has had a serious illness, as in flu, and he has not been training at all this week,” said Dempster. “We are hoping he'll be back in contention for Saturday. “We will have to assess him when he's back in the club. The medical team are not overly confident, but KP will be doing everything he can to appear on Saturday.” However, there was one bright note as Dempster added: “Danny Rose is back training today, which is a plus. He hasn't trained for a few weeks so hopefully he will come through training today okay. “He will be in contention for a place in the squad and if he was named on the bench we'd be delighted. He would be a brilliant addition to the squad.” ------------------- twitter KG @kellangordon25 Gutted to be ruled out for a while, but I’ll be back better and stronger -------------------- Stags aiming for 'energising and attacking' performance - midfielder mansfieldtown.net, Thursday 05 December 2019 Mansfield Town midfielder Alex MacDonald says the Stags will aim for an energetic performance from the off against Cheltenham as they look to begin a positive run heading into the New Year. The 29-year-old hopes to do this through a ‘grab games by the scruff of the neck’ approach, starting with Saturday’s clash against the fifth-placed Robins. “It has to come from the start of the game; we’ve got to start fast - that’s something that we’ve lacked, the first energising ten or 15 minutes,” said MacDonald, speaking at a news conference at RH Academy - the club’s training ground - this morning. “If we can make that happen on Saturday and continue it going forward it’ll give us a real start. “We’ll be going all-out-attack, but obviously with caution because we’re playing against one of the top teams in the division. It’s a game we’re looking to grab by the scruff of the neck and put in an energising and attacking performance from minute one.” The match against Cheltenham is the first in League Two of what MacDonald referred to as the ‘crucial’ month of December. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/december/macca-pre-cheltenham/ He said: “It doesn’t come much bigger to be honest. It’s a month where we’re hoping to start to really put our foot down and pick up some very much needed results. “It’s no secret that we haven’t performed to the level we believe we’re capable of. The players are well aware of that. There’s only one thing that can turn that around and that’s hard work on the training pitch and most importantly putting that into practice on match day. “We’re not used to being in a run of form like this, certainly since I’ve been at the club, so it’s been tough. There’s no shying away from it, we are where we are and we’re looking to make sure we put that right, starting this Saturday.” Stags currently sit 15th in League Two as they approach the halfway mark of the league season. Trying to pinpoint reasons for their position, the midfielder said: “I think at important times in games when we’ve been on top, we’ve not capitalised on chances that we should be putting away. “It’s a cliché but goals change games and, at times, when we’ve had big chances in important parts of the game we’ve not been able to capitalise on them. I think that’s been a major part of it. “We know the quality’s there; we just need everyone with us, pulling in the same direction. It’s been a frustrating time for us all, for no one more so than the fans - they’ve been magnificent since I’ve been at this football club. We all need to stick together on one side; we need them to be with us.” The ex-Burnley man went on to speak about his relationship with manager John Dempster, stating that he wants to ‘put things right’ for the boss. “I’ve got a great relationship with the manager; he’s been brilliant since he came through the door. It’s up to us as players to go out there and perform for him. As a group of professionals I think we’ve let him down. “When you’ve got a good person and good manager you always have a stronger connection to try your best and your utmost to make sure that man succeeds.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Alex's interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. -------------------------- Let's turn this round for the manager says Mansfield Town midfielder Alex MacDonald chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Thursday 05 December 2019 Mansfield Town midfielder Alex MacDonald said the squad were desperate to turn their poor form around to bring under-fire manager John Dempster some overdue success. Ahead of Saturday's visit of Cheltenham Town, MacDonald said Dempster was well liked in the dressing room and the players were upset to be letting him down. “I speak on behalf of a lot of the lads down there that we are desperate for us to turn it round, not just for ourselves and the football club, but to see the manager do well as well,” said MacDonald. “I have a great relationship with him and he's been great since he came through the door. The lads have enjoyed working under him. “So it's up to us as players to go out there and perform for him. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/let-s-turn-this-round-for-the-manager-says-mansfield-town-midfielder-alex-macdonald-1-10139643 “As a group of players and professionals I think we've let him down at times. We need to put that right. “When you have a good person as well as a good manager in charge, you always have a stronger connection and try your best to make sure that man succeeds.” Stags, down in 15th place, begin a crucial December with five games against sides in the play-off running and MacDonald said: “They don't come much bigger to be honest. It's a crucial month, starting with this Saturday. “It's a month where we're looking to put our foot down and pick up some much-needed results. “It's no secret we have not performed to where we believe we are capable of going. The players are well aware of that. “We can only turn that round by working hard on the training pitch and putting it into practice on a Saturday. “The older lads are trying to keep the morale as good as possible. It has been tough. We are not used to being in a run of form like this, certainly since I came to the club. “But we are where we are, there's no turning our backs on it, we have to improve.” With Stags anticipating a hostile atmosphere on Saturday if things don't go well, MacDonald called on supporters to stick behind them. “We need everyone pulling with us,” he said. “It's been a frustrating time for us all, no one more than the fans. “The fans have been magnificent since I came to this club and this is the hardest time I've known since I have been here. “But we need to stick together. We need them onside and to be with us and none more than this Saturday. “To do that we have got to start the game really well. That's possibly something we've lacked - that energising first 15 minutes. “It gives us a real start and when the Stags faithful get behind you it's a really tough place to come to.” MacDonald is looking forward to saying hello to Cheltenham boss Michael Duff, who was very influential on his career. “He is a lovely man,” said MacDonald. “He helped me as a youngster when I was going into Burnley's first team. “He was an older pro and a real helping hand. It set me in good stead for the rest of my career.” -------------- Why Cheltenham Town are still "in a good place" and striker returns to training - boss Michael Duff ahead of Mansfield Town away By Jon Palmer, 5 DEC 2019 https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cheltenham-town-still-in-good-3610987 MICHAEL DUFF AHEAD OF MANSFIELD TOWN AWAY How do you make sure the players aren't knocked sideways by last Saturday's FA Cup defeat by Port Vale and get straight back on the bike? It's up to us to react. We need to show the disappointment in a positive way and get a reaction out of them. It was a poor second 45 minutes, but there haven't been too many of them, so we will just get on with it. You said a 90 minute performance is what's required. Is that easier when you take your chances? Yes, everyone knows and it's not rocket science that you can't dominate a game for 90 minutes, it's impossible. If you play against the best team in the world, you'll still get a chance. We created several, but didn't score (after the third minute penalty) when we were on top. They scored three in a 10 minute period when they were on top and that was the difference in the game. We weren't terrible, we were excellent in one half and not so good in the other, but you have to score when you are on top. You are back into the league, how important is it to remember you have lost the fewest games in the division? You don't have to remind me of that. I find it strange people are trying to question our run of form. We have lost the least, we are in the top seven, considering where we've been in the last few years, I think we are in a good place. Don't get me wrong, we want to go and win every game, but we are not overthinking anything. Port Vale was similar to the Tranmere game last January, when we were 1-0 up at half-time and ended up losing 3-1. There haven't been many of them and that was nearly a year ago. We need to concentrate on what we do, not worry about the outside world or the outside noise. We think we are okay, but yes we do need to turn up for two halves. When we are on top we need to put more chances away. Have Mansfield surprised you this season, being where they are? It's not always easy and they have massive expectation, which is difficult and they've not had the start they'd have wanted. But they still have good players, many proven at this level and the level above as well. It's a difficult place to go and the fans can go one of two ways, right behind them, or if we can start well and get on top they might go the other way. We can't influence the start unless we implement what we do or it could go the other way. Is it surprising, probably a little bit, so you are always wary of a backlash. They went out of the FA Cup as well last week so they will also be looking to focus on the league also presumably? They played Port Vale in midweek and I went to watch, but obviously there were quite a few changes. Just to get a feel for them really. Micky (Moore) knows them quite well as he was there for a quite a long time. They have good players and if the players turn up and get back to what they were, then it'll be a difficult day. Nicky Maynard definitely a real threat as well He scored a lot of goals for a team that got promoted from this league last season (Bury). He is not the only one, they have lots and lots of players, so I wouldn't solely focus on him and they can hurt you in other areas. How are the injuries and how is Reuben Reid? It's not as bad as we first feared with Reuben. It's more of a twinge or a cramp and I am not sure he'll be available for the weekend. Other than that, everyone else is okay. How is Tahvon Campbell? We are hoping he is going to join in full training today (Thursday), which is another positive. It's another one closer. He's missed a lot of football, but he's worked hard to come back from where he was. He has had a spell out, had a look at it, realigned what we want from a centre forward, what we want him to do and hopefully he can come back and prove to us the player we think is in there. Could he be back this side of Christmas? He'll have a couple of weeks' training and then he'll be available for selection, so it might be a case of getting minutes into him and whatever he or the team needs, but he should be ready for Christmas, yes. This weekend, in terms of your attacking options and the goals drying up. Is that everyone's responsibility? Yes, last week was one of the few games where you could say we missed quite a few chances. Before that I was more concerned about the number of chances we were creating. It's an opportunity for a couple of people, if selected, to stick their hands up and stake a claim for staying in the team. Centre forwards are judged on goals, just as goalkeepers and defenders are judged on clean sheets. That's people will look at, their numbers. ---------------------------- |
Latest | December 2019