Archived News from October 2020
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COUGHLAN AND MICHAEL APPLETON REACTION
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Boss discusses Trophy loss
mansfieldtown.net, Tue 06 Oct 2020 Manager Graham Coughlan has delivered his post-match assessment following tonight’s 3-1 defeat to Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy. Defender Rollin Menayese’s powerful header was not enough to prevent the Stags from exiting the competition after goals from Jamie Soule, Anthony Scully and Theo Archibald. Speaking after the match, the Stags’ boss said: “We weren’t good enough. We made some elementary errors - but we seem to standing here talking about the same things over and over again. “Possession of the football wasn’t good enough and we gave it away too easily. When you give the ball away to good teams, you’re going to be in trouble. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2020/october/gaffer-post-lincoln-h/ “The lads feel that the whole world is against them and what they’re trying to do is not coming off. The only way out of that is to just keep working. “They’re an honest, hard-working group of lads and I don’t think anyone can question that. We certainly don’t lack work rate and effort, but work rate and effort is not going to win us games in this current state. “We need to put all of our energy into getting a result at the weekend.” In the second-half, the manager opted for a change of formation, and explained the reasons for doing so. “When you’re going through a little bit of sticky patch, you probably go back to basics, and I think that’s where we are at this point. “A lot of work we do Monday to Friday is excellent, but we don’t tend to see that on the Saturday. That for me is a little bit of a concern. “We changed it up and went to 4-4-2. We got some pressure on the ball and looked after it a little better. “It is a basic formation and every footballer up and down the land has played that formation. It’s something that we can fall back on, but I don’t think it’s time to rip up the blueprint yet.” On the goals Mansfield have conceded this season, Graham Coughlan added: “There’s no getting away from it - the goals that we have been shipping have been individual errors and daft goals to be giving away. “That’s just where one or two lads are and that’s where we find ourselves at this moment at time. “The only way out of it is rolling your sleeves up, digging deep and working hard on the training ground.” There was also an update on goalkeeper Marek Stech, who missed Saturday’s game at Newport County. “I wouldn’t say he [Marek Stech] is fully and completely [well] - I wouldn’t be brave enough to use those terms. “He has come back in yesterday and had a session. We gave him another 24 hours between yesterday and today to recover. “Fingers crossed he’s okay and ready to train in the morning.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Graham Coughlan’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. --------------------------- Graham Coughlan says Mansfield Town must go back to basics. chad.co.uk Stags were beaten 3-1 by Lincoln City in Group E of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night leaving them still seeking a first win. “When you’re going through a little bit of sticky patch, you probably go back to basics, and I think that’s where we are at this point. “A lot of work we do Monday to Friday is excellent, but we don’t tend to see that on the Saturday. That for me is a little bit of a concern. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/graham-coughlan-says-mansfield-town-must-go-back-basics-2995772 “The lads feel that the whole world is against them and what they’re trying to do is not coming off. The only way out of that is to just keep working. “They’re an honest, hard-working group of lads and I don’t think anyone can question that. We certainly don’t lack work rate and effort, but work rate and effort is not going to win us games in this current state. “We need to put all of our energy into getting a result at the weekend.” Goals from Jamie Soule, Anthony Scully and Theo Archibald gave the Imps a 3-0 lead before Rollin Menayese pulled a consolation goal back. It left a frustrated Coughlan admitting his side had not been good enough. “We weren’t good enough,” he said. “We made some elementary errors - but we seem to standing here talking about the same things over and over again. “Possession of the football wasn’t good enough and we gave it away too easily. When you give the ball away to good teams, you’re going to be in trouble. “There’s no getting away from it - the goals that we have been shipping have been individual errors and daft goals to be giving away. “That’s just where one or two lads are and that’s where we find ourselves at this moment at time. “The only way out of it is rolling your sleeves up, digging deep and working hard on the training ground.” ------------------------- 'Near enough' - Michael Appleton on Lincoln City's 3-1 win at Mansfield Town The Imps boss named a back four with an average age of just 20 in the EFL Trophy clash By Mark Whiley https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/michael-appleton-lincoln-city-reaction-4582473 Lincoln City’s EFL Trophy game at Mansfield Town could not have panned out better, even if Michael Appleton had scripted it himself. A comfortable 3-1 win, a place in the knockout stage with a game to spare, the chance to rest some key men and impressive performances from players who have lacked game time this season. There was also goal for new signing Jamie Soule, whose loan move from West Bromwich Albion was only completed hours earlier, meaning Tom Hopper could stay on the bench with Saturday’s league clash with Bristol Rovers in mind. Further strikes from Anthony Scully and Theo Archibald were a fair reflection of the Imps’ complete dominance, which only faded in the final 20 minutes - after Stags boss Graham Coughlan had made a triple substitution - with Rollin Menayese pulling a goal back. All that considered, it was pretty much the perfect night for the Imps boss. “Near enough,” said Appleton. “I couldn’t have asked for any more. We were very young, very inexperienced, with players playing out of position. We didn’t have a choice. “But one thing I’ve said, time and time again, is that we’ve got a game group. They’ll keeping going and have a go at anybody.” The Imps’ back four was particularly inexperienced, with an average age of just 20. Harry Anderson, who played at right-back, was the ‘old head’ at 23. TJ Eyoma (20) and Sean Roughan (17) were the centre-back pairing, with Tayo Edun (22) at left-back. “My big worry was whether we would get physically dominated because I knew Mansfield would be direct and hit the strikers early,” added Appleton. “I was a little bit concerned about [defensive] set-plays. I’m not trying to be a smart so-and-so but I did say to the staff that I thought we’d need to score a couple of goals to win the game. “I didn’t see us keeping a clean sheet, just because of how dominant I thought Mansfield might be from corners and free-kicks, but they were outstanding." The manner of the performance underlined that while the squad may be a little light on numbers, it is well stocked with quality as the players who came into the side fitted in seamlessly. “When they perform like that, I know that if someone gets injured or suffers poor form, I can slot them in,” said Appleton. “I don’t need to worry and ‘ask can he do this or that?’ With the sessions we put on in training, everyone should be in tune when it comes to matchday.” With the Imps and Manchester City U21s already assured of a place in the knockout stage ahead of their meeting on November 17, the only thing left to decide is who goes through as group winners, which would mean a home game in last 32. Lincoln are a point behind Man City, who beat Scunthorpe United and Mansfield in 90 minutes. --------------- |
Latest | October 2020