|
Sky Bet League Two – Tuesday 27th October 2020, One Call Stadium [Behind Closed Doors] | Manager Graham Coughlan SACKED after the match  Mansfield Town’s worst performance of the season (so far!) handed out two gifts last night – Barrow were gifted their first win of the season, whilst manager Graham Coughlan was gifted his P45 – sacked after the full time whistle as Barrow ran out comfortable 4-2 winners.
The Stags were without skipper Ryan Sweeney who was withdrawn from the group after showing covid symptoms – his replacement youngster Aaron O’Driscoll had a night to forget, sent off for two bookings on his football league debut. Being down to ten men didn’t help, but in honesty – the sending off didn’t really alter the course of the game, Barrow were all over us and thoroughly deserved their victory. Sacking Coughlan was the right call to make, no wins in nine is bad enough – but after the backing he’s had, something clearly wasn’t right. Yes you have to have some sympathy with injuries and covid, but there were still enough about the squad to cope. The Radfords, along with David Sharpe, have a huge job now in what is arguably our most critical appointment – especially with so many experienced, promotion winning, managers out of work available for free. The one thing they must do in my view is take their time, there’s no harm in letting Jamie McGuire prepare and take Saturday’s match against Walsall whilst they do an in depth interview process. This isn’t a bad squad of players, whoever comes in just needs to motivate them and make a few subtle tweaks to take us back forwards, rather than the big step back we’ve just endured. As always we thank Graham for his efforts, but football is results based and he leaves with the worst managerial record at the club – good luck for the future, but for us, it’s time to move on and rebuild. Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Marek Stech | Rollin Menayese, Farrend Rawson, Aaron O’Driscoll | Kellan Gordon, James Perch (George Maris 68), George Lapslie, Stephen McLaughlin | Harry Charsley | Nicky Maynard (Jamie Reid 78), Andy Cook (C) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Alistair Smith James Clarke, Tyrese Sinclair, Jordan Bowery Sky Bet League Two – Saturday 24th October 2020, Jonny Rocks Stadium [Behind Closed Doors]  Another game passes and it’s another one without a victory, prompting even more questions over the future of Stags Manager Graham Coughlan – questions which will get asked louder, written bolder and underlined in capitals – should his side fail to beat also winless Barrow at home on Tuesday night.
For me it feels like a dead heat photo finish at the races, one which expert after expert must analyse from every angle possible. The former Bristol Rovers boss has guided Stags to just four wins during his tenure, all four being last season pre-lockdown with a side which wasn’t his own. He’s been backed well post-lockdown and despite losing Danny Rose and CJ Hamilton, has pulled in some big names from League Two and League One respectively – but whatever reason, the new faces have been stung with the old problems and perhaps arguably, have taken a step backwards – highlighted no less by this terrible run of zero wins leaving us lingering just above the drop zone. Yet over the last two games his side have shown improvement at the back and on the ball, even without full backs Mal Benning [Positive covid-test] and Corey O’Keeffe [self-isolating following close contact with Benning] – taking points from two in form sides in Morecambe and Cheltenham. Those points, as Coughlan said post match, are only good points IF we back them up with a win Tuesday – I’d go further than that and say they’re only good points if we beat both Barrow [Tuesday] and Walsall [Saturday], which should then give us the platform to push on further as we face Scunthorpe in the cup which we’re already out of, and Bolton in the league. Barrow are really struggling to adapt to league life whilst Walsall, all-be-it the only unbeaten side in League Two, can’t turn draws into wins so SHOULD be there for the taking, IF Mansfield HAVE improved. The next two games will be a real test of character, we’re at home and must play on the front foot with real attacking intent. Yesterday I felt we had that when we got on the ball, even though Cook was supposedly isolated up top, he had both Charsley and Maris playing at attacking midfield roles, feeding on the scarps and really pushing us forward – with a little tweak of tactic, I think we can turn our season around. I’m no football manager or coach, just a humble fan with an opinion – I’m also not the CEO or owners, however I do feel that an absolute minimum of four points from the next two games is required to send the “urgent exit required” message, line of duty style. Failure to win a game from those two won’t be about the ball not dropping, lady luck not smiling, or players having to isolate etc – it’s a leadership issue which would have to be addressed, especially as the games are against teams around us with negative results causing further damage. For now, I continue to back Coughlan and the boys – BUT, the magnifying glass is well and truly out looking at the photo finish of our stats and performance, and a certain ex-burton manager’s number is being googled! Actually, it’s Barrow at home on Tuesday isn’t it – quick, someone give Coxy a call and tell him there’s a Jag up for grabs! Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Marek Stech | Rollin Menayese, Farrend Rawson, Ryan Sweeney © | Kellan Gordon, James Perch, George Lapslie, Stephen McLaughlin | Harry Charsley, George Maris (Nicky Maynard 78) | Andy Cook (Jamie Reid 78) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Aaron O’Driscoll, James Clarke, Tyrese Sinclair, Jordan Bowery Sky Bet League Two – Tuesday 20th October 2020, Mazuma Stadium [Behind Closed Doors]  Three minutes into last night’s fixture when Morecambe took the lead, I was most certainly in the “here we go again camp” – and yet, despite Harry Charsley’s back heeled leveller and a point away from home – I still feel like Oliver Twist asking for more.
The results adds to our woeful start to the season and I can’t hide my disappointment that we didn’t seize the initiative last night and play for the win late on – the game was there for the taking. In terms of performance I felt we did OK, we moved the ball better, we got our creative players more involved, we had a number of opportunities – but still lacked intensity, hunger and desire to go and kill a team off – and after seven games, that’s not good enough. OK the players may have been nervy, when you’re in a poor vein of forms there’s always a hesitance with players afraid to make errors – and that’s fine so long as you protect what you start with, a point. Where things change however is with the management – you look to them to rally the troops, to make proactive changes to win games and to inspire – I can’t say I’m feeling that at the moment from Coughlan, highlighted by replacing Cook with Bowery after 73 minutes, when really all the game needed was one player to push up with him with a freshness such as Maynard or Reid – both natural goalscorers who like to play on the front foot. The manager claimed to have played a 4-3-3 which suggests that Cook did have support from Gordon and McLaughlin, realistically it was a 4-5-1 with them out wide – meaning Cook had to drop deeper to try and make things happen for himself, that’s just playing into the opponents hands there! I’m not saying that there wasn’t improvement, because there was – and when you add in Ollie Clarke (injured, not sure how long for), George Lapslie (Suspended, back on Saturday) and Mal Benning (left out due to well-being concerns – hope he’s OK) you’ve got a little more natural balance and attacking threat, which should turn a point into three. Cheltenham have made a cracking start and will be tough on Saturday but we can NOT go backwards and lose the game, but then with Barrow in midweek at home struggling to adapt to league life, you have the opposite – anything less than four points minimum from the next two games will be deemed a failure in my opinion. A few may question why I’ve not referenced chances for Sweeney and Rawson – simply because that excuse of “oh things didn’t drop” has ran its course, we have to get on with it and focus on what we can have an effect on – and that’s the next game, and getting a long, overdue win – before we need to start looking at other ways to turn this nightmare season around. Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Marek Stech | Rollin Menayese, Farrend Rawson, Ryan Sweeney ©, Corey O’Keeffe| Kellan Gordon, James Perch, George Maris, Harry Charsley, Stephen McLaughlin (Tyrese Sinclair 70) | Andy Cook (Jordan Bowery 73) Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Aaron O’Driscoll, Jamie Reid, Nicky Maynard, Alistair Smith Sky Bet League Two – Saturday 17th October 2020, One Call Stadium [Behind Closed Doors]  As supporters I believe we all have a right to have our say on performances, and I also think we have a “line of acceptance” for performance of both the team, and the manager. Yesterday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Bradford certainly saw the team performance dip beyond that for me, the manager – not too far behind.
The voice of reason in my head has to take into consideration the current climate we find ourselves in with covid, morally I wouldn’t want to put anyone out of work – but financially I also wouldn’t want to see us have to make pay-offs to staff if we couldn’t afford to do so. The same voice of reason by the way would have argued about the new team having time – but in my view, they’ve had enough time now to improve and gel. As for bringing someone in, this time around I don’t think we’d have to pay compensation to a club to get a manager in with at least five candidates currently out of work – a discussion for another time. Back to yesterday, sorry, it was a very poor error littered performance – highlighted by the fact that our two candidates for man of the match in the cool down show, were a player who got sent off, and a player who played 45 minutes from the bench. It simply wasn’t good enough. The addition of George Lapslie looked to have FINALLY found what we’ve been lacking – creativity and we started well, but then Marek Stech decided to put on his butter gloves drop a routine catch into his own net and with that, the bubble burst, the boat rocked, the iceburg was hit – however you want to describe it, THAT was the moment it all changed. The second goal was pathetic defending shape, so much so even the camera man didn’t even notice the Bradford man in acres of space to latch onto a training ground p*** take back heal and powerful place beyond the Stags number one. Graham Coughlan said for weeks his side needed to go back to basics, and at the break made three changes and switched into a 4-4-2, and for what, ten minutes? It works, fluid football with a purpose, but then it doesn’t lead to a goal, the patience runs out and before you know it, 3-0 Bradford. OK, we pull it back to 3-1 with Andy Cook but we also see Lapslie sent off for his second booking – no complaints from me, both yellow cards were warranted by the letter of the law. A 95th minute goal for Oldham at Bolton then puts us in the relegation zone for, correct me if I’m wrong, the first time since we’ve been back in the Football League – and then, to round of a truly miserable Saturday – GC does his post-match late, having clear been ranting and raving at his players, to give, in my view, the same answers as previous weeks leaving me (and judging by social media comments, the majority of fans) without any confidence this woeful start to the season will be turned on its head. Question – Why, if you’ve been saying we need to go back to basics, don’t you START THE BLOODY GAME in a 4-4-2 and allow the players to be expressive in the way they were second half? Question – Why leave the most effective striker on the bench week in week out, despite tremendous personal effort to improve during lockdown? I have more questions which anger wants to ask, but for now – I’ll wait, for me we have to get AT LEAST four points from the next two games, it may be early in the season but we have to REACT and pull away from the relegation zone, because the dressing room becomes toxic, social media becomes (even more) toxic, the players confidence dies and before you know it, it’s December and we’re heading back to the darkness. The POSITIVE, we have a game Tuesday which we have to prepare for meaning we can’t stew on this unacceptable comedy of errors. We can NOT change it, We can NOT put superglue on Stech’s gloves or guide Bowery’s seemingly cast iron efforts in – We CAN go back to basics Tuesday, making a number of proactive changes, and save ourselves. PLEASE. Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Marek Stech | Rollin Menayese, Farrend Rawson (Mal Benning 45), Ryan Sweeney © | Corey O’Keeffe, George Lapslie, James Perch, George Maris (Harry Charsley 45), Stephen McLaughlin | Nicky Maynard (Andy Cook 45), Jordan Bowery Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Aaron O’Driscoll, Tyrese Sinclair, Jamie Reid Sky Bet League Two – Saturday 10th October 2020, One Call Stadium [Behind Closed Doors]  Graham Coughlan say’s the Stags have laid a “ghost to rest” after the goalless draw with Stevenage – but I can’t help thinking we’ve heard that before, which then leads me to question, like in Scooby Doo, how many ghosts are there? And just when will Mansfield be Ghost free and their fortunes change?
Three points from a possible fifteen so far this campaign leaves a lot to be desired, and whilst I can accept that we’re a new team still adapting to each other etc, that total coupled with our performances, isn’t good enough. I’m no manager, the ‘quit game to start menu’ option is more responsible for my Football Manager achievements than anything, so I’m not exactly qualified to share my opinion on shapes and systems – but I can’t help but wonder if a subtle change would change our fortunes, and get our big hitters, well – hitting? George Maris is one of the, if not the, best ball players in this division getting box to box, creating chances and scoring goals – yet in this five-man midfield, he’s absolutely lost through no fault of his own, as we revert to type and go back to front bypassing the midfield entirely! Nicky Maynard has an excellent record but needs the service to play him in behind and create pockets to pick at, the direct style completely takes him out of the game – likewise with Jamie Reid. I still think losing Danny Rose, and perhaps even CJ Hamilton, during this window as cost and will continue too until we figure things out – I’ll always praise the financial benefits for the club with the long-term being protected, but we need to balance that out by bringing in fresh legs before the window closes next week. The games are going to come at us thick and fast over the next two weeks – for me anything less than seven points from the next nine will be unacceptable and will leave us in trouble. We have to step things up and raise our game, our identity is fast becoming a below average mid-table one and I think we’re better than that. Let’s stop running down endless corridors that look the same and get to the unmasking part and earn ourselves a Scooby snack! Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Marek Stech | Rollin Menayese, Farrend Rawson, Ryan Sweeney © | Corey O’Keeffe, Harry Charsley, James Perch, George Maris, Stephen McLaughlin (Mal Benning 50) | Nicky Maynard (Andy Cook 74), Jamie Reid Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Jordan Bowery, Kellan Gordon, Aaron O’Driscoll, Alistair Smith EFL Trophy [NORTHERN GROUP E Game 2/3] – Tuesday 6th October 2020, One Call Stadium [Behind Closed Doors]  It’s not often that I struggle to write my thoughts and feelings after a match, but following the 3-1 defeat at home to League One Lincoln City, I’m really struggling to put pen to paper – I can’t help but think that something big is missing.
Not many people take this particular cup competition seriously, but after our opening four league games left us winless, it was a prime opportunity to hit the reset button and have a go at someone and for players to seize an opportunity – the truth it, the moment that iFollow froze was probably the most exciting things got from a Stags perspective! I’ll have to be in a really generous mood to tolerate a comment along the lines of “Lincoln outplayed us and made it difficult for us” from whomever is thrust in front of the camera for a post-match comment, as if truth be told – Lincoln, whilst they showed class, didn’t really have to work for it. We lacked zest, we lacked fire, we lacked leadership, we lacked ideas, we lacked pace, we lacked any form of intensity and when that’s evident from the first thirty seconds, you know you’re in for a long night. I felt sorry for Aidan Stone out there tonight, he made some very good saves and again looked solid when called upon – I can’t put him at fault for any of the goals, although many will for the third – wrongly. This feeling of being sluggish and below par is becoming far too frequent and I fear a bad result Saturday against Stevenage will only make the situation worse. We have to come out and fight, we have to come out and want to play for the badge – we do not have to go three goals down to spark some form of fight either. It’s deflating enough not being in the ground to watch, let alone this consistent lack of any form of progression on the pitch. I feel like I should talk about the managers’ record thus far, but I’m not sure now is the right time for that particular argument. I just want to write this game off and move on. I’ve wanted to do that for the past three games or so – and yet here we are, deflated again. Something is missing. Something BIG is missing. We need to find it, quickly. Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Aidan Stone | Rollin Menayese, Aaron O’Driscoll, Ryan Sweeney © | Kellan Gordon, James Perch (Alistair Smith 57), Tyrese Sinclair (Stephen McLaughlin 57), Harry Charsley, Mal Benning | Jordan Bowery (Nicky Maynard 57), Jamie Reid Unused Subs: Marek Stech, Corey O’Keeffe, Farrend Rawson, George Maris Sky Bet League Two, Game 4 – Saturday 3rd October 2020, Rodney Parade [Behind Closed Doors]  2020 has been a horrendous year in general, but yesterday the world of football hit a new low as it would appear that not only are fans still forced to watch from home – but good old lady luck remains furloughed, at least from the Stags’ perspective as yet again a 1-0 lead is overturned and defeat is the final outcome.
The Stags needed to make changes to freshen things up and take the game to inform Newport and made five – one enforced as keeper Stech missed training through illness, leading to another round of covid-testing for the entire squad. Shock horror they all came back negative, including the Stags’ number one who stayed home to recover – giving Aidan Stone the chance to shine, something in my opinion which he did, if he is dropped for next Saturday’s league match with Stevenage that will be very harsh indeed. Mansfield played OK to keep Newport at bay and I genuinely felt at half-time that if we could up our game a gear, we’d win. We did and lead through a rocket from Stephen McLaughlin, one of the other changes and all we needed was that little bit of luck to protect the clean sheet and the points. Sadly, Lady Luck is enjoying her days watching Netflix too much as she seemingly remained Furloughed. If you need evidence, look no further than when substitute Jordan Bowery swung a boot at a cross, only to set-up Newport for their equaliser. If you need more evidence, take a look at the awarding of a penalty for the hosts late on for handball against Menayese, it was dubious and soft to say the least. I could delve into the debate about the manager or rip into the players for their errors, but now isn’t the right time – we’ve played four league games for goodness sake with this side! I could also delve into the Danny Rose transfer, which I think is a mistake – but that’s for another day and another time. There’s far too much negativity in the world at the moment, football is supposed to be our escape from that, so today I’ll leave it with tongue in cheek comments. We do need to bring in a commanding, experienced defender, maybe a midfielder too BUT, I fully believe that we will come good sooner rather than later and when we do, it’ll be something special – after all, doesn’t the furlough scheme end soon? Click HERE to read the clubs official match report. STAGS: Aidan Stone | Rollin Menayese, Farrend Rawson, Ryan Sweeney | Corey O’Keeffe (Andy Cook 90+2), James Perch, Ollie Clarke © (Alistair Smith 84), George Maris, Stephen McLaughlin | Nicky Maynard (Jordan Bowery 75), Jamie Reid Unused Subs: Maison Campbell, Aaron O’Driscoll, Harry Charsley, Mal Benning |
